We are living in an ever evolving world; expanding technologically in every direction. It seems, at times, that the only field stunted in its growth is the teaching profession. With our inability to adapt to the proliferation of digital fluency, are we meeting the changing needs of our students? In many school districts all across the U.S., NVUSD included, it is not uncommon for students to be using textbooks from before the new Millennium. Using textbooks and best practices far outdated by what is available to our students on the other end of a quick google search, they are left wanting for relevant material; to feel like school is preparing them for the world they will inherit.
When our students are constantly connected to an entire global wealth of information via their smartphones, how can anything we do in our classrooms compete with the education they could gain through digital crowdsourcing? Has our role as educator moved away from the sage, all-knowing, disseminator of knowledge and understanding, to coach, one who builds within our students the capacity to find knowledge and understanding on their own, using every tool at their disposal? How do we, in this new role, prepare our student for jobs that do not exist yet, in a world that will not look like the one we currently operate in? Sir Ken Robinsons speaks to the need for schools to update their understanding of what genius looks like. He encourages us to celebrate a student’s creative mind instead of crushing it with the memorization of facts and procedure; considered the mark of academic success. His sentiment speaks directly to the outdated view that school should be a one size fits all assembly line, preparing students to contribute in an industrialized world. Now, more than ever, our classrooms need to be dynamic. We need to show our students that solving problems requires creativity. That procedural understanding is absolutely vital but only if they have the insight to see how procedure can help find answers to their problems. From looking at the research of Dr. Patricia Kuhl on learning and the social brain it is clear that an effective classroom must include opportunities for students to be social. Learning has to be interactive and most of the interaction should come from community being built in the classroom. Students need access to one another in order to co create and co design learning opportunities. We have to be intentional with our group work so that it has purpose. Students should not simply be placed in groups but specifically taught how to work in these environments. As teachers we should be looking for opportunities to shape group interaction as a means to build our student’s commitment to focus rather than distraction. Thinking of all the direct instruction that takes place in my classroom, I have to ask myself, how effectively does note taking prepare my students for learning outside of my content? I realize that note taking is important but does it allow students to participate in the learning? Are they just passively receiving facts I feel will move them to a better understanding of my content area? We are now, more than ever, equipped to provide our students with an education that leverages digital tools to build their 21st century skills. If we use these tools effectively we will prepare our students for the workforce of tomorrow. It is mandatory that we think very closely about our instructional practice and determine if we are simply shoving fact and procedure into the faces of our students or if we are celebrating their creative and social brains in order to drive their desire to learn.
4 Comments
9/14/2018 06:17:35 pm
DJ, Isn't it amazing how slowly educational practices have changed? I loved Ken Robinson's take on what the next steps need to be...an Educational Revolution!! I'm not sure how that will happen, but in the mean time we have our work cut out for us to prepare students for the 21st century. I love the ideas of others, like yours, in our Cohort to discuss the options to be better each and every day with each and every lesson. Thanks for the reminder of all of the great points that Ken discussed.
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9/15/2018 02:27:50 pm
I also enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's insight on education. Like you and Monica, I have questioned the validity of our educational system for most of my career, especially in the realm of technology. My school has third-hand Chromebooks with missing keys and faulty screens. The ELMO I use is dying; the light bulb is so dim, I have to turn off all of the lights and shut the blinds so we can see what is on the overhead screen. If we are going to be a 21st Century school district, then we need to not only replenish the technology, but train the teachers on how to use it.
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Catie Goldstein
9/15/2018 08:29:01 pm
I always think it's so crazy how textbooks become out of date so quickly. My school district adopted a new ELA curriculum in 2017 and it already feels ancient. There has to be a better solution for getting information to students.
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Julie
9/15/2018 10:30:19 pm
Right Brandon I have been questioning my role as a teacher for sometime now and as our world is changing so is the role of the teacher. Your comments about the smart phones is so true how can we have them use them more for learning in our classes. I also agree with you about being social and group work. I have committed to groups all year which can be a challenge rows can be easier for maintaining order but collaboration with purpose and learning is a valuable life lesson. When I started teaching computing and robotics last year I enjoyed learning with my student and it created this cool dynamic in the classroom.
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