In class on Tuesday (June 12) we talked about how education seems entrenched in a traditional delivery method, and how students seem to be less and less responsive to this approach. The "When I Become a Teacher" video highlighted some of the attitudes that still persist among educators, and we discussed how there doesn't appear to be an impetus to change, especially in the context of a standards-driven environment. However, you read some articles in the 'Coming of Age" document that highlighted teachers who are using the collaborative, interactive nature of Web 2.0 to change the way students learn, and you read about the problems that can occur when institutions are slow to adapt to the new social environment of the Internet. I have 2 questions:
1: Philosophically, what does education need to do to effectively promote student learning in the 21st Century?
2. Specifically, what tools (identify 2) could educators use to apply this philosophy in the classroom?
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Philosophically, we need to stay ahead of our students and the often mis-guided and unsupervised learning they have at their own homes. We need to get out of the education world we were subjected to and make things much more relevant to their future.
Specifically, for me, I need to have an LCD projector hooked up to my computer in my classroom. I also am interested in implementing a palm pilot type of device for each student to use as an electronic hand-held organizer. As a school, we can program in their school calendar at the beginning of the year. Teachers could simply "zap" (for lack of a better term) a child's assignment from the teacher's palm pilot to the students' device. Students can store a portfolio of their work in the form of office documents, power points, digital art projects, etc. Students at my high school (Milwaukee Lutheran) lose their assignment notebook within the first two weeks of school, but somehow they never seem to misplace their cell phone, i-pod, gaming devices or other electronics.(?) The cost of replacing the palm type device would warrant their more immediate attention and responsibility that they have already shown they can manage with their other devices - plus it would help them become more organized.
I agree with Kohlmeier that we need to stay ahead of our students when it comes to technology. Unfortunately, I feel that it is an unrealistic goal. How can we stay ahead of them when we are still running our schools like factories. I mean...what can you really accomplish in 9 separate 40 minute class periods? Many schools are not set up to accommodate real learning. Not only is there technology equipment inadequate, but their schedules are ridiculous. Philosophically speaking, I would like to see that schools start teaching real-life skills and a curriculum that addresses real-life problems and issues. Forget about the textbooks that become outdated the day they are printed! Students need facilitators to guide them in the right direction, and they also need some power and control over what they are learning. Technology can help them get there. Schools need to support this type of learning and give them the tools and time to develop real learning. In regards to question 2, the first step is in educating the teachers and administrators. You can say to a teacher...hey, here is a new tool to use in your classroom, and it is called podcasting etc...but incorporating podcasting in the classroom alone isn't the answer. First off, by the time you get a teacher up to speed on how to use podcasts in the classroom, something new and better has already come out. I think we need to relinquish the power to the students who obviously know more than we do (and I'm talking about upper level students). Why not have a discussion with your class on how to incorporate the technologies out there with the curriculum that must be covered in the classroom. They know what they can do...we do not. I think a lot can be accomplished when we stop feeling intimidated by the technology, and accept that students know more, and probably always will (at least for as long as I'm around). Teachers who embrace this need to be ready to change their delivery of curriculum every year because technology changes so rapidly. It could be a lot of work, but very valuable as well. Shelly C.
It really hit a note with me what shelly wrote. The current school setup is not appropriate to educate our children. I had made the comment in class that we are trying to compete with the Xbox, iPhones, MySpace... and the list goes on. We try to force them to takes notes with pen and paper from a chalk board, or some other medium that just turns them off. To me the solution is not only in getting the current staff up to speed but producing educators that are taught to adapt to the generations.
