Reflections of Kist

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The first page of William Kist’s book, The Socially Networked Classroom, revealed to me the stark reality of children nowadays that is not going to change anytime soon: “Picture afterschool at an elementary school somewhere in the Midwest. The kids are racing for their book bags and coats. As they make their way out of the building, a metamorphosis occurs as they whip out cell phones, Blackberries, iPods, and even laptops. The kids are getting back in touch with the world after hours of forced disconnect” (Kist, 2010, 1).

This is so true! Even as my daughters enter through the front door of our home, the same thing occurs. I often jokingly complain to my daughters that they need to “come back to the real world!” I guess in essence, that is the real world to them. To me, when they prefer to text their friends, as one who did not grow up with texting, I view it as an impersonal way of communicating as compared to talking on the phone. Kist goes on to comment, “one could make the argument that never before have we been more connected” (Kist, 2010, p.1) I read this again on page 4. Yes, I agree that “kids are more connected to other people on a second-by-second basis than they have been at any other time in our history” (Kist, 2010, p.4) but I think there are many forms of language/communication that are being left out. For instance, the non-verbal communication, coverbal communication, Kinesics (Helmer & Eddy, 2012), these are all part of our verbal communication that are being missed when students are communicating via text. I know I prefer my daughters to talk on the phone, but they almost seem uncomfortable to do so! Facetime is at least a bit better as far as I am concerned because at least they can see each other’s faces, and hear tones in their voices. 

Honestly, I don’t think I am against technology. I think it has its benefits – if used properly. Taking a look at society nowadays, the use of technology is necessary to function. So in order to prepare students for this society, Kist made a good point that I think all educators need to take heed: “We need to transform the way we do school because the digitalization of information and automation of jobs has transformed the way we socialize and work…What’s basic has changed” (Kist, 2010, ix). For some, however, including myself at times, this change can be difficult. For teachers that have taught the same way for years, it is tough to change. I think Kist has hit the nail on the head when he describes the use, or non-use of technology in schools. The increase  of “scripted, standardized curricula and assessments inside of school” (Kist, 2010, 5) and the “uncertainty and limited familiarity with the possibilities (Kist, 2010, 6) are contributing factors. Personally, if I don’t know how to use a piece of technology, for example, a Smartboard, and it is going to take a lot of time to learn it, then I will most likely stick what I am comfortable with. However, I like  the approach by Kist to profile teachers who are “teaching new media lessons within the context of standardized curricula and assessments”(Kist, 2010, 7) demonstrating that even well seasoned teachers can accommodate the newer styles of teaching and learning. I am hoping that by taking these courses, I will be more comfortable with newer –technological - ways of teaching and learning.

Reading through many of the posts this week, a recurring theme was online safety.  A think this is a main goal of many of us who would be considered digital immigrants: we are “attempting to figure out ways to keep (their) students safe while at the same time provide them with the experiences they will need to become fully functional literate citizens in this century” (Kist, 2010, 7). Speaking from personal experience on behalf of my daughter and her friends, who thought they were being safe, they learned a hard lesson about safety. The warnings became real, and now some are extra cautious, while others are more fearful. This can be a real set-back, and discourage educators from wanting to pursue anything that would bring that harsh part of the technological world into the classroom. I like Kist’s statement at the end of his Foreword, which could sum up many thoughts on this matter: “We hesitate to go forward, and yet, once there, we would not go backward” (Kist, 2010, x).