Embracing Change

Preparing learners is one of the most important things when introducing a new concept. It starts with showing enthusiasm for the new topic. If the teacher can't get excited or at least show excitement, why would the students be interested? I think a lot of how students learn, especially at a young age begins with teaching and modeling how to learn. One of the things I learned while studying for my undergrad program for teaching was the importance of modeling learning through asking questions. An example would be a teacher reading a book and asking themselves questions or making comments such as: I wonder what will happen if the main character does this. I should pay attention to what they are doing.

One of the things I mentioned in my call to action video was that we can consider students "digital natives", meaning that a lot of them had access to technology as young as a baby. Although, handing kids a smart phone just to keep them occupied and quiet, we learned that they soon began learning how to use the device and became a professional at it. But one of the concerning things is that we assume just because students had access to technology, we think that they must be an expert at using it. A lot of times that is not the case.