Thoughts on "A Vision of Students Today"

Regarding the video entitled "A Vision of Students Today," which was created by a digital ethnography class at Kansas State University:

I have many disparate views on the issues raised in this video. First, I do think that teachers (K-12 and higher ed) have to consider how technology impacts them as teachers and their students as learners. It is critical for teachers to integrate technology into the classroom. For those students fortunate enough to have "technology" (computers, iPods, etc.) in their home lives, they now "expect" such technology to be a part of their school lives. The absence of such technology could be seen as a could reason for them to "tune out" their teachers.

The video raises the problem of rising textbook costs, particularly in college classrooms. Textbooks are expensive and many students don't even end up using them (because they don't need to.) For many subjects, it seems quite possible that a professor could "collect" readings in an online space (like a wiki, for instance) rather than requiring the purchase of a textbook. For subjects like math and science, I could see a valid argument for the need for textbooks. Still, that's not to say that there aren't perfectly adequate materials for these subjects to be found online.

There is an image of student with a "Scantron" sheet in the video, and the student is alluding to the fact that the Scantron sheet and the multiple choice test associated with it are not doing anything to prepare her for her future. I could not agree more! Scantron sheets are the enablers of lazy teachers! (Okay, if a high school teacher has 200 students, Scantron may be his/her only saving grace. But that would raise a serious issue about class size.) I recently talked to a former student (who is now in high school) who has "Scantron" Spanish exams that test her knowledge of little more than vocabulary. As a former Spanish teacher, I was appalled. Foreign language ability can certainly not be assessed in any meaningful way through multiple choice questions. Only assessments that gauge a student's writing, reading, speaking, and listening ability can seriously assess a student's foreign language ability. I don't believe Scantron exams should be used in any meaningful college courses either, assuming that critical thinking skills are encouraged in the classroom.

The video also raises the issue of laptops in the classroom. One student mentions that she spends time on Facebook rather than being engaged in the class discussion when she has her laptop in class. I'm somewhat torn on this issue. On one hand, I feel that students can take notes more efficiently if they use a laptop. (I know that I type much faster than I write - and most/if not all students younger than me certainly type much more frequently then they write as part of their everyday lives.) On the other hand, students can very easily be surfing the Net, Facebooking, etc. and tuning out the class discussion if they have their laptops in the classroom. The question then becomes, "Who is responsible for the student's learning?" At some point, the student has to be responsible enough to close Facebook when class starts and get his/her act together. Particularly if we're talking of college students, I would expect them to be mature enough to focus in class and ignore Facebook for 90 minutes. (Some would shudder at that thought, I'm sure!) Still, if I were teaching a college course that allowed/encouraged laptops, I would occasionally meander around the room to take a look at student's screens...all the while knowing how easy it is for them to 'X' a site or minimize it when the professor's curious eyes come a calling. This is a difficult issue!

I enjoyed the Kansas State video and the issues that it raises. I'll look forward to keeping an eye on the blog that is "advertised" at the end of the video!

The video is located at: A Vision of Students Today.