This week's article that I chose was rather fascinating to me. Students in Indiana, PA who are taking technology courses are applying their skills and bringing them to the community. Some students are working as interns in the school, helping the technology staff and teachers with the school's available technology, including a one-to-one Chromebook program. Now, with the school board's approval, the students are looking to begin to teach community workshops for their parents and neighbors who want to learn more about technology. The workshops would be primarily created, advertised, and led by the student-interns. This idea provides so many benefits to both the students, who can showcase their skills and hone their communication and presentation skills, and the community, who may not understand some of the technology the students are being taught and want to learn more than computer basics. By allowing the students to run these programs, they are gaining valuable work experience and necessary interpersonal job skills.
I believe it is so important for schools to reach out to the community. Because schools are funded by tax payers, many times residents of a district want to know what they are paying for. This is especially important in less forward-thinking communities who are skeptical when they see more money being pushed toward technology that they may not understand. By allowing students to showcase what they have learned, the school gets to prove the benefits of their investment into educational technology, educate the community, and provide valuable real-world experience to hardworking students.
Article: https://www.indianagazette.com/news/indiana-news/community-technology-workshops-to-be-offered,25362624/
Getting students out in the community and having them become part of it is something that should be a requirement of all students. With such divisions becoming so commonplace in the last year, it’s so important to give students the opportunity to contribute to the communities they live in. Allow them to see that there is so much more than what is found online and in the media. Using them as technology advocates and having them help to model how to use technology to members of the community, seems like a great way to get students involved in something that really matters to them and allowing them to experience what it means to be a contributing member of our great nation! Look forward to reading more about this program taking place in Indiana, PA. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAll through my college experience, my teaching program got us into the community to help students and practice things we had learned. It helped me so much, and gave us a name as students, and then as professionals. I think this is the most wonderful thing a university can do for it's students. Getting them into the community helps them, and it helps the community as well as giving them a great name.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea for students to showcase and share what they know. Students will gain so many skills by doing these presentations! This is an example for students on how taking what they know and applying it in a real life setting. The community often wonders what is going on in the classroom and this a nice way to make them aware by also providing the opportunity to teach community members new things.
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming increasingly important for not only students and teachers to understand the use of technology, but the community as a whole. Technology is something everyone needs to understand in order to function in the ever changing technological world. I agree that if we can educate the community of the need for technology, we will see a greater understanding for why it's being taught in schools.
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