| Times they are a-changing! Today more students | | | | the confusion? |
| than ever before are returning to get their degrees. | | | | I have a theory about this. It isn't new really, but it is |
| This is largely due to greater access through | | | | logical. I call this the push- pull theory. While we are |
| technology. This is exciting! We are becoming a more | | | | constantly requiring students to pull information to |
| educated America and in these tough economical | | | | them, it is much more effective to push it to them |
| times, what could be better? It sounds good on the | | | | instead. If we want students to succeed, then we're |
| surface but there are new problems that crop up for | | | | going to have to find ways to do this. Why not take |
| students with online education. It is a fantastic idea | | | | advantage of this technology that is the foundation |
| but the problem I am seeing is that these new | | | | for even having these students? |
| students come with new challenges. Every student | | | | Educators should capitalize on the technology that is |
| shows up with a different level of technical savvy. | | | | available out there. Instead of focusing just on the |
| Some do quite well and others struggle to "find" their | | | | delivery of the course content we should be thinking |
| way around the virtual classroom. No surprise, right? | | | | about how we deliver help to the students too. In |
| As educators, we need to reach them all! Since we | | | | addition, we should make it easier on ourselves by |
| created this situation using technology - and | | | | ensuring that it is reusable and that we do not have |
| technology is supposed to make things easier - then | | | | to keep reinventing the wheel. As an educator, we |
| we should USE technology to help with this situation! | | | | should make a repository of technological tools that |
| Eureka! I propose that delivering the classroom | | | | allow us to continue to push information in front of |
| content should not be the only way we use | | | | students. |
| technology to reach new students. | | | | But it doesn't stop there! We also need to promote |
| Many students are unprepared for the challenge of | | | | its use by the student. That means that you have to |
| finding their way around the classroom. Depending on | | | | somehow get the message to the students that this |
| the student's previous experience with technology, | | | | technology is available. The idea is to make it easy |
| exploring the classroom may be as simple as | | | | for the student and to use it in a way that |
| breathing but for others it is an overwhelming | | | | unequivocally also helps to meet student needs. If it |
| experience that has them mumbling under their | | | | makes it harder for the student then it only serves |
| breath "where do I go first?". This is something | | | | to compound the problem. If it makes it easier for |
| educators should step back and consider. How do we | | | | the student then apply it and promote it. |
| put information in front of them without adding to | | | | Simplicity for all is the key! |