Opinion Paper 2

Response to “Kids Talk Tech” by Sara Bernard
ED 529 – Raulston
27 February 2010

Sara Bernard’s article “Kids Talk Tech” offers tips to students and educators on how to learn and teach using technology (2009). Her suggestions are examples from real teachers who have used the tech teaching method and had success with it. In terms of effectiveness, these suggestions are refreshing and interesting for both student and teacher. They provide dual purpose learning experiences: students can master a concept while learning how to use technology in a more sophisticated way than they may be accustomed to. However, there are some obstacles that would have to be overcome in order to implement these solutions.

The idea of “friending” Thomas Paine is a dream to a social studies teacher. Making historically significant figures more like people and less like two dimensional pictures in book is a major goal of social studies instruction. Using MySpace to achieve this allows students to access this new information about Thomas Paine in a familiar way. Nothing could be better. However, practical application of this teaching method would be difficult. MySpace is a forbidden website according to most school system web filters. It is also forbidden by many parents. How can the teacher use a tool that cannot be accessed at school and has a negative connotation in the media to help students learn about Thomas Paine? An alternative could be to use an application like Wikispaces to create a “closed” MySpace that only your students can access. This way, students can use the “rules” of MySpace but actually use an application that allows for greater supervision by the teacher. This will put parents at ease and achieve the same goal.

Student blogging as mentioned in the article is also a powerful resource. Any avenue where students can critically think and talk about what is happening in their classrooms is a positive avenue. If teachers give students a voice to discuss their opinions on what is being presented, students will accept the challenge and apply what they know.

Bernard, S. (2009, June). Kids talk tech. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-lesson-ideas