​LearningCorner

Topic 1 Reflection: What is Adolesence?

 

What does it mean to be an adolescent in 2014? What sort of qualties do they possess and how might these characteristics influence my own teaching? These are the questions I attempt to answer in this reflection.

 

Firstly, of the many prevalent adolescent characteristics discussed in class regarding contemporary teens, I deem that the trait, "connected via technology" is the most pertinent to consider in the context of teaching. This is because we live in a connected world, now more than ever. And the trend seems to be only climbing; as the world becomes more connected -- particularly through huge growth in social media and mobile technologies -- teenagers represent a significant chunk of that growth as they embrace these new technologies (Goggin, 2012). Furthermore, it appears this technology-rooted connectivity penetrates adolescent life beyond the scope of cellular phones and social media as more than 70% of North American teens report online connectivity through game consoles such as xbox or Playstation, compounded with the fact that nearly two thirds of teens own a computer or laptop (Lenhart, 2009). Ultimately, this means that teens in the 21st century recieve, access, and interact with information in a very different way than their parents only a few decades ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, there are benefits and drawbacks. At a glance, it seems technology has allowed students to build networks and entire online communities that support a diverse range of interests, all of which can be easily accessed on their computers, mobile phones, tablets, etc. Oppositely, technology has also reduced the barrier for peer-to-peer harassment as entire school clique structures can be transferred online to create malicious content via social media (Li, 2005). So it seems we have a conundrum: a hugely useful and nearly ubiquitous tool empowers and educates our teens, yet simultaneously possess the capacity to inflict harm on them. Understanding the intimate interwoveness between teens and technology gives teachers tremendous potential to re-examine and ultimately reinvent/ revitalize their teaching practice in order to gain deeper relevance in students' lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One way this helps my teaching is by convincing me to integrate some form of modern technology into my lessons. Personally, I think it would be prudent to approach student learning through the way most teens gain information today: digital/online interaction. It makes sense to offer them a way to learn that is conducive and on a similar frequency to their preferred method of learning. For example, as a biology teacher, I understand that teaching the concept of photosynthesis can be very tricky; illustrating the intricate interation of systems and molecules spanning over multiple steps is severely limited on a traditional 2-dimensional chalkboard. But by utilizing modern 3-D models online, such as the one on wiley.com, combined with a SmartBoard, an interactive computer projection on a whiteboard, allows for a very simple yet powerful way for students to learn difficult concepts. Even better, it is served to them in a manner they are used to and can easily manipulate: through a mouse and screen, not chalkboard and textbooks.

 

Web 2.0 tools such as Google Docs can also be used to create a glossary of scientific terms available to be accessed and edited by all the students in class. These types of tools are invaluable when teaching science because it reduces the amount basic perparation I have to do for hand-outs and resources. Furthermore, these documents can be accessed by students on their mobile devices 24/7.

 

The key is to remove barriers to learning by ensuring that the method of delivery is relatable to students (Warburton, Chen, & Bradburn, 2002). I believe this is a very important thing to consider when teaching teens in the 21st century despite what "traditionalists" may believe -- that the old ways remain the best. But if this were true, the best way to teach any student during any time in history would have been via scrolls or stone tablets. Simply put, modern minds need modern tools to learn. Thus, I am convinced that my teaching must incorporate, on some level, technologies that will bridge traditional school curriculum with modern day students in order to allow the growing number of connected teens to futher explore their potentials through this medium.

 

 

Meta-reflection: How does knowing about adolescent development help me teach?

 

One development model that I feel holds much truth about adolescent development is that of Granville Stanley Hall who illustrated the tumultuous times often experienced by teens in their developmental years as "storming and stressing" (McMahn & Thompson, 2015). I can relate to this idea --  the uncertainty I felt during my teenage years where wading through school, trying to fit in, all the while trying to forge my own identity, was not unlike the metaphor of being caught in the middle of a storming sea. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considering this, I believe I can show more empathy toward students to create deeper student-teacher relationships, thereby increasing the potential effectiveness of my teaching. During my high school years, I had a principal who was very belittling of my frustrations by simply stating that my anger is unjustified because I am young and young people often don't face "real" problems. I remember feeling incredibly misunderstood as I did not possess the english proficiency to explain my thoughts eloquently. So I simply continued to lash out.

 

Ultimately, for whatever biologically-rooted reason responsible, teens will continue to "storm". This video from Vice channel illustrates that even the most stormy and misbehaved youngsters in Chicago's inner city schools being to engage in meaningful dialogue once an adult shows interest in their problems (Vice, 2014).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tying this into the theme of teens and technology from above, it must be remembered that there is value in approaching teen education through the medium they are comfortable with. Quite simply, teachers must connect with students beyond the classroom via social networking. This means that I can get a glimpse of my students' feelings and thoughts via reading their Twitter feeds, for example (I would have a private and professional account to ensure professional relationships between students and myself). Noticing a particular student frequently posts statuses about dissatisfaction with his home life, school life, sex life, whatever, I can plan a way to help this student by empowering him with information and possibly advice: the hallmark of an effective teacher.

 

It is important to remember that teens feel misunderstood. It is up to me as a teacher to help them manage these feelings. This video by Sam Ross on YouTube reminded me how teens can feel misjudged and angry and this position of understanding is one that will become essential in my teaching career, especially considering I plan to teach high school level science.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Resources

 

1. Microsoft in Education: how to encorporate the Microsoft + Skype platform in teaching, and its benefits - http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/education/default.aspx?wt.mc_id=canada-education-sep14-sem-google-1#fbid=wWPEdDrCbyf

 

2. YouTube video about what it means to be an effective teacher for students - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9RDfv5OAZQ

 

3. The Guardian: article illustrating the benefits of technology-based teaching using games to promote student interest - http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/12/fruit-ninja-mobile-game-maths-kids

 

4. The Michigan Daily: article + video about educators discussing the merits of technology-based teaching - http://michigandaily.com/news/unizin-event

 

5. YouTube video about educators in the Chicago school system for troubled youngters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mmS_9KASWY

 

6. Athenaeum article about what it means to be a teen - http://athenaeum.libs.uga.edu/handle/10724/25703

 

7. YouTube video: Cyber bullying virus short video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmQ8nM7b6XQ

 

 

References

 

Goggin, G. (2012). Cell phone culture: Mobile technology in everyday life. Routledge.

 

Interactive Concepts in Biochemistry - Interactive Animations. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.wiley.com/legacy/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/photosynthesis/photosynthesis.htm  

 

Lenhart, A. (2009, August 18). Teens and mobile phones over the past five years: Pew internet looks back. Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2009/08/19/teens-and-mobile-phones-over-the-past-five-years-pew-internet-looks-back/  

 

Li, Q. (2005). Cyberbullying in schools: Nature and extent of canadian adolescents' experience. Online Submission.

 

McMahan, I. & Thompson, S. (2015). Adolescence: Canadian edition. Toronto: Pearson.

 

Ross, S. (2014, March 17). Anger is my friend: rethinking teen anger management. Retrieved May 13, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozv70EjK9Ds  

SMART Education. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://education.smarttech.com  

 

Vice, M. (2014, April 4). Expelled from every other school: Last chance high (Episode 1). Retrieved May 13, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-B_kmAebbQ  

 

Warburton, E. C., Chen, X., & Bradburn, E. M. (2002). Teaching with technology. Education Statistics Quarterly, 4(3), 98.