Skip to main content

Victimized Thinking

I have said and I have heard countless other say things like, "I learn more from my students thanI can ever hope to teach them."  Today I had an experience that serves as and example of how students can become the instructor.

Teaching summer school is rarely boring.  I teach makeup credit English and each time I have had some major revelations about all of  my students, past present and future.  This year has been no exception.  We had just finished reading an article about Anne Frank and our discussion  steered it's way into  a comparison of hardships today and back then.  Obviously  none of my students felt they had it worse than Anne Frank, but the conversation took an unexpected turn into a comparison of my generations's hardships  to the young people of today.

A young lady emphatically stated that because of the internet, social media and personal electronic devices their life was much more complicated and difficult than mine or generations before me was.  initially I agreed I can see how those things bring about problems I never dreamed of facing like cyber bullying, sexting, and the misuse of airdrop etc.  The lack of digital citizenship and digital footprint awareness is not only staggering but incredibly dangerous.  Mistakes made in youth can be forever viewed online by millions.

The day ended and I figured so did my thoughts on this topic.  I was wrong.  The young lady's statement stuck with me for several days until I was struck with this epiphany.  That young lady sees her self and her generation as victims of the digital age.  Her observations focused solely on the negative impact of technology today.  She saw herself and peers as helpless and unable to overcome the hardships inflicted upon them by the bombardment of digital input she faced everyday.

She did not mention the values of knowledge at her fingertips, ease of communication or the destruction of life's distance barriers and limitations.  It was 100% focused on the disadvantages and difficulties.  i wonder how many young people feel assaulted in the way she does?  How can we as teachers help shine a light on the lesser used and more positive aspects of out digital technologies?

This simple off the cuff comment and observation unknowingly made by my student is just one illustration out of the tens of thousands where the student becomes the teacher and unknowingly enlightens the instructor.

Check out the channel progress..
Things That Work

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Room and The Yearly Wind Up

Today I learned where my new room will be.  I had the chance to look around a bit at my new "home" and did some initial video of its current condition. It has three accordion walls.  this is not my favorite thing, but I will make it work.  That's what I do. I really enjoy this time of year.  In our district, we have two weeks of in-service prior to the arrival of students.  The first week is district curriculum and content based.  The second week is focused on our home campus and taking care of all of the nuts and bolts that go into making a campus run smoothly. My curriculum week is highly structured and very organized. It provided much-needed information and solid tools to help us succeed as teachers.  I enjoy this week.  It is like a week long convention of teachers networking and sharing ideas, techniques and theories all focused on the same content area.  It's free to attend, I get to sleep in my own bed...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dress Professionally

Hello again.   Be sure and  Check out the current videos. Things That Work I find it interesting how much our behavior as teachers can, at times, mimic that of the students we teach.  Unfortunately, this phenomenon tends to favor attributes that are less than endearing. For instance, here is an excerpt from a video script focusing on tips for the first day of school that I am working on. Dress as professionally as you can. Students will only take you as seriously as you take yourself.  I do not get to go with the tie and coat until day 2 because our campus is required to all wear the same red polo staff shirt and black slacks or skirt.  It looks good, and that is all students have to go on is how it looks.  Day 2 I am dressed to the 9s.  I stay in a tie for most of the first grading period. I have presented this to other teachers in private conversation and in group settings. Invariably I am met with rolled eyes from some a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pushing myself

So in the last 24 hours, I have completed 5 short videos.  Admittedly one is a short push for this BLOG site, but it still required editing and making it look good, which takes time.  I am pushing my abilities because I want the transition into the school year and my making vlog entries to go as smoothly as possible.  Check out the current videos. Things That Work Of all the four videos I posted today, my hope is that the "Danger: October is Coming" video will help the most people. October is a scary month. My first year was almost my last because of events that unfolded in October, and I knew about the "October Blues" in advance.  I hope this helps some one some time.  If not, I will never have to say, "I wish I had told people what to expect in October while teaching." Enjoy your day I like learning with you.  I like teaching with you, and together we can take over the world. Chris
Post a Comment
Read more