Journal 1

Professors Adjust Their Methods to Reach Technology-Savy Generation by Eleanor Yang Su

This article desribes the generation in which we live. Now a days, students are so eager to find the newest form of technology it interferes with learning. Classrooms are being taken over by laptops and cells phones. During lectures students are online searching the web, emailing friends, checking their facebook accounts or watching movies. The article makes you realize that everyone does this everyday, multitasking is apart of our nature. I talk on my cell phone while driving everyday. The article gives many examples of students who multitask. One girl mentioned in the article, is speaking to her grandmother while checking her email and numerous other accounts online. It's amazing how these things never occur to us while we are doing them. These generations have been known as "Generation Y" or the "Echno boomers". Their lives are shaped by the newst technology. Teaching styles are forced to change because of the surrounding distractions students face. Keeping the attention of the class is very difficult for teachers as they compete with todays technology. They try to reach students expectations by becoming compentant in these new devices. Technology has definately helped, it isn't all bad. Teachers and students can communicate outside of class or late at night through instant messaging, texting or email. It that sense it has helped both teachers and students. Colleges are doing what they can to keep up with students. They have created online courses, chat rooms and web resources to help students. Technology can be a good thing and a bad thing at times, but if used the correct way it will benefit everyone.
What can teachers do to keep students attention in the classroom?
As the article states teachers can post lectures online for students read along with, they can form chat rooms for students to ask questions, they can create a website specifically for the class for all information on assignments and material so students can follow along on their laptops while the teacher is giving the lecture.
Would banning the use of laptops, and cell phones during class help the problem of student distractions?
I feel that banning these useful tools will not help the problem. Some students do use these in the wrong way but if we can incorporate them into the classroom it will help everyone. Banning them will do no good. Students do use these devices in productive ways.