An Order of Technology with a Side-Order of Critical Thinking: How to Avoid the Off-Loading Generation
The increased use of technology is of course not limited to a pedagogical environment. We have all been warned of the perils of thinking of this next generation of students as the technological divine. Sure they have grown up with technology at their disposal, but that does not mean that they know how to use it effectively or how to use it at all. Ron Tanner's article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, seen here, reinforces how the tech-savvy student can be somewhat of a myth.
Many of us have encountered what can be deemed the tech-savvy student in the various classes we teach, but also in other working environments. What technology has seemingly allowed these students to achieve is a level of unprecedented off-loading. Don't know what page the readings are found for this week, email the teacher. Don't know what time your shift is at tonight, text your boss. These are knee-jerk reactions for those who have technology at their fingertips. Instead of finding the syllabus online and finding the appropriate page numbers, students will email the teacher. This is a failure to use technology in a way that advances learning and underpinning this is a failure or lack of critical thinking skills.
Instilling critical thinking skills is probably the most difficult thing to do when you are a teacher in the arts and humanities. However, I feel that many of us do this quite well and this is one of the most important learning outcomes from an arts and humanities education. For a future that will see an increase in the use of technology, it is not sufficient for us as educators to demonstrate the use of this technology, but rather how to use this technology with a side-order of critical thinking.
Never would I have dreamed of texting my boss to ask what time a shift started. I would first call any one of my co-workers to read the schedule to me. Texting your boss to ask what time a shift starts is the equivalent of calling the mayor of your city to find out when the library opens. Think about it.....
Every class needs a module on processes and process bubbles, decision flowcharts. May I suggest this great one from Jorge Cham on PhD Comics found here, to break the ice. If students realize that there are options other than, tweet, text, and email the first in command, their tendency to off-load onto others will decrease.
Don't get me wrong, I love to hear from my students, I truly do. In fact, I have a 24hr response policy on emails because I understand what it is like to feel that everything is on hold while you wait for a response. But if I have done job well, the email will not be "what do we have to read for tomorrow?" but rather "I was reading the extra material for today online and it reminded me of an article that I read for this other course and I think it would be nice to discuss this as a class." How's that for a side-order of critical thinking with an extra helping of collaborative learning?
Many of us have encountered what can be deemed the tech-savvy student in the various classes we teach, but also in other working environments. What technology has seemingly allowed these students to achieve is a level of unprecedented off-loading. Don't know what page the readings are found for this week, email the teacher. Don't know what time your shift is at tonight, text your boss. These are knee-jerk reactions for those who have technology at their fingertips. Instead of finding the syllabus online and finding the appropriate page numbers, students will email the teacher. This is a failure to use technology in a way that advances learning and underpinning this is a failure or lack of critical thinking skills.
Instilling critical thinking skills is probably the most difficult thing to do when you are a teacher in the arts and humanities. However, I feel that many of us do this quite well and this is one of the most important learning outcomes from an arts and humanities education. For a future that will see an increase in the use of technology, it is not sufficient for us as educators to demonstrate the use of this technology, but rather how to use this technology with a side-order of critical thinking.
Never would I have dreamed of texting my boss to ask what time a shift started. I would first call any one of my co-workers to read the schedule to me. Texting your boss to ask what time a shift starts is the equivalent of calling the mayor of your city to find out when the library opens. Think about it.....
Every class needs a module on processes and process bubbles, decision flowcharts. May I suggest this great one from Jorge Cham on PhD Comics found here, to break the ice. If students realize that there are options other than, tweet, text, and email the first in command, their tendency to off-load onto others will decrease.
Don't get me wrong, I love to hear from my students, I truly do. In fact, I have a 24hr response policy on emails because I understand what it is like to feel that everything is on hold while you wait for a response. But if I have done job well, the email will not be "what do we have to read for tomorrow?" but rather "I was reading the extra material for today online and it reminded me of an article that I read for this other course and I think it would be nice to discuss this as a class." How's that for a side-order of critical thinking with an extra helping of collaborative learning?
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