Yolanda holds a CELTA Cambridge, a Juris Doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. She is a published author of fiction in Spanish.
These days, people can hardly imagine their lives without a cell phone, a computer, etc. So it shouldn't be difficult to engage your students in discussions about technology. You can probably get students talking with a simple introductory question:
After students give their answers, they can answer any of the questions in this lesson through oral discussion or in writing. You, as the teacher, can decide which skill you prefer your students to practice.
Each activity in this lesson includes an introduction you can use to stimulate students' interest. After students answer each discussion question, they can compare their answers and discuss them.
Paint a hypothetical situation of cell phones no longer working. For example, there is a major global failure that destroys all cell phones' reception devices. It can take a while before the situation is restored. The question for this activity is:
Ask your students about the number of hours they spend in front of a computer, whether that is for fun, learning, social networking, etc. The question for this activity is:
Present this quote by Steve Jobs to your students: Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them.
This quote is the basis for this question:
Ask your students to talk about the last time they were at a library. They can talk about the book(s) they were searching, the topic, etc. You could tell students that, before the Internet, a library was the primary place where students searched for information to do school work, learn, read, etc.
After, students can answer this question:
Your students can talk about the last time they read a printed book, magazine, or newspaper and think about how it compares to reading the same material in digital format.
Next, students can answer this question:
You can present your students with a hypothetical situation that is not uncommon. Two friends meet at a cafe and they barely talk. Instead, they spend 80% of their time together texting someone else out there. Ask students if they have observed similar situations and to describe them. They could talk about themselves in that situation.
Next, students can answer this question:
Some people believe that, too often, technology unites people who are far away from each other but separates those who are close by. Do you agree with this? Explain your reasons.
Students can talk about how technology devices have new advancements. You could give an example about how screens on phones or computers began serving only to display data but, today, we have touch screens that allow us to work with the displayed data. Students can give their own examples.
Based on this, students can answer this question:
Your students can get very curious about the fact that some state-of-the-art clinics use robots for certain surgeries. It would be helpful to teach students the meaning of the term state-of-the-art. Also, you could find a short video clip on the Internet about robotic surgery for your students to watch.
After, students can think about how technology can advance healthcare. They do not have to be doctors because this is about imagining better healthcare devices. You could give them an example of your own. To illustrate: I would create a robot that can detect the flu virus and eliminate it immediately. The question is:
This lesson engages students in the discussion of technology by introducing the idea of losing access to technology. You can prompt students to practice speaking or writing skills with any of the topics in this lesson:
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Already a member? Log In
Back
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
