This claim has come up many times in the past few years in regards to today’s kids catching on quickly to technology. They grew up with it, so it comes naturally. …or does it?
I came across a video on Instagram from Mike Holston @therealtarzann with one of his friends, Sugriva (who is a chimp!), looking at Instagram. Well, he wasn’t just looking at it, he was USING it! He was watching specific videos, scrolling the feed, going back and forth, and reacting to what he was seeing! It was incredible! See the video and post here:
So that got me thinking again about these “kids as digital natives” thing. I think they are not digital natives, but they’re more apt to take risks from observation, just like Sugriva. They’re constantly watching adults using technology and they mimic our use of tech, so they are more likely to dive right in when given the opportunity.
Others are also questioning and fracturing this idea further. This article from ParentInfo.org and Netlingo.com seem to throw the idea out since it infers that all kids are familiar with all things tech and digital. Instead, it suggests that kids are fluent in social media, but have a rocky understanding of how Google works.
Finally, this article by Alexandra Samuel from Ideas.TED.com breaks up the term “digital native” into three subgroups, the “orphans,” the “exiles,” and the “heirs.” This seems more accurate and obvious when talking about pretty much anything. You have those who have limited access (orphans), those that have access, but little guidance (exiles), and those that have access and training (heirs).
What are your thoughts on kids as digital natives?
…no, no you haven’t. No one is asking. No one is sending DMs, no one is commenting, no one is posting regarding any questions that need to be answered by prefacing with the title of this blog entry! If you see that tag line, move along! It is all a lie! Lie #1, actually.
This post is geared toward you newbies to the teaching profession. These are the things your college classes don’t cover. This is real life. These are things social media will tell you are true. These are things I wish I was told. Vets, if you’d like to add anything, please comment below.
I’ve been reading a lot of blogs and threads lately because I have sooooo much time on my hands… Okay, that’s lie #2 that you need to be aware of. I don’t have much time on my hands. My hands are juggling so much right now. I have a pile of papers I’ve been bringing home for about 2 weeks that need to be checked. My house is a disaster since I want to move. My desk at school is piled high with Lord knows what – that’s called “April desk,” btw, where you just stop caring about keeping it in order and in a month you sweep it all into the garbage can before leaving for summer break. The only reason I was able to read blogs and threads was for what I call “research” for grad school. Hence this post that I felt compelled to write to dispell many myths you may be absorbing as you surf the interwebs trying to gain ideas before you giddily (is that a word?) launch into the next phase of your life.
This is where lies #3 and #4 come in…(3) You are supposed to have a picture-perfect, Pinterest-worthy classroom your first year. You will be spending your whole summer buying things (4) with money that will be reimbursed to you. …nope. No, you are not. I’m telling you to resist temptation. Wait until you get your job and know what you need! Those classrooms you see on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram are the highlight reel of someone’s life. I don’t post a picture of my desk in April for this reason. No one wants to see that trash heap. Maybe I’ll take a picture and post it here later for authenticity. There are multiple scenarios that could be taking place here…
That is the calm before the storm.
That is a teacher who has gathered all that “cute” stuff over many years and it has taken years of rearranging to get it to where they like it.
That is actually a set-up in their house. Yes, it’s fake and it happens A LOT.
DO NOT feel pressured to go out and buy all the things! Chances are you will not be reimbursed! Some schools have a certain amount they pay you for classroom things while others do not. Some P.T.O.s give their teachers money while others do not. You will go into debt so fast if you go on a spending spree. Watching all of the Target posts in June, July, and August will get you into debt even faster! Just stay away from Target. Walmart has a better deal on bookbins anyway. Some schools may even make you buy your own paper for copies! My suggestion to you would be to ask the teachers at your school what are the most important things you will need to get started. What does the school provide? What are the essential things you need? Many vet teachers have an overabundance of things they’ve collected and may give you items Marie Kondo-style. Visit second-hand sources like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and garage sales. If there’s a bigger ticket item, like many books to start a library, consider one of the donation sites like Donors Choose or Go Fund Me. Also, don’t forget to check your school’s “dumping table” a.k.a. the table where all the teachers dump the stuff they don’t want and maybe someone else could use. Check to see if your district offers a new teacher “store” where you can pick up things to start your classroom. Our district is lucky enough to have one, but I didn’t know about it until my 3rd or 4th year. It was provided by our union, so make sure to ask them! There is also a website called NAEIR (National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources) that has amazing deals on bulk classroom items. Need 95 pens? They have you covered. 72 Post-It pads? Sure thing! Sign up here and if they ask, tell them Megan sent you! Keep in mind you can only sign up if you have a teaching job. They will call/email your school to check. They have much better deals than the back to school sales, so keep that in mind! Also, all items must be used for/with the kids. Teaching is the only job where you steal things from home to bring them to school. Be prepared lol!
