Teaching Generation Z

During an undergraduate course, I had been introduced to Prensky and his views of "Digital Natives" and "Digital Immigrants". To be honest, at the time, I did not give the idea much thought until I began my student teaching in a kindergarten classroom and especially now as a kindergarten teacher. My students amaze me everyday with their knowledge and capabilities with the use of technology. In my classroom, my students have access to 6 iPads and 6 MacBooks and an interactive whiteboard everyday, all day. Not only do I teach my students as a whole class, in a small group, and one-on-one, but my students are also able to play educational "games" that reinforce what I have taught.

Although I am technically a "Digital Immigrant", I do not agree with, as Prensky states, "the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language". That does not mean that as a "Digital Immigrant", we cannot learn and master new technology to teach a new generation. I believe that the biggest challenge in learning new ways of doing things, is a person's attitude. If you are willing to learn, you can!

Not all that has been taught in school and the way it was taught is irrelevant. It is my job as an educator to plan my instruction around my students' needs and teach in a way that is effective and engaging for them. It is my job to prepare them for high school, college and the workforce.

The most important lesson we can teach the next generation is, to think!

Introduction

Hi Everyone!

My name is Juliana Tegeltija. I live in Shelby Township, Michigan with my husband, Milos, and two dogs, Sadie and Clark. I live just five miles from my family home where I grew up, boring I know!

I graduated from Wayne State University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. I am a first year teacher and am lucky to teach my dream grade, kindergarten. I love my job and enjoy going to work everyday!

I look forward to working with you all this semester!