The major reason I went to high school was for the social aspect. Learning was a consequence of attending, however learning was not my main reason for attending. I enjoyed sports and working with others.
Today's high school needs to find new ways to entice students. Schools today tend to lessen the social aspect students are seeking. Texting and Facebook are ways in which our current students socialize, most schools don't allow access to these social tools. In so doing, schools are taking one of the biggest incentives student have to go to high school.
In my day, when students were suspended (not speaking from personal experience) they had a boring time at home and could not wait to get back to school. Reruns of the I Love Lucy show was the highlight of the day. Today, suspended students can stay connected with friends through texting and Facebook. Video on demand and video games make the time at home a holiday.
Schools need to find ways to hook students into school. Allowing connections to social media during lunch hours may be one way. How about creating a lunch lab???
Today's high school needs to find new ways to entice students. Schools today tend to lessen the social aspect students are seeking. Texting and Facebook are ways in which our current students socialize, most schools don't allow access to these social tools. In so doing, schools are taking one of the biggest incentives student have to go to high school.
In my day, when students were suspended (not speaking from personal experience) they had a boring time at home and could not wait to get back to school. Reruns of the I Love Lucy show was the highlight of the day. Today, suspended students can stay connected with friends through texting and Facebook. Video on demand and video games make the time at home a holiday.
Schools need to find ways to hook students into school. Allowing connections to social media during lunch hours may be one way. How about creating a lunch lab???
I agree that we need to find ways to hook students into school. Students need to find early in life that they can balance school and activities. Because many schools offer something for everyone, whether it is a club or sport, there is really no reason for students to not be involved.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that we need to find more ways to hook students into technology. We find that students are fighting our rules when it comes to phones and iPods, but if we embrace their use, we could find students more "with" us. With so many educational uses these days, we should be using these devices in the classroom.
I believe that this will help some students get back "into" school and have a renewed interest because it taps into the electronic devices that they enjoy and use every day.
Bob, I agree that schools need to further investigate how they can better use social media to support curriculum. There are many opportunities and resources available for teachers and students when they utilize new technologies. A good school improvement plan should include professional development activities for teachers that involve technology. One way to do this is to restructure our traditional library system into one that acts as a vehicle to educate both staff and students on how to use technology to access and interpret information. The library should incorporate new methods of instruction that includes the use of social media such as Facebook.com, blogs and smartphone applications.
ReplyDeleteBob, I completely agree with your thoughts on high school and socializing, and both Sue and Mike shared great ideas on your blog post about using technology to enhance our classrooms and assist our students.
ReplyDeleteNot only are our students socializing through Facebook and texting, they are using Twitter and other social media to learn and interact with people from all over the country. Many students stay connected through their smartphones, but if a school could create a “lunch lab” it would allow students without technology at their fingertips to experience and foster relationships via social media.
The way students learn and interact in school has changed and schools should honor that change. As more educators embrace a student centered classroom with group work, problem based learning and flipped classrooms, they will encourage (or perhaps force) students to interact and socialize in ways that will be expected after graduation.