When you are struggling to get your life off the ground with your peanuts-for-salary you may be approached by someone selling something and asking you to join their team because you’ll make so much more money. These are also known as MLMs or Multi-Level Marketing schemes. Truth they will approach you or slide into your DMs with a “Hey, gurl…” and tell you that you’ll make more money by selling ____, but lie #5 is that you won’t. Stick to what you know how to do. If you want a side-hustle, what are you good at? What do you already have the skills and materials for? Don’t go into debt trying to make more money. If you’re going to spend more money to make money, take classes to get your Masters. They will pressure you like crazy, but that’s their job because they need people under them to make their money. If you’re unhappy with the salary you’re making and you would want to leave teaching to go do one of these MLMs, go into a different field to begin with and don’t “Hey, gurl!” me. (Yes, I know I’m spelling girl wrong. Don’t hate me. It’s so you read it like “guuurl.”)
You will see many “teacher conferences” on social media. They will all promote to make you a better teacher. Lie #6. All I have to say is do your homework to know what you’re getting into. Who are the presenters? What is their agenda? How long have they been teaching? What makes them an authority on the topic? How does this align to your/your district’s teaching philosophy? Many of them are just a way to meet Insta-famous people and have no desire to increase your teaching skills. Maybe that’s what you’re looking for, and that’s up to you. Just keep in mind your audience. We all put on some degree of a show every day for our kids, but OSHA frowns upon standing on desks. Just sayin’.
All interactions will be positive. Yeah, I can’t even say that with a straight face, so that’s lie #7. Chances are you’ll also end up on anxiety meds or anti-depressants at some point in your career. I can’t even prepare you for some of the parents that may come at you. I have had some amazing parents in the past (95%) and I’ve also had some that have come to school with their torches saying, “Kill the beast!” …or maybe that was only what it felt like while I was having my daily cry…regardless… They will send you doozy emails with pictures of sandwiches asking if you would help their child finish their lunch. Ummm, no. “That’s a conversation you need to have at home.” They will also send emails with other students’ names in them. Whatever you do, do not repeat any student names other than their own child in the email. Ask for a face-to-face to help resolve these issues instead. You may also encounter other co-workers who are less than kind. Truth – I was bullied by another teacher my first year. She did it so underhandedly that no one noticed until I brought it to the attention of my mentor teacher. She couldn’t believe how underhanded and sneaky she was once I pointed it out. So yes, it does happen, and if I had the knowledge and experience I have now, I would have filed a grievance on her. I didn’t know that was a thing, but if you’re having issues and you try to solve them, but just can’t, talk to your union rep if you’re lucky enough to have one. Otherwise, go to your admin or HR for advice.
Lie #8: You need to post your classroom happenings on social media. That is actually a terrible idea. You should never post anyone on social media without their consent. Check your school’s rules on photo/video release. That still doesn’t cover your hiney because those often just cover the school website and newspaper publications. Did you know even a child’s handwriting could be seen as an “identifiable” characteristic? If you choose to have a classroom page on FB, IG, or whatever, MAKE IT PRIVATE and invite only! I personally use Bloomz and Seesaw which my parents love and they both have higher level privacy restrictions. Click on them to check them out. I think you can get a free month of pro, too, if you use my links.
Lie #9: You should use oils in your classroom to help with behavior and curb sickness. There are so many allergies that can be trigged by oils it is dangerous to do this. Some oils also can trigger other health issues in children (and adults!). If parents want to put them on their children, that’s one thing, but if you do it, you could be in big trouble. Some schools don’t even allow room sprays. Be aware of your school’s policies, and if you don’t know, then ask!
