Thinking Thursday – Week 1
An Introduction to Thinking Thursday
What are your thoughts about learning and leading in the 21st century? In preparation for our 2nd international conference in January, each Thursday I will post a link to a thought-provoking website or video. Included with the link will be a question and quote to stimulate your thinking. I hope you will join the conversation about 21st century education by posting your reflections and comments. To do so, just click on the title above.
“Our schools are going to change more in the next 10 years than they have in the past 100. Everyone reading these words will be part of that change. Get ready!”
How should we as individuals change to respond to the needs of today’s students?
Learning to Change – Changing to Learn
i
October 30th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
We have to become more technologically savvy in order to meet the needs of our students. Integrating as much technology as we can into our classrooms will help motivate our students and keep our curriculum innovative.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Why is the discussion always centered around what more can teachers do and not what should students change to get different results. It is always more reports, more data, more, more, more. When do students take the initiative and the responsibility for their choices. What happened to the idea of having consequences for actions?
October 30th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
It will not be enough to have technology available and working (which can be a challenge in and of itself);we will have to be profcient in understanding and using it daily as we engage students in their learning.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Whoo! It is a whirl wind of information. I love all the technology and vast amount of knowledge. I just wish we had more time to play and plan. Also, having the time to integrate the exciting new techniques and activities.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
We cannot possibly move forward into a global, international society without giving our children the skills needed to communicate in the language of others. Within the next year or two, there will be more Chinese English speakers than anywhere else in the world. It is vital that our children are offered a variety of world language choices– the earlier the better. As the former Chancellor of Germany, Willy Brandt once said, “If I’m trying to sell you something– I’ll speak your language. If you’re trying to sell me something– speak mine.”
October 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I feel we should hold students accountable/responsible for their futures. Adults would also share the responsiblity of first understanding the child as an individual rather than just focusing on the class/group with sometimes irrelevant data. Reach the child to help reach their goal!
October 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
In response to the question, “How should we as individuals change to respond to the needs of today’s students?” I believe that the first thing that individuals can do is change the way that we view our roles as educators. In the conditions of today, many students come from upbringings where education is undervalued. As an “educational leader” in the 21st century, we must begin by developing an attitude of power, rather than one of defeat. It is possible to engage students in learning. It is possible to create an academic environment where our schools function under the “Smart, Safe School” model. It is possible to foster innovative practices that not only engage students, but also prepares them for future success.
I believe that the term “teacher” is an outdated term with outdated roles and responsibilities. In the 21st century, we must strive to be “educational leaders.” Thus acknowledging that with that new title comes new responsibilities and opportunities for growth.
This is such a remarkable role that we have. Using all of the new resources that are available to educational leaders in the 21st century, preparing students for success will be an exciting endeavor.
I am glad that I am along for the ride!
October 30th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Leading and learning in the 21st century will require our willingness to collaborate with our peers across the globe, to be able to think critically, and to know enough about technology-related tools to enable us to do so. I think many of us believe that putting technology in the classroom is all we need to do, but we must keep in mind that the technology is a tool, a marvelous tool to be sure, but just a tool.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Change is inevitable. Just look at the change we may be seeing with the upcoming election. I look back at my own teaching career and am amazed at the changes that took place just through that 30 year span. In 1975 I never thought about computers, cell phones, FaceBook, or Ipods. I felt lucky that I had a mimeograph machine, an overhead projector, and enough chalk to get me through the week.
Personally, I think one of the changes we need to embrace is that not all students need to go to a 4 year college. If you look at European models, you’ll see that students there are tested early and set on an educational track that best suits their needs. If that means that they go on to a more “blue collar” type of education instead of another 4 years of traditional high school, then so be it. We’ll always need plumbers, mechanics, electricians, and the like. Why do we more or less force some of our students to sit through classes that bore them, often leading to discipline issues and/or drop outs, when they might be better served by taking classes that would lead them to a productive career?
