A New Generation of Learning

 A wealth of information is at one's fingertips

As technology evolves. so does education, and so do the students. Each generation has grown up with a certain level of technology interaction and it is safe to say the newest generations are at the forefront. Generation Z (born mid 1990s-mid 2010s) and Generation Alpha (born 2010 to present) have a completely different technological upbringing than their predecessors. They are from the age of social media and search engines, as opposed to Polaroids and physically visiting the library for research.

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This is the ultimate age of convenience... you need a house? You can search online. You need new shoes? You can find online. You need to find a reference for your research paper? You can find that online. Can't make it to the grocery store? You can order online and have it delivered. Can't deposit your check in the bank? You can take a picture and deposit through your phone. The possibilities are endless.

 

How can we keep students engaged in a digital world?

As I mentioned above EVERYTHING is online. So how do we keep students engaged when everything is on the internet? 

Instead of fighting an uphill battle by trying to keep the internet out of the classroom, why not join them? Teachers can utilize current technology in the lesson plan by implementing active learning activities.

What is Active Learning?

Active learning is what the name implies: students are proactively learning through an interactive activity. Instead of the traditional setting of sitting at the desk and taking down notes, teachers can now flip the script. Have the students interact with their project by using technology and collaborating with each other. The result will be students that feel they are learning in the moment instead of just observing.

What is an example of Active Learning?

I found a fantastic example called QR Code Mysteries. I have a made a Jam Board about the topic, and below is a picture reference. 

 

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So what are QR Code Mysteries?

This is a fun and interactive activity where students use the QR Code to fill in the blanks of famous quotes. After they complete the teacher's quotes, the students flip the script and create their own quotes for students to solve.  

 

The active learning traits of QR Code Mysteries are as follows:

1. Student collaboration - students work in teams to solve the mystery.

2. Technology integration - students scan QR Codes and use the internet to find the clues.

3. Interactive - instead of sitting at their desks, the teacher put the codes all over the room, so the students have to walk to each clue and investigate.

4. Activity engagement - in order to solve the mysteries, the students must be involved and engaged, therefore being active is required.

5. Students become the teacher - once they finish the teacher's quotes, the script is flipped. The students create their own quotes for their classmates to solve.

 

Suggestions for this activity:

I love this activity! If I were a student I would really enjoy it and it wouldn't feel like "work." These types of games leave a positive influence and the students will retain the information more easily compared to the traditional method of taking down notes. 

This specific example was created for 4th grade students, but I wonder can it be used for older students? My suggestion would be to use this for quotes in reading. For example, if students were reading classic literature or classic plays this can be used to help retain famous quotes and characters. 

An example:

"To be, or not to be: that is the _______." 

The Importance of Active Learning

In these new and ever changing technological times, I believe active learning is here to stay. Technology has many pros but also has its cons. For example, technology has a negative effect on memory. Since this is a possibility, active learning is more crucial than ever. Instead of quickly searching for answers on the internet, these activities have students physically solving mysteries that keeps them engaged. The more engaged a student is during an activity, the more information they will retain in the end.

My experience with active learning?

Honestly, I am new to what active learning is, but I think one activity I did in the past qualifies. When I was teaching in China, I always started my English Drama lessons with a warm-up to wake up the students. I would give them a tongue twister (my go-to is Dr. Seuss's "Fox in Socks") that we would practice together. Then I would pick a student who would stand up and read it aloud, and then that student would pick the next student to speak, and then that student would pick the next one, and so on. Sometimes I will time the individual students to create a competition to see who can say the tongue twister the fastest. Whoever wins get a candy!

I have learned that no matter the age, students will always enjoy candy. 🍬