My best advice to you is to keep it real. Don’t try to be someone you’re not because your kids will see right through it. Don’t be your students’ friend. You are their teacher, not their peer. They need someone to give them structure. Don’t act like you know it all to other teachers because they will give you side-eye and an eye roll, even if it is in their head and you can’t see it. You don’t have to take their advice, but at least act like you’re listening.
As we all know, there has been a big push for technology integration within schools today. There are those districts that can afford the best, and those that are struggling for the basics. There is the phrase, “Get on board or get left behind.” Who said it first? Don’t know, but it is repeated to us like Gospel. Technology is changing our world at a rapid pace, and it has made me pause lately. What if it isn’t the best thing for our kids? I’ve heard that yes, it is changing our kids’ brains (This Neuroscientist Explains Why Today’s Kids Have Different Brains) and I’ve heard that tech execs in Silicon Valley are banning or limiting their kids’ tech use (Silicon Valley parents are raising their kids tech-free — and it should be a red flag).
Is there a “tech agenda” and if so, am I a “pusher”?!
Kids’ brains are changing, and that’s okay because it’s evolution. Kids’ brains have always been changing. If kids’ brains were the same as they had been in 1604, I’d be a little bit worried. Adults’ brains are also not the same. New advances in science and technology have allowed us to start thinking in different ways and advancing our society in ways that even 20 years ago would have seemed like science fiction. Have all advances been for the better? Hardly. Facebook, for example, has brought people together and created a platform to share ideas and collaborate in ways that weren’t possible before, which is fantastic, but it has also brought out an ugliness in people (the word “cesspool” comes to mind) and allowed for negative (bullying) and criminal activities (data breaches, theft), as well as it being a “time suck” (at least to me).
What could possibly go wrong?
Addiction
Well, tech developers have admitted that they constantly revamp their products to make them more addictive (Technology Designed for Addiction). You know who else does that? Drug lords. Drug lords do that. I don’t know that from experience, but I’ve watched plenty of 20/20, HLN, and Nightline to be successfully schooled and scared sh!tless over what happens when stuff gets out of hand. (Well that escalated quickly, now, didn’t it? I’m also pretty sure I’d make an excellent detective. I don’t know why it always takes them so long to solve those murders because I get them in less than an hour! ::insert sarcasm font::) Now, I’m not saying that technology and drugs are equal because they absolutely are not, but mindless scrolling isn’t healthy. The thing that both have in common is the desire for more money. So, how do we safely use technology with our students?
Social Skills
I think we’ve all been seeing this or are starting to see a change in social skills amongst our kids. Our kids have a harder time now reading others’ emotions and correctly expressing their own emotions (Kids And Screen Time: What Does The Research Say?). This leads to many misunderstandings and difficulty with problem-solving. Kids also have trouble interacting with one another and have to be explicitly taught how to make friends and solve disputes through supplemental programs and books like 2nd Step and Announcing…Goal of the Week. I use the latter in my classroom. It should also be noted that this lack of social skills and problem-solving is not helped by the more traditional play-based kindergarten programs getting the chop. Luckily, our district recognized this and is slowly bringing them back. There are rumors that it will eventually also come to 1st grade. We shall see.
Bullying & Other Mean Kid Trash
Yes, bullying has been an issue ever since there were children. I’m willing to bet Barney Rubble’s kid, BamBam was once bullied for wearing last season’s loincloth (or something like that). Cyberbullying is a newer phenomenon since the internet came around. Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George kids on the internet…
::all the hands go up:: Yes, I’m sure we’ve all experienced it and it is terrible. Parents are trying to stay ahead of their kids by not allowing certain websites and deleting other apps. Kids are innovators, however, and where there’s a will, there’s a way. The newest workaround makes it look like they’re working on school work when in reality, they’re having discussions with their friends – and not always nice ones. What is worse is that they can delete the doc and no one is the wiser. So how are they doing it? Through none other than Google Docs! Kids Are Using Google Docs to Bully Each Other and Chat in Secret. What?! Yep. Sneaky little ones, aren’t they? There are extensions you can get, like Draftback for Chrome, to see the revisions, but if they delete the whole thing, I’m not sure you can recover it if you/your child isn’t the owner.