October 30th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
As educators our roles in the classroom need to change from the disseminator of information to the facilitator of learning. Students need to have critical thinking skills and skills that will allow them to communicate and work in a global economy. Standards and NCLB to affect how we teach, but we also must be aware that we know who to “get the scores” on assessments, now we need to broaden our teaching to include more thinking skills and using the tools that we have to assist the students in becoming global learners.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I have two sons in their mid-twenties who are products of NNPS and who are employed in computer-related jobs. Both graduated from Warwick’s IB program. They did not use much technology in school, BUT they learned how to think, problem solve, search for and analyze information, get along with others, appreciate other cultures, etc. I think that integrating technology is essential, as long as we don’t lose sight of the basics.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
It would be irresponsible to continue teaching the same lesson plans for years on end while the world changes around us. Our job is to prepare children for life. Life is not memorization, worksheets, and writings about puppies. We are tasked with teaching children how to think, not what to think. They need to be able to analyze, problem solve, form their own opinions based on solid facts and research, share their opinions with other global learners, and write responsibly and intelligently about them. As teachers, we need to be open to new ideas and be willing to try them out. Integration of technology is a natural step. Most of my students already have at least basic familiarity with various software. In order to fully integrate technology, we must be comfortable with it ourselves. If we take the time to learn about it and use it ourselves, we will be more likely to use it in the classroom.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I just want to make people aware of an excellent website: http://www.ted.com A particularly relevant presentation is that by Sir Ken Robinson, who believes that education kills creativity. His speech is only one of many stimulating, thought-provoking commentaries.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Students need to know that they are cared about enough to be looked into their eyes and see the pain they face when they leave the school building and when they return we understand that to focus and stay on task may be difficult for students who are homeless and live in Hotels or out of the family car. That there is nothing to eat at home for breakfast or dinner nor is there an adult waiting for them at home or is present in the morning to tell them to have a good day or to remind them to turn in their home work. Too often as educators we forget about the human aspect to learning. There are many students in each school all over the country who live with heavy hearts, distracted minds, empty stomachs and no one to say to them “I love you” or ” you are great.” we can teach, reach and prepare the distracted students as well by adding a little love to classes.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I agree w/MM. In an attempt to reach more students we have somehow overextended our educators. Not only do they have to educate, they also have to discipline. Students are offorded more opportunities to succeed today than ever and still many fail. Technology is great but can’t work without a brain.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I certainly agree with Ted that we should be facilitators of learning rather than disseminator of information. When I give “Student Lead” assignments, where a small group of students teach a chapter or concept, the students really come alive with creative visuals and outside information they have gathered. We much teach them how to learn and how to be excited about learning.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
This is all well and good, but it will be the new educators and the upcoming generation of educators that will lead the change. But will the changes keep pace with the world outisde the school house gates?
Look how long bowling alleys had overhead projectors before they caught on in in the classroom!
October 30th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I think it is important for all of us to start by actually comprehending the speed of chance we are experience on a global level. Since 1844, the world has changed astronomically. For 1000s of years people rode horses or walked as the primary source of transportation. Since 1844, we have developed communication systems that can circle the globe in seconds and a transportation system that has taken us to the moon and beyond. This has all happened in the last 150 years. Since my childhood we have went from the Atari to the Wii in a few decades. One of the biggest deterrents to changing education, is that, we as adults, all know what education looks like. We have all had a similar experience – sitting in the classroom, looking at the teacher as a dispenser of knowledge. When we try something different, it is unfamiliar to most and scary. Think about the larger community. They know what education looks like and who are we to change it. That is why we as educators must embrace the concept of change. And we have to embrace it fast. We must find a way to ensure that our fears and our understanding of how the world works doesn’t limit our children from participating in the amazing strides that are going to happen over the next 10 years.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I am so sick of hearing this “we need to love students” or “we need to encourage them.” I work hard every day to make sure that my students know that I care about them. But that doesn’t cut it. What am I supposed to do when they don’t care? I can dance a jig, I can be enthusiastic about my subject, I can give them every opportunity. Short of doing their work for them, I cannot make them care. I don’t think that the problem is that they are not loved enough. I think the problem is that we enable them too much. They’re given too many chances. We pass them on even when we shouldn’t. They don’t have ANY accountability, while we have it all. It’s always what are WE going to do….and I agree with MM. WE are not the only ones involved in this process. I think that we are doing our students a disservice. When we can’t hold them accountable, we are teaching them that they can just coast through life. They are unprepared for the real world because we feed them unrealistic expectations. They won’t get along in life if we just keep giving them chances…there has got to be a change.
