Kelly Robinette

Teaching in the 21st century can be both exciting as well as daunting.  While, indeed, kids are kids (as nothing has happened quite yet to alter their DNA), their interests, motivation and means of expression may be vastly different from those of their teachers.  The more traditional forms of meaning-making, such as pen and paper, may no longer be enough to attract and retain the attention of many students. Although the pen may still be mightier than the sword, texting, blogging and podcasting may now supersede the pen!  I'm not saying I necessarily approve of this trend (I actually would find it a bit disconcerting if Hamlet's soliloquy were thus rendered, "2 B or nt 2 B, dats d Q"), but I am merely suggesting that educators would do well to be aware of the latest technology trends and enter into this "brave new world" as best they can.  Check out this video f u tnk I'm pullin d w%l ovr yr iyz: 

Since kids are kids, they still need their teachers to instruct them in the knowledge and skills that will be necessary for them to achieve success in the 21st century.  They may be techno-savvy, but they are not yet wise and so don't really know how to properly wield this powerful tool.  I see a real opportunity here for educators to tap into what interests students, and use technology as a vehicle to attract and retain their attention.  Believe it or not, young people really like it when adults make the attempt to speak their language (even if we are TSL--technology as a second language).  This doesn't mean a teacher has to be a technophile or hacker to be effective, but a bit of "with-it-ness" when it comes to technology can go a long way towards garnering the respect of these digital learners.  So, GIAG and GL.