Health Effects
We know obesity is a growing problem in the United States. With more kids sitting and less activity, technology isn’t helping the situation. A friend’s mom used to get on us in high school for being on AIM too much (AOL Instant Messenger – anyone remember that? The best part, ironically, was how well crafted your “away” message could be) and warning us of “tech spread” a.k.a. our butts getting wider from sitting too much. In my classroom, I try to get my kids up and moving every day, multiple times a day. If we can’t go outside for a run or quick recess, we (ironically) use the internet. My kids love GoNoodle and their KidzBop dance videos.
There is also the issue of strain on the eyes. We’ve heard for decades to not sit close to the TV, and then it morphed into the 20-20-20 rule, which is when on the computer, every 20 minutes, look up at something 20 feet away and stare for 20 seconds. While both of those are still of concern, the newest issue is having the “blue light” messing with our brains if we’re trying to sleep with a smartphone in the room or killing our photoreceptor cells if we’re using our phone/device in the dark. I know I didn’t pay almost 4 Gs to get LASIK to just have it null and void because I wanted to check some dumb app. Some parents require phones to be kept out of bedrooms and instead charge them overnight in the kitchen.
So, Negative Nancy, how do we avoid this doom and gloom? Do we take all chip-technology away?
I’d say because we don’t know how much screen time kids are getting at home, to use technology purposefully and not as a filler or a substitute. What would not be possible without its use? How can our lessons be enhanced, modified, or redefined (SAMR model, anyone?) using technology? Can we get parents/guardians or other outsiders who are leaders in their fields involved in the classroom without them having to be there? Keep in mind to use apps sparingly or use those that don’t use personally identifiable information to cut down students’ digital footprint.
We also need to be vigilant with teaching digital citizenship early. Teach students that a keyboard and “free speech” doesn’t protect them from consequences of their words and actions. Just because they can, doesn’t mean they should. Use the “grandma rule.” Would you show this or say this to your grandma? No? Then don’t post it. Think before posting anything. This is hard for kids because kids are naturally impulsive the younger they are. This is where I think apps that have a teacher moderating and approving posts and comments are good learning tools for students. If a questionable post or comment is made, the teacher can have that discussion with the student and then it can be deleted without anyone but the poster/commenter and the teacher knowing.
Would withholding technology prevent our students from getting the jobs they want? Probably not, but it isn’t helping them either. I believe if they get a chance to dabble with it as students, it could either lead to a desire to enter a tech field, or it could lead to creative thinking and innovations (thinking about those kids who make their own prosthesis – looking at you, glitter cannon girl, Jordan Reeves and you, Hailey Dawson pitching across the MLB with her team themed hands). Without being able to dabble with technology, these kids wouldn’t have the resources or experiences to achieve normalcy with their able-bodied peers (thinking of their hands in general, not awesome glitter cannons).
When looking at the pros and cons of technology integration, I believe if teachers are educated on how to properly utilize it in a controlled environment, it isn’t a bad thing. Technology is just a growing part of our lives and if we don’t teach students how to use it properly, they’ll blunder through it and make the mistakes we made. Why not try to correct those mistakes by teaching? For years, we’ve been told that the incoming brood is full of “digital natives,” but recent research has shown that to be a myth. They still need to be taught how to use it. I think the difference is that kids are more comfortable with it and willing to push buttons without consequence, which could be a good and a bad thing. I can only imagine what our world would be like if everyone had to have an introductory course to netiquette and being a responsible digital citizen before jumping on the web. Hindsight is 20/20, and we didn’t know we needed it when the internet was opened up like an all-you-can-eat buffet where we were told all foods were calorie-free.
So, would I say I’m a pusher? …no… Enabler? …no… I’m not sure what I’d call myself, but I want to give my students the opportunity to change the world (hopefully for the better!). So I’ll guide them in their tech use to be responsible digital citizens who think before they post, cultivate their creativity, and unplug to be kids and enjoy the real world.