If you really want to know what we should do for them, we could start by working with their attention span. Let’s go back to the 7 period a day schedule in the high schools. It is a proven fact that the students cannot focus for 90 minutes…so why do we insist that this is the best way? I know that education tends to come full circle, but I don’t know if I can wait that long. The classes that I have that do the best are the classes that I see every day for 50 minutes. It’s just long enough, and not too long. Plus, I see them every day and can reinforce what we have learned better.
Maybe we could also add a study hall period to the high schools. It would provide a set opportunity for students to make up work that they haven’t completed.
If we give the work, if we teach the materials, if we offer support….why is it us that get blamed?
October 30th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Being an educator means constantly learning and updating and evolving with time so it was only a matter of time before technology became essential to teaching and learning. We all need to learn what we can and how to incorporate the current technology. But the more important question is this how will we compare with other countries and nations when education for those other countries is of upmost importance within the family structure and the schools track students down different pathways according to skill and choice of direction? All too often the school does what it can to be competitive within the educational system but what truly lacks is the family value and support. We as educators can incorporate as much technology as we can, design lessons that are interactive, use strategies that have proven results but until our families support us in our endeavors and get behind their child in their efforts will we ever be able to say we are as good as other nations? In addition to looking at how educators can incorporate 21st century skills into the classroom we must also examine ways to let the communities know the value of an education in the 21st century.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I am a product of the US Military which began the technology age therefore; I was fortunate as it relates to an understanding of technology and its value not only in a work environment but school as well. I have two children that are products of NNPS. One was in the Arts Magnet at Woodside who in college majored in graphic designing. The other is a product of the Math, Science and Technology Magnet at Heritage he is currently in his senior year in college majoring in Accounting. Without the understanding of technology that I as well as NNPS encouraged them to embrace they would not have been prepared for the next level. So I think that it very important that we not only provide students with technological knowledge but provide them the opportunity to use the technology to interact with other students on a global scale.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
We could have conversations that last for years on end about what needs to change in our society, in our family structures, in our government, and so on in order to improve our educational system. However, ultimately all we have full control over is ourselves; railing against the ills of our society or the seeming weaknesses of our students isn’t necessarily a productive way to improve because we have little control over the causes. This is why the question about how we should change ourselves is paramount.
We serve our students; they are our customers. In business you react to the needs of your customers… or you fail. Criticizing the customers for whatever characteristics that they arrive at your door with is a quick way to go out of business.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
How should we as individuals change to respond to the needs of today’s students?
Just do it.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
No Change, No Learning
Know Change, Know Learning
October 30th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
No Learning, No Change
Know Learning, Know Change
October 30th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
“Relevance” was the first word that came to my mind, in contemplating meeting the changing needs of students. When I was learning to manipulate quadratic equations as a high school student on Guam, a nagging question persisted in its irritation: “What does this have to do with anything I will ever do in my life?” I have never used the knowledge I acquired of how to manipulate a quadratic equation. Students today have information at their fingertips, and can communicate globally, inexpensively, with lightening speed. They face a world in crisis, with turmoil in financial markets, war in far-flung nations affecting families here at home, and climate change occurring at an alarming rate. Our students need relevant skills, relevant information, and the ability to communicate and collaborate on a global scale to face the challenges that will be theirs in the next ten years. Surely if reality-based TV can survive, so might reality-based education! Educators cannot afford to teach to a test, but must demand accountability of themselves and of their students. Students must be engaged, and aware of the consequences of being prepared for life with a relevant education, and of being unprepared. Educators need to embrace technology, innovation, fluidity, adapting quickly to the changes as they come, because our students will adapt, for better or worse, with or without us.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I think we have to come away from our time driven, large group instructional model… it is the most convenient thing for us, but the most painful thing for most kids. They bear it well, but how many of us would sign up for 180 6 hour days of professional development where we sat and got most of those hours and days. I think technology is a really good platform– like asynchronous podcasts and streaming video with examples while kids are doing homework. Even THINKING of creating a system like that is overwhelming to those of us who’ve done this for a while now. So don’t think about the whole system– think about one little piece of the puzzle that you can put in. Then look around for the next one. And so it goes that we will be the next generation.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:13 am
Go to TED.COM — Look up SIR KEN ROBINSON & CREATIVITY.
PLEASE WATCH IT! IT’S A REMINDER WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE.
October 31st, 2008 at 9:16 am
It was one of the most radical discoveries Gandhi was to make in a lifetime of experimentation: In order to transform others, you have first to transform yourself.
