Learning moment

I know that this idea is perfectly obvious, but it is obvious in a way that means many people miss it. I am completing my readings for topic two of ETL523 and came across this paragraph:

We are well aware, of course, of the many challenges that
teachers currently face: increased high-stakes testing; a bewildering
array of national, state, and local standards; new
demands for higher qualifications and recertification. Given
these challenges, it is difficult to find time to teach even core
subjects, much less anything new. This is why we believe that a
detailed understanding of the nine elements of digital citizenship
(and the issues that accompany them) will help teachers
recognize the “teachable moments” that may occur as they are
teaching other content, and use those moments to reinforce
digital citizenship principles. When discussions about technology
use arise, digital citizenship can act as a cornerstone
of that discussion.
(p73)

Sometimes the myriad of things that need to be covered in the classroom can become overwhelming - I know this, and I have not even done any full time teaching yet! What we need to remember is that a lot of the 'new' things are about learning itself - whether it be the learning process, or learning for life, or life-long learning - and as such, they can often be incorporated into other learning that happens in the classroom. If you are pausing the class for a tiny amount of time for a teachable moment regarding technology, or being a digital citizen, then it does not necessarily need to be planned (though it may happen to be), and it is likely to help students rather than hold them back.

Ultimately, we need to remember the absolute importance of preparing our students for the future, ensuring that they are going to be good digital citizens.

Reference:
CHAPTER 5: Teaching Digital Citizenship to Students. (2007). Digital Citizenship in Schools (pp. 73-79). International Society for Technology in Education.