Tech Talk
A Teen’s Eye View of Technology
Ever wonder how young people are really using today’s technologies? Andrea Tejedor, Orange-Ulster BOCES Professional Development Specialist, recently facilitated a panel of students from the Monroe-Woodbury School District who shared their views on technology and how their “virtual” lives compare to their lives in school. The panel discussion was held at the Hudson Valley New York Computers and Technology in Education (NYSCATE) Conference held in early March in Wappingers Falls. The students, who ranged in grade level from elementary school to high school, demonstrated and discussed the Internet sites of MySpace, Facebook, Neopets, Gaia, Teen Second Life, World of Warcraft and Club Penguin with the participants at the conference.
The attendees listened as the students described how today’s teens use the Internet to communicate, create a “virtual presence” and interact with each other in an online environment. The students also shared how they felt about innovations of learning using current technology.
This presentation at NYSCATE showcased emerging technologies and the role it has in the transformation of learning. Academic leaders heard firsthand about the tools today’s students are using to generate a virtual presence. As teachers engage in future professional development, it is essential they understand how young people are using technology so that they, as effective educators, can successfully design instruction to meet changing needs.
Did You Know...
That MySpace is the world’s 6th most popular website,
and if it was a country it would be the 8th largest in the world?
That Facebook has more than 64,000,000 active users?
That Club Penguin is designed for children between the ages of 6 and 14 and has more than 12,000,000 activated users?
Want More Information?
Email Andrea Tejador