Technology Reflection

So how was technology used? Well for one, technology made it possible to read several inspirational articles online and watch 2 unique and relevant YouTube videos that we should think about as we are preparing to be teachers, and it gives us an example of how we can incorporate technology for learning and reflection. So here is my reflection on what I thought of the articles, and some ways that I can apply it to my future and my students' futures...

More important than the technology itself, in my opinion, was the

message of the TED talk on "You Matter". I think it is so critical to student success, as well as that of our own success, to let students and others around us know that they matter. This thought also ties in very well with the TED talk on "I'm Seventeen", and the article on "Tweek Your Teach" by Dr. Tae. Both of these resources illustrated that for students to want to learn and be involved they need to be able to express their thoughts and know that they matter. They need to be encouraged to get involved (and vote)! Even if what they have to say may seem unreasonable, we should take the time to listen to them because that conveys to them that they matter, and sometimes they do have really good ideas! We also need to be very careful in how we respond to students, if we can't think of a positive response for an idea, instead of expressing our immediate disapproval of an idea, maybe we should instead tell the student to keep researching the idea, and then get back to them after we have had the time to think on the idea and give constructive advise not discouragement. I'm afraid that often it is easy to give our opinion without thinking about how it may affect our students and peers! 

As I have seen from my personal experiences, and that of my family and friends, a key component of when and how teenagers/students get a "more mature" mindset is when they are given responsibility. Often I hear people say, and I can sometimes agree myself... "They are so immature", but if you take a deeper look at that individual's situation, often they were not given very much responsibility throughout their "growing up" years. When I stop and reflect on this, I think, "how can I help to change this seemingly ever-increasing plague that is affecting our society and nation?" I think the real key is to let our students know they matter, give them responsibility, and hold them accountable. 
The main goal of agriculture and technical education, is to prepare students for the "real-world" so that they can be successful, but to adequately prepare them they need more than knowledge and skills - they need the responsibility component that will help them to acquire and hold a job, and to have the satisfaction of a job well done. 

I found an interesting article on "The 9 things that matter more to

employers than grades", and thought that it presents a good start on what we should really be focusing on as we try to prepare students for the "real-world" and success... knowing how you learn, time management, presentation skills, etc.  These are not content, but certainly are things that we can incorporate into our Ag classes as the "little things that really matter"!

"The 9 things that matter more to employers than grades"