I’m trying something new. I love writing and I find it to be therapeutic, especially if it is a brain dump. I decided to try Edublogs’ “Personal Blogging – Create a Professional Educator Blog in 10 Steps” bootcamp. Well, it is a self-paced course, but I’m in speed mode and I’m a fast learner. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. My favorite tip so far has been how to change the font style and size. There are tons of other tips that are very worthwhile, as well. I especially like the graphic found at the bottom of this page discussing 10 easy ways to make your blog posts easier to read. This was from the 3rd module when they talked about creating your first post.
NEXT!
WHY WON’T MY FONT STAY CONSISTENT?!
In this current module, we’re learning about extending our PLN. I have a pretty good one-way PLN going on Instagram and one I never visit on Facebook. For some reason, the education world is obsessed with Twitter, and personally, I don’t get it! I hate Twitter. I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s because I teach elementary and we like pictures, and therefore IG is my jam. Maybe it was because in the beginning, they limited you to 140 characters and I love to talk so they always cut me off and made me change my writing to look like that of a pre-teen girl. If you want to follow my Twitter and my current one tweet, it’s @coloringphd. If you would rather follow riveting images including those of my Black Swallow Tail nursery in the summer (as seen below), it’s also @coloringphd. I love coloring and I’m darn good at it. ::toots own horn::
You will also see photos of my two fur babies, Max and Mew, and not so vague references to my love of the Chicago Cubs.
Module #5
Looking into the next module, I was messing with my widgets. Side note – apparently “widget” was a pre-computer age term. According to a quick Google search, it was a form of the word “gadget” and it first appeared around 1931. Crazy, right? Anyway, back to my widgets! I moved all of the stock widgets over to the right column to open it up a bit and I added the Tag/Category counter. I think I might move that too, because I do like the openness of the blog when everything is moved to the right. I looked at other blogs and found some fun ones but I’ll have to look into where to get those. I think every blog should definitely have a search option, archives, categories/tags, and the tag/category counter. These widgets just make it easier to find things on blogs if you are looking for something specific.
STEP 6!
So we are now talking images…and to not steal them. I’ve heard of Creative Commons Licenses, but they were (and still kind of are) confusing to me. I like how most of them you can click on and see exactly what you can and can’t do, which is super helpful. I’ve heard of sites where you can get “free use” images, like Pixabay and Openclipart, but they have a very useful list on this page that is worth checking out. For creating my own images, I like to use PicCollage (see above) or Adobe Spark. Both are easy to use and PicCollage is for Apple, Android, and Windows. There is also a PicCollageEdu, which I snagged for free in January when they were running a special. Now my kids can use it on our iPads and insert their own images on to their Seesaws. I like PicCollage because you can choose a template or make a free-style collage, use text or your own writing, insert stickers, or take a picture within the app. I have used other collage apps in the past, like Canva and Photo Editor on my Galaxy, but PicCollage is my go-to for ease of use and the ability to work on multiple platforms.
For posterity’s sake, here is an image from the Compfight Plugin and it is what I imagine what my future will look like in about 40 years. Thanks, Ol’Pete.
There are a lot of “cool tools” to use and embed within the edublog. Check them out here in module 7. I would embed one of my Popplets here, but alas, without Pro, it’s a no-go. Here is the link to my Popplet anyway.
If I were to insert a practice video I would make everyone watch flip-throughs of the newest Happy Planner stickers. It’s like unboxing toys for adult women (and some men). I get it now, kids. I want to see all the things! I would embed the video below, but again, no Pro, no-go! Later…once I complete this course, I’ll put in all the videos!
Update! Here is the unboxing for adult women of Happy Planner sticker books!
Here is a link (again, no Pro, no-go for embedding!) to a video I made with Lumen5 for a book project I did last semester. I highly recommend this series because it is plot twist after plot twist! Don’t just stop at the first book!
Update! Here is my Lumen5 video:
Have I made video-shorts in the past? Yes. Have I received my hard-earned Oscar? Nope. I’m pretty sure I would qualify for writer, director, actress, and many others. Alas, Leonardo DiCaprio had to wait until he looked like a disheveled old man before he got his day in the sun, so I guess I have to wait, too. As requested, here is a still from a video I made using the green screen and DoInk app since again, no embedding. Yes, apparently I have a green forehead and no amount of adjusting could get rid of it. Laugh it up.
