Teachers as Learners: Old Dawgs Can Learn New Tricks

Time is a precious thing, and what we chose to do with that time is crucial. As the end of the first decade of the 21st century speeds ever nearer, we teachers must take a second to stop and evaluate what we are doing in the classroom. Are we doing the same things we were doing 5 years ago? 10 or 15 years ago? Are our students gaining the most possible from our efforts to prepare them for the future? In many instances the answer is no, for whatever the reason may be. I know that my personal teaching hasn't changed much since I joined the throngs of educators striving to make a difference in the lives of today's students, but that doesn't mean that it can't! Over the course of the last 24 weeks, I have been involved in a rigorous schooling in integrating technology into the classroom which has drastically changed my view of what and how students learn.
In these courses, I have been introduced to many technological tools that are viable resources to be used in classroom instruction. As I was once a teacher who shied away from letting students get anywhere near a computer for my own fear of not understanding it's instructional uses, I now find myself looking for chances to steal away to one of the schools computer labs in order to set up a curriculum lesson reliant upon technology.
I have learned that the mind can physically change based on how it learns, and that today's media-barraged brained students need quick, interactive, collaborative ways to learn. They need to hone skills that they will use as professionals in the future, which aren't addressed in the "read books, answer questions, take notes, and be tested on the content" teaching approach of yesterday. Exploring new technologies, such as blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, has also given me a new confidence in my own skills that was not there before.
Because of the changing environment in which our students live, preparations for teaching these students must change as well. I think much less about(while not ignoring or compromising) the curriculum students are learning and much more about howthe are learning, and what skills they acquire along the way.
It will be easy for me to continue to grow as a student and a teacher of technology because it is, as Dr. David Thornburg and Hall Davidson explain, simply fun (Thornburg and Hall, 2008)! I will continue with my masters in technology in the classroom and will keep exploring different applications of technology within the walls of my classroom and in my personal life.
Now that I have found more comfort in realm of technology, I plan to begin a running, open dialogue with my classes in blog form. For this, I will have to get the permission from my principal and that of my students parents. Some might shrink from the thought of an open forum discussion for fear of what might be said (spill over from a social problem would be a major concern), but students need to be learned in the skill of collaboration and interaction in a professional cyber setting. I also would like to take time to include at least one technologically based lesson that utilizes 21st century skills in each of the units I teach. These lessons cannot all be completed at once, nor can they ever be totally completed. They will take time to create, modify, and perfect, and once they have been satisfactorily created, It will take some time to manage each lesson, and keep them updated.
My school year has already started off with a technological bang. I took students into the computer lab so that they could create a brochure of the 5 physio-graphic regions of Georgia. They used many different programs and skills that I taught them, which I could not have taught them even one year ago. A lot has changed for me in a short amount of time. It does for everybody. If we, as educators, as the directors of the leaders of tomorrow, do not take the time to evaluate and assess what we are doing in the classroom, our time will quickly pass and our students will not be properly served. All it takes, to be successful as a teacher, is to be relevant in the lives of students. Time with our students is a precious thing. What we chose to do with that time with our students is crucial.

Laureate Education Inc., (Producer). (2008). Bringing the Fun into Teaching Through Technology (Motion Picture). Baltimore: Dr. David Thornburg and Hall Davidson

Profiling Today's Students Podcast

Dr. Bruce Barry explained that "different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures" (Prensky, 2001). With this information in mind, take a look at today's students. Do you think they receive information the same way kids did 10 years ago? 20? 50? 100 years ago? The answer is most definitely not. Students are now a part of the digital age; they have grown up in a world of computers and internet, which has caused a physically different brain than that of students of yesteryear. Since this is true, don't we, as educators, owe it to our profession and our students to deliver information to them in the most meaningful way possible?

The following is a short (slightly over five minutes) Podcast sharing the findings of an interview with a small group of college students. The interview was about the use of technology as a part of the students lifestyles. It is very interesting to note that the youngest student (sophomore) relies much more heavily upon today's technologies than the oldest student (Grad school).



Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part 1. Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6).

21st Century Skills

Educational hot topics are never in short demand. The remedies to these schooling shortfalls aren't in small supply either. Whether it is "learning focused," or "collaborative," or even "FINISH" educational leaders tend to have a vast array of new terms for seemingly timeless educational practices. While this is the case so often, the problem of addressing the new, and quickly widening, divide between what students are taught in school and what businesses need tomorrows workforce to posses is unique. What are school systems and educators doing to address the problem? Largely, the answer to that question is simply "nothing". The lack of thought does not necessarily reflect a larger lapse of judgment or desire to thoroughly prepare students, though, and to help schools get on board with what is necessary in the education of 21st Century skill sets, educators can begin by using the information and direction available at the website "Partnership for 21st Century Skills" to hone their own educational arsenal with the tools necessary to include a "21st Century" skill set into the curriculum.

On reviewing the sight, I find that it was personally shocking that the need for such educational technology reform was so necessary, yet so under-acknowledged. Many teachers are not aware of such a need for technical training, yet here is a professional, in depth website dedicated solely to the need for such education.

The site breaks down what the "21st Century" skills necessary are into four smaller, key elements; Life and Career Skills, Learning and Innovation Skills, Information, Media, and Technology Skills, and Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes. These are called the Route 21 Skills. On the face, these skills seem to mirror the basic educational framework with skills such as "Thinking Creatively", "Critical Thinking and Problem Solving", and "Collaboration". The difference with the Route 21 Skills is that each skill is supported in a technological way that does not hinder the natural flow of the school curriculum.

Great! Now what? Before anyone gets too worked up over how to change their lessons in order to better prepare tomorrow's future, lets not forget a basic principle of teaching- there is no need to reinvent the wheel! Another great feature of the 21st Century Skills website is that there are nearly 600 shared technology lessons available to help teachers support 21st century needs.

Can anything be this simple and agreeable? Sadly, no. While the Partnership For 21st Century Skills website is highly accessible and jam-packed with resources, there are some sticking points that some educators might face. I personally disagree with one of the facets of PF21stCS's Route 21 framework stating within the Learning and Innovation Skills that a student creativity determines whether or not that student is prepared for the future. We all as educators would agree that creativity is a viable and necessary function for all students, but for PF21stCS to base a students success solely on creativity seems to be slightly out of place. Don't let the small differences dissuade you, though, from utilizing this valuable web resource!

While we may feel obstinate to act in the in the light of necessary change, but as educators it is our job to prepare students for the future. For today's teachers and students the necessary change that must be made in order for our 21st century workplace to be highly competitive in the global economy is a change to a technologically minded student that can think, comprehend, assess, synthesize, and process the technological landscape of tomorrow's workplace.

Bloggin' in the Classroom

I think that I could use the blog in my classroom as an introduction tool to teach students how to effectively use a blog as an educational tool. I teach 8th grade students Georgia history. I would probably set up a simple opinion blog, as per example of Ms. Kathy Martin, to the ends that students voice their opinions and reactions to historical situations and prompts. This would help, not only in the prep for their technological futures, to motivate students who typically did not enjoy the more traditional school setting , give voice to students who don't always feel comfortable speaking out in class, teach correct grammar and usage of language (especially with our ELL learners!), and connect students more closely with the subject matter and open their eyes to the thoughts of their classmates. As a teacher, it would give me instant access to students thoughts and ideas, and help me to assess how well each student understands the curriculum.

Technology: Runaway Train or Trainable Tiger

Students today have a completely different worldview than students of ten years ago. Today's students are highly in tune with the newest, latest, and greatest gadgets, gizmos and whatnot's. As a teacher, how many times have you found yourself asking one of your students for technical help on basic computing and internet savvy?

Because students are so much more well versed than their teacher counterparts, how can we utilize the vast potential in our ever changing technologies to stimulate and educate our students? A better question for many teachers might be if can we catch up to today's youth in technology. As a teacher, is the world of technology a runaway train, or a trainable tiger?