Reflections #2

My reflection this week is based less on my readings for the course than on some of my recent interactions with students. I enjoyed reading the article I found for the journal review, and I probably chose the one that I did because of the concerns I felt from my classroom interactions over technology requirements.

I’m discovering that many of my students don’t know how to use this technology. They at least are saying that don’t have consistent access to computers. I know there are labs at the school, but since I am writing this well after midnight, I’m sure some of my students face the same challenges in carving out time for schoolwork in a very busy schedule.

In addition, the lack of confidence and comfort these students show around technology leads me to wonder if they may not have attended schools where there was sufficient access to technology to come to college prepared to use it. Some are as ready to use the technology as I am to put information online, but there are others who are scared, don’t like it, and don’t feel confident using it for their education.

I am starting to have doubts about the level of technological skills that this “standard” student has when they reach a community college. In looking at the “Did You Know 2.0” video, it is obvious that it is already out of date to some degree in that it uses MySpace as a measure and doesn’t mention Facebook at all. In looking at the shift to Education 2.0, I may focus some of my research on liking into whether or not we could be creating a an even greater divide between those who have access to technology and those who don’t? Those “haves” and “have nots.” I wonder if those laptops every reached any children who were going to have the world in their hands?

I do believe that to prepare students for the future they will face, they will have to be comfortable with technology, and I am more than willing to work with them so that they can use the tools that are accessible to them. My concern is that some of the students who need the most help and access may not have the ability or the perseverance to take on learning what might be a challenging topic right beside learning the new technology.