In my own experience I converted all of my videos and text to a digital format. I carry on a cart to every room I visit all of my media and notes. It is quite a spectacle to see me and all of my technology come down the hall. To be honest I still have "missed the boat" I have recently realized that it is just the same old "crap" on a computer, projected on a screen instead of a whiteboard/chalkboard. I am however somewhat excited about this "blog" thing. I want to try and get into my classroom. Barron
Philosophically, as many of the articles we read mentioned, we need to familiarize our students with the huge variety of technology tools that are available to them, which can be a daunting task. However, as educators, we also need to teach them how to do that safely. So many of our young students feel they are impenetrable and do not realize the responsibility that goes with being a technology user and a technology "guru." These are big undertakings and huge time commitments which is what makes it difficult for many teachers to accomplish this. In Shelly's response, she mentioned a new curriculum, which I think is an important (and realistic)solution. In my school, we do not have a curriculum that solely addresses Internet safety and technology of the future... everything is outdated. This lack of a curriculum puts a lot onto the plates of the classroom teachers that already have too much material to address in the time they are given.
If I had to choose two tools to use in my classroom, I would like to add a mounted LCD projector in my room for notes, videos, internet access, a direct connection to supplemental material for our math series, etc. Perhaps unrealistically, it would also be nice to have a classroom set of student laptops/notebooks in my room so that we could immediately address or have time to work on and deal with some of these technology topics we would be talking about.
I believe education has a huge responsibility to teach kids about technology. Many districts put technology as a focus, but are they really doing anything? Lately, my district has been sending people to each school discussing the fact that we as educators need to teach our students to be tech-savy for thm to be successful in their future. OK- but we don't even have a computer lab in my school! How can I truly teach without the tools? So education needs to make a big switch, like Shelly said, maybe place less emphasis on the textbook and more on technology. And not only keeping kids up-to-date with the latest trends and devises, but like Amanda said, SAFETY!
Education also needs to change HOW kids are being taught. There are still a ton of teachers who talk "at" the kids for an hour. Lessons need to be interactive, and paced differently than 10 years ago. District administrators keep "telling" us what needs to change, but it doesn't seem (at least in my situation) that there is much action. We had projection units installed in all our classrooms 2 years ago. Half of the teachers don't ever use them. That's a problem!
The articles mentioned blogging quite a bit- keeps kids motivated, easier to apply differentiation, using this medium to teach responsibility. I wish more teachers would get over their fear and embrace these newer teaching methods. I think they would be pleasantly surprised! Teachers need to be educated first, and possibly given time to collaborate and share ways to incorporate this into the classrooms. We obviously need access to some of the newer devises- and we need a supply of working, updated computers.
One of the most important things that needs to happen in today's educational world is that educators need to be EDUCATED about what 21st century skills are. I have never thought of myself as technologically advanced or on the cutting edge of education, but in comparison to many of my colleagues, I am -- and that is a scary thought. Instead of the crazy, meaningless inservices on things that will be forgotten by the next day, we need time to make sure educators understand these vital 21st century skills, why they are so incredibly important for the futures of our students, and how educators themselves can practice and become proficient at these new skills. Yes, we are not "digital natives" like our students, but as educators we must actively practice what so many of us profess, that we are lifelong learners; we really need to try to become proficient at these new technologies and not close our minds to the exciting possibilities they hold for education.
Like Sara and Amanda said, safety is a key concern. It is probably one of the reasons the education world is avoiding many of the new technologies. However, in order to make education relevant to today's students, it is important they we understand the safety concerns brought to light by these technologies and teach students how to be responsible and safe users and consumers of technology.
The two tools I need to implement this philosophy are rather broad – time and education. I need more time to be able to explore the potential of Web 2.0, more time to discuss possibilities and applications with my colleagues, and more time to be able to work with students on relevant, meaningful ways to teach and use these new technologies. I, along with my colleagues, also need more education in the manner of meaningful professional development. The more we know and understand the potential and the possibilities, the more comfortable we will be in sharing these new technologies and their uses with our students.
Educators of the current century must educate their students to better prepare them for the future. I teach special education and I currently use an overhead projector adaptive technology such as tinted slides, overhead makers as well as tape recorders. I plan to use power point for research projects an introduce new online resources such S present in which is free software. Philosophically, we (Educators) must get with the program! Become tech savay! The students of today demand quality education and we owe it to them. My school district really needs to upgrade and support technology learning and provide the necessary equipment in the classroom. It is very necessary for the teachers and administrators to be well trained and consistently refresh their technology education. By doing so the teachers will naturally change the way they deliver their curriculum.
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