Aknath Eawaran, Gandhi the Man
October 31st, 2008 at 9:38 am
As long as we follow the traditional system of education set centuries ago we will never enter the 21st Century. It’s not about buying equipment to show we are 21st Century, it’s all the other learning processes we need to look at. Some of our students can’t learn nowadays because they aren’t able to handle all of life’s conflicts, peer pressure and outside influences. Yes parents should still be held accountable for their actions with their children but we are all in this together. If the children are given conflict resolution techniques because they are lacking from home, then the learning process can begin. Also realizing students learn differently now and we need to be flexible to their learning styles and not our old age learning styles. Students should be taught to be creative, problem solvers, analytical thinkers, use hands on applications and given relevant real world situations to learn in all subject areas. Students need to understand they are a part of a more global world and not just a locality. You think about it, students are in school from about age 4 to 23. Within that time spam wouldn’t it would be wise for us to also teach children what they will need to know from age 23 to about 75 to 80 years. That is about 52 to 57 years difference of knowledge that the students are not learning from school. If we can not provide that service at least teach the students to learn continuously on their own by being life-long learners, problem solvers, creative thinkers and just plain old common sense about how to live the rest of their lives successfully. We can not afford to allow our teachers to suppress their learning capabilities either. The teachers will need to know they too have to be up to par with the 21st century and get with the program or find other avenues.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:22 am
Normally when people hear the phrase “21st Century”, they automatically think of technology. Yes, I would agree that technology will be instrumental in preparing our students for the 21st century, but I also believe that we as educators must provide students with the tools they need to move beyond their years in school. These tools include skills such as analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating which will equip them to learn any of the technological skills that they may need in the future.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:46 am
There are some very good comments in this blog about getting students ready for what is to come. I would like to address something James has touched on, in that, with anything it is much easier to change yourself than it is to change others. We can certainly make students more accountably for their actions in the process but what happens when they do not change. Do we simply give up on them? We are the adults and we must find a way. It is our responsibility to use best practices and common sense to make schools a place that is exciting and invigorating to both the adults and the students.
I believe what others have stated. We must challenge students to use the resources around them and to ask “why”. Students or people in general need to be cognizant of information and become discerning consumers of information. Most of us learn from making mistakes and challenging the status quo. The work force will need to share ideas across nationalities and students will not only need language skills but the skills to collaborate with diverse cultures. The most important aspect of this all is that we need to find a direction and begin doing it rather than simply talking about it.
October 31st, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Individual changes required: thinking from possibility rather than limitation; searching for a both/and answer rather than an either/or; working toward learning and ‘educating’ rather than ‘teaching’ or, worse yet, ’schooling’; working with the amazing strengths found in each of us rather than working on the weaknesses.
Individual changes lead to system change. All the wisdom holders for 21st century thinking seem to be advocating processes. In fact, many of the previous responses are about about ‘how’ rather than about ‘what’. We need to decrease the empahsis on content in isolation–learning facts as a end in itself–and place more on how we learn and do things. Reflecting, questioning, collaborating, researching, synthesizing, this should be the stuff of education for the 21st cnetury as it is these processes that will serve our students throughout their lives. We need to turn our curriculum on its head and define the processes first. Once done, we can embed the content, always remembering that we are teaching people, not subjects.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
So many teachers are hesitant to change. The pessimism is overwhelming in this regard. Having only taught 8 years, I am invigorated at the thought of what lies ahead in the immediate future for education. I simply hope it doesn’t take too much longer due to the ones who keep clinging to the past.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:01 pm
For another take on student responsibility, get the Nov,2008 issue of Educational Leadership and read the article, Students at Bat.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Change can be difficult, but it is a necessity if we are to continue thriving. Those that are able to respond to change quicker are often the first to succeed. Think about it, as educators, we have to prepare our children for what lies ahead when they graduate from post secondary education. If we do not accept change or are not willing to be a part of the process, we are doing our children an injustice. As a result, we will hinder the true potential of every child we have taught.
November 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Although some of us are just starting to catch the wave of intergrating more technology in the classroom, keep in mind we are already nine years into to 21st century. This is not the time to sit back and let other people do the work for you. Technology is a great tool, but you have to use it. If not for yourself, do it for the children in your class that need to be ready for their future.
