Blog 1 (Chapters1&2)

The biggest takeaway I have from reading the first two chapters is that the obstacle we are facing as educators is not a challenge caused by our own incompetence, but the changes occurring in society.  As children we learned to listening to teachers and being "given" information so many of us are most familiar and comfortable with this method.  With smart phones, laptops, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, and all the new and ever present technology in our students' lives, their method of interaction and learning is shifting from being given information to "pulling" information.  Students are used to exploring and searching for information.  They are more comfortable swiping, tapping, and pinching than they are reading from actual books, writing by hand, and listening to teacher's voices.

The authors also paint a picture of today's children and teenagers which is very telling.  "Students enjoy multitasking; they use the internet for schoolwork while listening to music, maintaining friendships, eating meals, and spending time in their room engaging in self-directed learning."   Their functioning in their everyday lives is drastically changed from the previous generation.  As teachers, we need to be aware of these differences to meet our student where they are.  The authors explain further; "The experience is free flowing, flexible, social, and unscripted.

Technology can help improve the levels of engagement, interaction, and inquiry-based learning.  This is really important to me as a teacher because I want students to be interested in and care about their learning.  I also want them to have the skills necessary to be successful in college, in their careers, and in their lives.  This means they need to be able to problem solve and create.  Our job, as the author states, is to "create puzzles, ask questions, and engage in conversations with students."  This with allow them to create, problem solve, and innovate.


Questions:
1) How can I make learning a second language more student based?
2) How can I make learning a second language more exploratory?
3) How can I allow students to come up with their own questions learning a second language while still following a curriculum?