- Why is it important for teachers to understand this?
It is important for teachers to evolve with technology rather than fight what has already transpired, embrace it and use it for ‘good’. Instead of disallowing students from their technology, encouraging them to use it at the right times, in the right ways creates a space for growth. In my experience, when students are forbidden from technology, they sneak it anyway. They go to sites they should not be viewing, play games and stream videos.
The argument can then become, ‘well then lets block the internet within the school’. The issue here, however, is that school is supposed to prepare students for the world around them. The 2014 world involves a lot of internet. A lot! So as teachers, we should help students form their online identity, and work on teaching the students what is appropriate and encouraged. When technology is allowed, it takes some of the ‘forbidden fruit’ power away, students start googling appropriate topics, and since the devices are in plain sight, it is easy for a teacher to observe when a student has gone astray.
More specifically in the context of identity, it is healthy and normal for teenagers to explore online and ‘test-drive’ different personas. More than ever, it is accessible to find like minded people and to research things quickly and effectively. It becomes a teaching tool, to practice empathy, having students think about different peoples’ perspectives and experiences. As students are growing and changing themselves, we need to let social media aid the students’ self discovery and encourage a healthy amount and use of it.
It is important that a balanced approach is taken so that students don’t over invest in their internet identity(s) and forget to invest in their ‘real life’ social capital. Having an ongoing discussion around this breaks down the assumptions, stigmas and questions younger children might have. The earlier that we as educators begin to create healthy relationships with technology, modeling appropriate use and having ongoing discussions in class, the less issues we will see with teenagers misusing their social media as they progress into high school.