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin
November 2nd, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Collaboration. The term classroom is almost antiquated as it pertains to 21st Century learning. “Collabroom” is probably more appropriate. Kids learn a great deal more ouside of the four walls of a classroom than they do inside. It makes sense to let students lead their learning by allowing them collaborate anytime anywhere. Learning and leading is not just about the latest technology, its about the latest thinking, sharing, innovating, creating and collaborating. You know, kind of what we’re doing now.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 am
According to The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, an advocacy group dedicated to infusing 21st century skills into education (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=119 ), aside from preparing students in the core subjects (i.e., English, World languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, etc.,), it is also important that we prepare our students in the area of
• Global awareness, using 21st century skills to understand and address global issues (i.e., learning from and working collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in personal, work and community contexts, and understanding other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English languages);
• Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy, (i.e., knowing how to make appropriate personal economic choices, understanding the role of the economy in society, using entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options);
• Civic Literacy, (i.e., participating effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed and understanding governmental processes, exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national and global levels, understanding the local and global implications of civic decisions);
• Health Literacy, (i.e., obtaining, interpreting and understanding basic health information and services and using such information and services in ways that are health enhancing , understanding preventive physical and mental health measures, including proper diet, nutrition, exercise, risk avoidance and stress reduction, using available information to make appropriate health-related decisions, establishing and monitoring personal and family health goals, understanding national and international public health and safety issues).
I especially agree with the need to develop our students Information, Media and Technology Skills, to include: Information Literacy, Media Literacy, Information and Communication Technology Literacy. Teachers in the core curricula areas can begin spending more time in the labs. Unfortunately, this means that pacing needs to be addressed since current pacing does not lend itself to allowing teachers to properly monitor students and guide them in the process of utilizing technology to its full benefit. For instance, a WebQuest on the Scientists who discovered the structure and function of DNA would take 4-5 days to successfully and efficiently complete the task. The pacing for that topic is 1 to 2 days. Pacing will need to take into account the length of time to effectively and efficiently use technology and monitor the students devlopment of skills necessary to use the technolgy that we have at our disposal.
New course offerings could possibly be developed as pilot programs that would focus totally on the use of technology in core courses without concern for pacing. These courses could be developed with an end in mind–What is it that we want the students to know? When do they need to know it? How can we use technology to meet the knowledge goals?–After the first two years of implementation, we could determine the proper pacing and organize the curriculum in a manner that ensures that students meet certain criteria by certain dates.
For a more comprehensive review of the skills required for the 21st century, visit the site above.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
Practice with and consistent actual use of developing technology is vitally important for both educators and learners. Although the “educator” in us knows that officially we aren’t to address the spiritual/values/ soul realm. It really cannot be ignored. Emptiness there harms us all. Person-to-person relationship building skills are important too. Growing up students in how to behave in positive manners is essential for the future or no matter what we “know” and “can do” the society will implode.
DN
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:08 pm
The only constant we can rely on is CHANGE. If we continue to teach the same way we have been all these years and expect achievement to improve, then we are isane, as defined by Einstein. The good news is that right here in NNPS is a wealth of professional educators who have the knowledge and expertise to choose to do the RIGHT thing, rather than what’s easiest. Are you up for the challenge?!?
~ If you aren’t growing, you’re dying.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Having come from into teaching on a nontraditional route I find that to truly get our students ready for the 21st century world we have to teach them to be adaptable and flexible. The technology that will be used in the jobs of tomorrow has not even been thought of as yet. We have to get them to play and explore the current technology so they can find out and create ways of using it that will transcend the common uses. Allow them discovery room and they will amaze.
November 4th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Okay–I will try this again…
The question is “How should we as individuals change to respond to the needs of today’s students?”
As individuals we must educate ourselves by researching what others are doing. We must accept the fact that in order to prepare our students we will need to change the way we taech (again). We will need to decide if pacing is more important than the bottom line and readjust our approach to teaching in order to ensure that students are understanding the material and not just receiving it.
We also need to accept the fact that our students need to understand global issues and how they affect their future.
We need to accept the fact that, not all students will go to college, but can still be productive citizens. And then prepare them for success without college.
We need to research what other countries and cities are doing and participate in the global classrooms that exist such as GlobalschoolNet.org (http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.cfm) and realize that our students need to understand issues relative to development of sustainable countries, collaboration with other countries, team building, and more importantly, tolerance.
We need to design our lessons in such a manner that students will need to work in teams to get the work done (I know we do this, but not enough).
