Journal 1

"Professors adjust their methods to reach technology-savvy generation" By: Eleanor Yang Su

In this article, Su discusses the impact technology has had on students today. Su asserts that life for students born in the 1980s and early 90s is more tech involved. In a computer science class at UCSD, students in professor Simons’ class are emailing and video gaming while the lecture is going on. Simon uses her own software to communicate with every student’s laptop in her class. She also keeps her lectures short and asks a lot of questions. Su also mentions in this article that as a generation that has grown up with these convenience, they “compulsively multitask. Another professor at UCSD with a 500-student class has each student hold a clicker. The professor will ask a question and the students will answer it with their clickers. The class average is shown on the projection screen. It shows the professor what concept they need to reinforce.

1. Q: How can integrating tech devices in the classroom improve the quality of education that the kids receive?
A: Integrating tech devices in the classroom can benefit many different types of learners and their learning styles.

2. Q: Why do the generation born in the 1980s and early 1990s compulsively multitask?
A: They grew up with these devices and as such; they are making themselves work harder in an effort, I think, to atone for the convenience that they are enjoying.