Plugins
For this module, I am supposed to activate some plugins. I already activated Compfight and used it for that fantastic picture above of Pete sharing cat vids with his cat. It really spoke to me on a spiritual level.
Look!
A
table!
I tried the table plugin and even colored it for fun. I’m having a wild time over here. Now, the Visual Editor Widget is for Pro only, so couldn’t do that one. Instead, I added a “Print Post” plugin. Now you can print my posts and hang them on your fridge. That was for you, Mom. There seem to be a limited number of Plugins available to those without Pro, so I couldn’t try very many.
Today Unit 5 was internetless, if that’s even a word (take note, Merriam Webster!). Without access to the web, we had no internet (obviously), no phones, no copy machines, no apps, and it was a domino effect to mess up everything from the obvious classroom activities to lunch count, attendance, administrative tasks, and the ability for parents to contact us. Might as well just shut ‘er down and come back tomorrow, right? Well, we can do this! Let’s start with “Plan B” since Plan A is already out the window!
Welcome to 1975! …Well, not even, because they could even duplicate copies, where we can’t! Okay, so Plan C…
As I look at my plans, I am shuffling things around and trying to figure out alternate activities for those that involve technology that is now not working. Well, can’t copy anything, so that’s not an option. Can’t get onto my Google Drive to grab an idea, so that’s a no-go. Well, I do have my 4G on my phone, so there’s that! It’s really slow currently, but at this point, I would take dial-up if I had to.
I’m about on Plan F because Plans A-E have failed, but as a flexible 20th century teacher, you just have to keep trying until something works.
How has this affected my day so far? Well…
Attendance and lunch count were done on a sticky note. Not terrible – it’s pretty standard for when subs are here.
Our center podcast lesson wouldn’t work since it was on an iPad app. I instead let the kids use my phone, but told them not to answer calls or texts from my mom (during both iTime and Reading Workshop).
The kids who would go on the Epic! app instead went old school and read from their book boxes (during both iTime and Reading Workshop).
No GoNoodle brain breaks – Asked WWMD? – What Would McGee Do? – Mrs. McGee is our PE teacher and she has the kids come in and do warm-ups that are written on her board. I asked the kids what are some of the warm-ups, so we made a list on our board and did 5 different exercises together to get a little movement in and shake our wiggles out.
There was a glimmer of hope when the blinky green of the router went to solid green and then blue. Cheers erupted from the crowd! It was a little before lunchtime when the hard-wired desktops started working. PRAISE JESUS HIMSELF because the kids now can watch Dino Dan or Wild Krats during inside recess instead of completely losing their ever-loving minds!
Now, did any laptops or iPads work? Nope. Okay, well we’re getting there! We see the wifi is trying, so I restarted aaaaaand nothing. Alright, I shut down completely and turned my laptop back on and still nothing! Since this was futile and no amount of willing the wifi to work would be beneficial, I decided to quit and go to lunch.
Was there cookie dough dip at lunch? Yes. Did I have a little too much because I was frustrated? Also, yes. Was it delicious and worth it? Absolutely!
Ok, bell rang, back to the restless children. They’re yelling at me about peppers. WHYYYY? Oh, my fault. I forgot to put them back in my lunch bag and am carrying them. Oops. Okay, I get behind my desk and…and…it’s a miracle!!! The internet is working and all is right in the world!
So, how did I feel about this morning without tech? A little frustrated, a little panicked, a little refreshed, and a little proud. I was frustrated because I had to alter my plans on the spot. I was a little panicked because if you don’t keep 22 6-year-olds busy every waking minute, the results will be disastrous. They can smell chaos and fear and will take full advantage to make it 1000x worse. I was also a little refreshed because it was nice not to have kids glued to screens or dependent on them. They had to problem-solve and figure out things for themselves, too, like what station they were supposed to be going to during iTime. Finally, I was a teensy bit proud because we did it! We were able to succeed without going online.
Technology is wonderful and amazing when it works, but it throws a huge monkey wrench in things when it decides to take a vacation. I think this was a gentle reminder to always be thinking about how I could do things differently if this were to happen again. If we were 1:1 dependent on tech, this could have been a huge disaster, but I need to remember to stay grounded and be creative with what we are given.