Finally, we need to take control over our schools and decide how much longer we will suspend students due to disciplinary issues and then try to figure out how to get them caught up after missing 20 + days due to long-term suspensions. Maybe it is truly time to think about the expansion of the alternative programs. That way we can spend our time on those students who realize the importance of an education and are ready to LEARN HOW TO LEARN.
November 5th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Question: How should we as individuals change to respond to the needs of today’s students?
We “as educational leaders” should:
- keep abreast of current literature and trends in technology education and communication (professional literature blogs for NNPS admin)
- Be honest with ourselves about what we know and our ability to model it
- Be a real life-long learner by seeking and gaining new knowledge (attend conferences and presentations)
- Come together and brain storm ideas using relevant data as admininstrative leaders with teacher leaders
- Assess what is “do-able” with what we have (staff, resources, funding)
- Think “outside the box” with ideas such as becoming a “Digital School division” offering “digital schools” with online coursework and graduation requirements
- Begin with the end in mind and plan for success in our schools
- Train, implement, and continue to evaluate success
November 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Some more thoughts:
- allow students and their parents to be part of the discussion on technology and learning
- facilitate students helping to teach one another
November 5th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
By itself, technology encourages the erosion of critical thinking skills and common sense. Until students learn to read fluently and push their pencils rather than buttons on a video game, our society is in deep, deep trouble. The 21st Century is upon us and we are still putting the cart before the horse. What if kids had to prove their reading, writing and thinking aptitudes before they could use a cell phone or a computer or a video game? We are failing to help students learn to make sound judgments, failing to help them become independent thinkers first.
November 6th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Technology is not the end to the means. In this age, technologies are the tools through which learning happens. As long as we continue to view technology as an add-on or a reward, we are going to continue to lose our children at increasingly rapid rates.
How advanced would our culture be if generations before us saw the printing press as a suspect technology? What would have happened if the overhead projector stayed in the bowling alley?
As I see it, we all have a lot to learn from each other so we might as well get on with it. We have much to teach kids about socialization, organization, collaboration and they can reciprocate with gathering information, curiosity, asking questions, and figuring out how all the technology fits together. This isn’t about either they learn to read or they have access to technology. This is about they learn to read through access to technology. The more we resist, the more difficult it becomes for everyone.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:57 am
When I first began to view this video clip, I did so with a bit of cynicism. As a second year teacher, I am definitely one who is very fond of technology and consistently shocked by the hesitancy that some express when approaching technology use in the classroom. Teaching with technology tools and integrating them daily are second nature to me, as those tools were pushed as “requireds” during my higher education experience. Nonetheless, I must admit that I consistently feel like I am one of a few who are willing to try to use these tools to “reach” and “teach” my students. It is obvious to me that we exist in a world where the tradition model of teaching is becoming antiquated. I don’t think that the foundations of the modes of instruction should be put to rest, but I am a firm believer that success in the classroom is contingent upon our ability, as educators, to consistently assess and reassess the pre, during, and after processes and outcomes that we expect and receive. I was struck by the significance of a comment made by of the video’s speakers who was discussing the “death of education” but in contrast then described the pending promise of the “dawn of learning.” My hope is that I can foster moments of connectivity—moments where students can have authentic learning experiences via the higher levels of thinking…focusing on making connections and “swapping” ideas. This will help us as educators combat the overstimulation and instant gratification offered by high definition TV, Digital and recordable cable, text messages, and the various online communities of which our students ARE members. Technology isn’t a choice. It is a major means to bridge the gap that currently exists between teacher and student.
–”I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”
**Haim Ginott**
December 7th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Technology will continue to change our world. It is like a forceful storm that relentlessly applies pressure to our environment. Bendable, flexible trees weather a storm best. Children, just like young trees, are very flexible. They easily adjust and even embrace change. Children can thrive in this technology filled environment, if they are allowed to. What about us? Are we pliable or have we become like an old oak, rigid and unbendable? In his article, “Engage Me or Enrage Me’, What Today’s Learners Want” (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0553.pdf) Marc Prensky warns us of the consequences of not adjusting to the changing needs of our students. It is up to us to supply our students with the tools, skills, and the environment they need to thrive in. As educators we have to be bendable and flexible, embracing technology as the wonderful tool it is. We need to integrate technology to the greatest extent, using technology to teach. We are teaching life-long learning skills by teaching students how to find information, and then how to analyze, evaluate, validate, and synthesize the information they find. These are life skills in today’s world. What will make this easier?
