Where’s the library?
Sheila Crosby / Trends / Usability / Web & SoftwareI recently attended an open house at my daughter’s middle school. It was one of these events where you get to wander around the school campus and learn about the curriculum and school environment. We ended the evening in the media center. At first I was looking for a computer lab, only to learn that what I saw as the library is now considered a media center. It was there that the differences between my education experiences and that of my children will be worlds apart. But it didn’t start in the media center.
My first clue that things are very different now came with my daughter’s school supply list. In addition to pens and highlighters, she was asked to purchase a USB drive. We were also notified that many homework assignments were going to require a computer. That isn’t where the differences ended…
My daughter has been in school for 2 months and has already attended a technology awareness course where her teacher covered topics like the proper place for your mobile phone (lockers ONLY) and internet safety. What I learned as “don’t talk to strangers” has a whole new meaning for this generation. And with that comes controversy, some parents wanting their children informed while others do not want their children learning about the risks of sharing personal information and online predators. The media coordinator (a.k.a school librarian) cited netsmartz.org for more information.
source: netsmartz.org
The school is a wireless campus that enforces laptop security. Gone are overhead projectors and AV carts. These kids have document camera arms and digital playback. Microsoft’s Bing has already been blocked by the county school system due to inappropriate content (although we didn’t get more information than that). This generation won’t be challenged by finding content like I was (remember encyclopedias?) but will have to learn how to critically evaluate the content they find. For research projects, copy/paste may not be the best of computer functions.
And then there is homework. My daughter can log into an online system that allows her to review coursework and download assignments. She can communicate with her teachers and other students. I can log in to view her grades and progress in any given course. She will be able to leverage online programs such as Quest Atlantis (created by the Indiana University School of Education) that have a global presence and allow her to collaborate with her peers worldwide. With some of these tools, this generation of students will have contextual learning that adds entertainment and social action to education. According to Quest Atlantis, they offer “an immersive context with over 20,000 registered members worldwide.” Now, in addition to learning academic concepts and applying them to homework assignments, these kids are getting exposed to projects that introduce such topics as compassionate wisdom, diversity affirmation and social responsibility.
source: atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu
Since the night of the open house, I have imagined what the education experiences for my daughter will be like as she ages (although I don’t let myself think too much about Drivers Ed). It’s already difficult to help her with homework. I use different words and techniques than she is being taught. In our day to day lives, her vocabulary is different than mine was at her age. For example, she uses the term “download” vs. “buy” when it comes to music.
As many life experiences are evolving at an alarming speed this presents a unique challenge. We are designing with the needs of an aging population in mind and at the same time, keeping pace with the technology expectations of children. The wide diversity in technology backgrounds between these generations makes any product’s experience even more critical in terms of initial impression, acceptance and use.
No Comments...