As part of the baby boomer generation, I have been brought up to believe that whether there is the teacher  or a speaker speaking at the front of the room, that it is the polite and proper thing to do to listen and not to be distracted by anything else.

In recent years, I have been increasingly aware that audiences and students do not follow this example. I frequently see people using their mobile technology to check e-mails, text others, and use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook while I or others are speaking or teaching.

My instinctive reaction to this is to feel that the listener’s attention is divided, and long for the full attention that I normally have been accustomed to and appreciate.. Although for many years I was a teacher and Principal, in the school system, for the last 5 to 6 years I have been speaking to adult audiences. With adults, I cannot respond as I might have done in the school environment by requesting that technology be put away during my classes. I also can relate to the drain of energy that enforcing such a policy takes

All schools now face this challenge as most students own mobile phones. Many schools have declared war on mobile devices, banning their use in the classroom. Today is generation of students use their mobile phone to text their friends far more they use it to have verbal conversations. An average teenager can text quicker than they can write and they text prolifically to their friends. It is not uncommon for this age group to text  5000 messages a month. Whereas the baby-boomer generation would pick up the phone and talk with friends for hours, digital savvy kids today believe it is far easier to communicate through SMS.

When I look back in my teaching career I recognize increasingly difficult  challenges developed over years for a classroom teacher to engage all students in a classroom.. Budget cuts meant larger classes compounded with fact that  the type and attitude of learners has significantly changed over the years also. Yes there always was a certain percentage of the class that was highly motivated and love to learn. This group would enjoy taking extra time, completing homework to high standards and put every effort into their learning and achieving good grades. I believe that there are students in today’s classrooms that still work well in the classroom/school environment. However, the number of children in the classroom who do not work well in a classroom environment has increased dramatically.

These students were often diagnosed as having certain conditions that stop them performing well in school. Allergies to food coloring in drinks, high sugar intake, ADHD, different home environment, working parents, and upbringing have all been cited as reasons for this increase of learning challenges for students in school. After studying about personality styles I realized that 50% of the personality type combinations struggle in the school environment as education structure has been built and designed around the other 50% of learning styles and personality types. At least half of the school population do not easily fit into school systems. The system cannot cater for their style of learning. When you add to that other challenges such as learning difficulties, multicultural challenges and English as a second language  students I am amazed the number of  students managing to get through schooling at all.

Technology has compounded this. We have a new generation of students who have grown up with Internet, mobile phones, and video games. They are multi taskers ,adapt to changing technology easily, and have a totally different world perspective from that of older generations.

I am not so sure that today’s students can be taught using the same the methods as they did 15 or even 10 years ago. Technology development means that educators need to challenge the older beliefs and methods and use innovative ways to incorporate technology into learning for the digitally competent generations of students now in the educational system.

For example, many schools have declared all out war on mobile devices. I read a Mashable post  today about a school that took a different approach to the mobile device battle. Wiregrass High School decided to integrate cell phones into the educational experience of students. Students are encouraged to ask questions and give answers interacting with their teachers via texting and SMS. Classroom blogs are available for extra instruction. Students are also encouraged to use their mobile devices as a collaboration tool taking picture of the blackboard to use the study and trading notes. The school policy allows students to use their cell phones socially between classes which gives them the needed digital fix throughout the day.

Interestingly this also can be compared to studies in the workplace environment where productivity has increased when employees are given down time on the Internet

I acknowledge that schools and educators recognize the need for the use of technology to be part of the learning experience, and do implement it to some extent.

In another Mashable post I read about similar challenges are also faced at the university level. Professors find it extremely difficult to to engage 200+ students during a 90 minute lecture. Not only does the lecture format. plus a large number of students make interaction and participation in the learning experience very difficult, it also can be challenging for students to speak their opinions in such an intimidating session. Typically in this kind of setting only a small handful of students speak up to ask questions and participate.

Some educators have found using the social media tool, Twitter, as a way to encourage participation during the lectures. Most students in a lecture have their laptop open or their smart phone available anyway. Incorporating technology and social media rather than fighting it has shown some positive results.

Dr. Monaco Rankin of the University of Texas in Dallas was surprised when she experimented with Twitter as it began pulling more students into discussions.

During a lecture students tweet comments and ask questions and Dr. Rankin and her assistant are able to respond in real time to the Twitter feed that’s displayed at the front of the room. Those students whose questions are not addressed are encouraged to hand their questions on paper to the TA to tweet after class.

Students in another Twitter friendly environment at Perdue University agree that using digital communication helps overcome shyness and unnecessary embarrassment caused by raising a hand speaking out in a big lecture environment.. Not only that, but the learning continues after the lecture as discussions continue outside of the classroom. Students check the feed outside of class time and the Twitter chatter doubles up as a study tool. Also it has been found that using Twitter help build relationships and community through participation far more that listening to the person at the front of the room style of learning.

The recession has hit education hard. Twitter and other social media tools used creatively can be an inexpensive way to engage students and increase the learning using the digital communication that they are already so familiar with.

Social media and mobile technology have developed at an extraordinary pace over the last 18 months and will continue to do so.

Instead of meeting these developments with hesitation and resistance- what can be done to accommodate these changes and create a more relevant, interactive learning environment and experience?