INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY: MOVING FROM CONVENIENT TO

POWERFUL

Dr. Dalal Alabbasi

Why do you use Technology?

”One of the strangest things in this age of

young people's empowerment is how little

input our students have into their own

education and its future.”

Marck Prensky

Generation Z

Refers to the generation that was born between 1996-2010, following millennials. This generation has been

raised on the internet and social media.

Gen Z Characteristics

◦ They value easy access to information

◦ They expect everything on demand

(its normal not to wait)

◦ Their social life take place online

◦ They are not impressed by

technology, They will be engaged but

at the same time bored with

technology

◦ Technology is neither distracting or

exciting, its normal life

◦ They are visual.

Gen Z

◦ Learn better when they solve

problems and find solutions

◦ Think digital: educational portals with

different resources

◦ They are used to multi-task

◦ Adapt to new technologies faster

than any other generation

◦ Appreciate cloud based tools

◦ Students reported that their ability to

retain knowledge was higher when

taking notes using pen and paper

The shift

Teachers role shifted from providers and presenters of knowledge

to Leading learning experiences

◦ https://twitter.com/edutopia/status/1219674518106460163

Asking students

Mark Prensky asked students in different schools these two questions

How do you use technology in school

as opposed to outside of school?

What experiences in school really

engaged you?

"A lot of teachers make a PowerPoint and they think they're so awesome," said

a girl in Florida. "But it's just like writing on the blackboard." A student in Albany,

New York, pleaded the case for using technology in the classroom: "If it's the

way we want to learn, and the way we can learn, you should let us do it.”

”Today's kids hate being talked at. They hate when teaching is simply telling.

They hate lectures and tune them out.” Mark Prensky

Different ways of technology integration

1 2 3

Doing old things in old ways Doing old things in new ways Doing new things in new ways

Adapted from the article Shaping Tech for the Classroom

Doing old things in old ways

Filling- submitting – writing- reading-

multiple choice … same activities

1

Doing old things in new ways

Using simulation to teach. Example, VR,

AR experiences

2

Doing new things in new ways

◦ To offer our children some great future-oriented content (such as,

for example, learn about nanotechnology, genetic medicine, and

neuroscience in neat interactive ways from real experts).

◦ Develop their skills in programming, knowledge filtering, using their

connectivity.

◦ Make them global citizens and open them to the world of expertise

and collaboration to make an impact

3

Share with us practices in these three ways of integrating technology

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Real problems: Work at real

life problems and people. Ask

students to find solutions.

https://twitter.com/edutopia/

status/1212780105178574849

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Break it: break long lectures

to tasks and conversations

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Freedom: Give them

freedom, give them the

project goals, deadline and

set them free.

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Students are impressed by

ways technology enhance

subject knowledge and the

practices behind using

technology.

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Understand our student more

to be able to capitalize on

their skills knowledge to serve

their own learning.

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Include in our lesson objectives

skills that the students need to

learn!

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Integrating technology need to be underpinned by sound

educational techniques. Based the technology

integration on students skills, teaching strategies, theories

of learning, and student expectations.

Tips to ways to teach Gen Z

Group work: Participate in

group projects

Resources

◦ https://usingtechnologybetter.com/teaching-generation-z/

◦ https://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/accountingeducation/newsandpublications/how

-to-teach-generation-z-students.html

◦ https://resourced.prometheanworld.com/teaching-generation-z/

◦ https://www.edutopia.org/ikid-digital-learner-technology-2008

◦ https://www.businessinsider.com/generation-z

◦ https://www.tes.com/lessons/sJmoFimHHFqHcA/putting-learning-first-understanding-

tpack

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