Today we took a look to the future and discussed the generation of learners that us teachers will be expecting in our classroom: Gen Alpha.
Researchers has determined that some of the traits of these learners expected to have include:
- Never use cash
- Never take a written exam
- Impressionable during the pandemic
- Life is extremely involved with social media
- Perceive reality in video game context
- Desire immediate feedback
These students will be bringing all of these things into the classroom with them and this is something teachers need to be aware of. Teachers should also consider how they can prepare these students for the world they will need to navigate in terms of demographics, climate, life-expectancy, travel, economy, and technology. All of these things are very significant and contribute to the success these students will find in their futures.
We also discussed how the progression of the 20th century school system and how it has impacted the teaching world of today. Along with that, we looked at multiple project ideas for students that involve technology (graphics) as a method of a “flipped classroom.”
We were shown the graphic editing app “Canva” and how we can use it for classroom purposes. I decided to create a potential book club poster that I could hang up in the school. There are so many templates on Canva and I will definitely be using it when I become a teacher. Here’s the poster I created:
brianmajic
Hi Kali,
Great insight on this week’s lecture. One of the points that shocked me on what the researchers have included about what Generation Alpha will never experience such as paying with cash, owning a car, writing an exam on paper, and more. While I agree that these things are being phased out, I am not sure if they will ever be extinct. What is the alternative to owning a car? While this would ultimately be better for the environment, the reality is some people would just rather have their own car than take the bus. These statistics certainly make me curious about the future especially because this generation will be my students. This future will be an important journey I will partake in with my students. Right now, I cannot imagine a math class where I do not teach my students about adding quarters and dimes, however, I must be prepared if that becomes a reality.