Research in Education
The world around us is ever-changing. The students that sit in front of us on a daily basis are also changing. They are products of their environment- as are we… as is everyone in this world! With that in mind, educators need to continue learning about the world and the technological advances that are some of the biggest influencers to our youth.
When thinking about technology, my mind initially goes to safety on the internet. This is something that I regularly speak to my students about. They are over the conversations about stranger danger and protecting your personal information. Nowadays, I need to expand the conversation towards having students understand the difference between a credible and sage website versus one that can hack or take over your computer.
As I worry about our youth and how vulnerable the internet makes us all, I also think about the cybersecurity training my district has given me about maintaining privacy. When reviewing the data set out by Project Tomorrow, I was not surprised to hear about the increasing issues with cybersecurity across the board. However, I was surprised to learn that most school districts do not have secure enough systems! Why is that? Is that the difference between a Google school district versus a Microsoft?
With that in mind, how can we adequately prepare the future of our world when our systems are not even strong enough to do it? We need to start with their skills. We need to first understand what the career and work world will look like when they enter it. According to The World Economic Forum, there are 10 skills that will be needed by 2025. Out of the 10, 5 of those are in the problem-solving realm. Food for thought- would this refer to solving problems with technology solutions, or solving problems brought out by technology?
Image Source: The World Economic Forum
However, regardless of skills and security, what about safety? How can we adequately prepare our students for the mental and social strains that were not present 15+ years ago in middle school. The mental capacity that social media has consumed in students is alarming. The interesting part is that most young women are aware of the issue. The Common Sense Media research indicates that the majority of young women agree that there are more negative effects of social media than positive. I am glad they are aware that face altering filters, access to photo-shop, etc. can have a negative effect on their self-esteem. It is a dangerous spiral to fall into when you feel everyone in the world is “better” than you.
Technology is the future. But what is the cost? At what point are educational institutions going to require training for their educators on ALL of these sensitive issues? Will this be a role within the school system to help adequately update teachers on pressing issues? What will that look like? How can we prepare the students, when we are not prepared ourselves?
In other words, will any preparation/education on these statistical findings ever be enough?
Hi Daniella! I could not agree more with what you had to say about cybersecurity and safety. When we were younger, we did not have to worry about social media and the impact it has on present generations. I see it all the time in my classroom and school; students are fighting or crying because of something that initially started online. Even with all the wonderful pros technology brings to our lives, it is for sure scary how much it has over us. The security is a big point you brought up; that is awesome your school provided training. Unfortunately, I would say my school might fall into the category of not having secure enough systems. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Daniella! I agree with your post when you talk about security, my school also provides security training which is very helpful. Social media has a huge impact on our students. I hear so many of them talk about what other students post and what they saw, even the other day one of my students was bringing up something that someone posted last year. This can be hard for a younger generation to grow up with. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Daniella! You bring up many great points in your blog post. I get nervous about internet safety as well because the internet has SO MUCH at our students' fingertips. This can eb both a good and bad thing if they are not properly educated on internet safety. I also like how you mention, "I am glad they are aware that face altering filters, access to photo-shop, etc. can have a negative effect on their self-esteem. It is a dangerous spiral to fall into when you feel everyone in the world is “better” than you." I honestly could not imagine being in middle school during this day and age. I feel as though I would definitely struggle with that concept and think that everyone is better than me. This can be a super scary concept. Thanks for sharing!
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