We have to use technology ourselves, in our every-day lives. We need to embrace technology and enjoy it! There are so many tools available that will make learning and teaching fresh, new, and exciting. We need to use those tools!
We also have to be pliable; adjusting to the many changes that are still coming. Technology is the way the world works today and into the future. Children think in these terms and function within the realms of their vast technology-filled, digital world. It is up to us to adjust and embrace their world. Not only will we have a chance to better reach them, but we will also give them the tools they crave and really need for their future.
December 10th, 2008 at 2:17 am
It’s difficult to imagine what schools will look like in the future, but there will come a time when technology skills will be as essential as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Teaching technology for technology’s sake isn’t enough anymore. We need to strive to integrate technology into all aspects of the curriculum if we want to prepare our students to be successful in the twenty-first century. As a prospective teacher just getting ready to start my career, I know that some of the technology I’m learning to use now will be outdated by the time I graduate. That’s why it’s so important to be adaptable. I have to be ready for change and meet the challenges it brings head on. I want to be able to use technology to excite and engage my students and if that means constantly pushing myself to learn more, so that I can keep pace with my tech savvy students, then I’m prepared to do it. Technology use in schools is only going to increase. Teachers who refuse to change with the times will get left behind, and unfortunately so will their students.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Creativity has been an innate part of my personality since before I can remember. It was not uncommon for me to, as a child, create drawings and hand them to my mother so that she may proudly attach them to the highest part of the refrigerator. And as a grade school student no one could tell me that my works of art were under-development or juvenile. Needless to say, I knew and felt that I had “it”. Of course, through the years I had nurtured my creativity by taking art classes, creating home décor or painting walls. Never had my creative personality been so challenged as to when I began the Webquest portion of my ECI 430 class (PK-12 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY). The Webquest involved:
• Creating an interactive Webquest
• Implementing text styles, images, links and tables
• Understanding the instructional strategies surrounding the Webquest model
• Creating a sample Webquest to be used with your classroom.
I had never heard of a Webquest—I was unfamiliar with the creative thought it took to put one together. This “inquiry-based lesson” had to include:
• Introduction
• Task
• Process
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
The part that presented the most challenge to me was the Process. The Process had to include step-by-step instruction on how to complete a task and compel the student to learn. I introduced many pictures and images and brightly colored text to grab the student’s attention. I also included some self-created works of art. The Webquest was definitely a challenge at times, but I found that if I incorporated my natural ability to create and the children’s need to learn I would end up with a winning combination.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:03 am
As a teacher it is a huge resposibility to always be thinking of what will be happening next. I agree that over the next 10 years the education of our children will change far more significantly than the last 100 years. Firstly, the teachers now entering the education system have been part of the technology revolution themselves. Secondly, they have more information and resources available to them than any previous generation of teachers.
Additionally, students themselves have changed, they use technology all the time and they are not afraid of it. The traditional classroom can no longer meet the needs of these tech savvy children.
As a student teacher I can recognize that I will have to be responsive to the changes in society and adapt to the needs of the students. I will have to be a promoter of change. I think this will be one of the most exciting times to be a teacher. I always think of the five year olds entering kindergarten. Thirteen years from now in 2022 they will be leaving the school system. If I become the 4th grade teacher that I want to be, when these children get to my classroom I want to be “up-to-date” and prepared. I want to be ready to capture their interest, grow their confidence, and prepare them for tomorrow.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
We live in a technology based society and students of today must be ready for it. Although students are using one form of technology or another, we must make sure they possess all of the tools needed to survive in a changing world. Technology integration is a necessity in today’s classroom. In order for us as educators to keep up with our students changing needs, we must be prepared. We must rethink the format of our classroom instruction to integrate technology.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I absolutely believe that this quote is true. Todays students are not the same as they were years ago. They do not learn the same way, so why should we teach the same way? I think that the change needs to start in the school system. Teachers need education on new technologies before they can successfully integrate them into the classroom. The 21st century skills that students will build from integrating technology into the classroom are priceless. They cannot be taught. It has to be integrated in such a way that it is transparent and just another “part” of an assignment, paper, project, etc. With all of the wonderful resources available through technology, why shouldn’t we use them?