Final Reflection

Final Thoughts

 “In my end is my beginning.” – T.S. Eliot

                It is hard to believe that this week marks the end of my EDUC 6710 course - Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Even so, as I wrap up this course, it is time to give final reflection to what I have learned and how, as a result, my perspective has changed.

                Although occasional hints of Prensky’s “digital immigrant” peek through, I really am more of a “digital native” (Prensky, 2001). I still remember sitting with wonder in front of my father’s old Commodore 64 computer during my early teenage years. Since that time, I have always felt at ease with, and eagerly embraced, new advances in technology. During my years in the teaching profession, I have sought to incorporate the use of technology into my instruction to the greatest extent possible and encourage colleagues to do the same. However, in the last few years I have experienced a sense of dissatisfaction with the way that technology is used in my classroom as well as other classrooms in my building.

                It doesn’t take a very long glimpse into today’s classrooms to see that learners are very different than they were a generation ago. While some veteran teachers try in vain to mold children into the time-honored traditional role of yesterday’s student,  many others have come to the realization that the old approaches will just no longer work.  Marc Prensky offers an interesting theory regarding this shift – that of the “digital native” (Prensky, 2001). According to Prensky, growing up in a digital and media-rich world has fundamentally changed the way that the brains of today’s young people work. Whether you are willing to go so far as to believe that these influences have created actual physiological changes in the brains of children, that quick glimpse into today’s classrooms yields a clear view of the characteristics of the “digital native”. According to Prensky, they prefer to work in a multitasking fashion, receive information really fast, see graphics before text, and access information in a hypertext fashion rather than in a logical, linear, step-by-step fashion. They have a preference for games over traditional “work”, for instant gratification, and for working in a networked environment.

                In light of this shift in the learning characteristics of students, have today’s schools responded appropriately? Despite the exponential increase in spending on hardware, software, and technology infrastructures by schools in the last few years, Alan November (2007) would have us believe not. He explains that most  schools still prohibit the use of the digital tools, or “containers” through which young people experience the world outside of the classroom, creating in effect a “reality-free zone” (November, 2007). Although individual teachers may not be able to overcome these institutional restrictions, they can try to bring the use of permitted technologies and digital tools more in line with the way technology is used in the real world.

                There surely exists a disconnect between what and how students learn in classrooms and what they will need to be able to do when they leave those classrooms. Dr. Chris Dede discusses the need for collaborative, complex communication, and decision-making skills (Laureate, 2010). Yet too many teachers have not truly adapted their methodology, even when technology exists in their classrooms. Instead, they incorporate digital tools into the old “paper-based” methodologies.

                In my ICT classroom, students are exposed to numerous technologies and develop a wide range of technology skills. While I believe that the learning of these skills in itself holds value, how students learn and subsequently use those skills has reflected too much the “legacy” teacher-centered methodologies. Exploring the resources, sharing in weekly discussion boards, and engaging in the application activities in this course have helped me on the way to understanding how I might promote a more learner-centered classroom.

                Some of the digital tools introduced in this course, such as blogs and wikis, were not entirely new to me. However, I did discover some new free sites offering these great Web 2.0 tools. In addition, I was able to consider new ways in which these tools might be incorporated into my classroom instruction.

                The greatest value in what I have learned through this course rests in my reflection over creating a more student-centered classroom and more fully promoting 21^st century skills. I need to design instructional activities such that students are using the technology skills they learn in engaging, meaningful, and relevant ways to collaborate, communicate, explore areas or interest and curiosity, solve problems, and connect to the world around them. To that end, I can evaluate my current teaching practices and find creative ways for students to use not only the Web 2.0 tools introduced in this course, but the other digital skills presented in my curriculum as well. I can continue to be a model of 21^st century learning by exploring new digital tools through which to deliver content and instruction.

                The quote by T. S. Eliot introducing this blog posting is especially apt. Although this final reflection marks the end of my formal learning in this course, it is only the beginning of a reflective practice which will include a critical evaluation of how well my instructional activities promote 21^st century skills and a student-centered classroom environment – the keys which will help me shape the readiness of my students for the challenges of the future. I invite you to join me in trying to bridge the gap between our strudents' classroom experiences and the expectations of the future workplace, thereby truly bringing our classrooms into the 21st century!

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010e). Program nine. The Changing Work Environment: Part 2 [Webcast]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.

November, A. (2007). Banning student “containers.” Technology & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/banning-student--containers-/44387

Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2011). Retrieved from www.p21.org

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Use the Proquest Central database, and search using the article’s title.

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

P21, Anyone?

PLC , AYP, KWL, DOK, UBD . . . are you ever overwhelmed by the alphabet soup of faculty meeting and professional development topics? Well, if it weren’t confusing enough, enter two of the most recent:  CCSS (Common Core State Standards), and P21 (the Partnership for 21st Century Skills).

We hear these names bandied about, but do we really know what they mean? 21^st Century Skills - some of us may think we know what this means; after all, doesn’t the name say it all? We are preparing students for the 21^st century.

Upon first glance at the p21.org web site, it becomes apparent that it is a little more complicated than that. However, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Despite the many layers of the Framework for 21^st Century Learning, if you peel them back carefully, you see that they all are all interrelated and connect around the common goal of shaping the readiness  of every student for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

It may require digging a little deeper to fully understand the components of the framework. More importantly, for educators like us, it presents an enormous challenge. Upon reviewing the site again this week, I discovered that there are many more resources available to us as educators that I ever realized. The site offers assessment and self-assessment tools, implementation guides, skills and literacy maps, a common core toolkit, and much more.

The first step, clearly, in advocating for our students’ 21^st century readiness, is to fully understand the framework and avail ourselves of the available resources. Implementing the framework components in our classrooms requires a huge commitment on our parts. States and districts must commit to providing the professional development and resources necessary to meet this vision. Some teachers will need to step outside of their comfort zones or abandon their filing cabinet of favorite lesson plans and embrace the changes and the technology that some of these changes will require. We as teachers can best lead by example by becoming 21^st century learners ourselves.

Most young people today are daily consumers of technology: MP3 players, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc. Yet, many of them do not know how to use the technology available to them effectively as tools for learning. They must begin to appreciate these technologies as tools for productivity, not just tools for enjoyment. Students, too, will need to stretch themselves outside of their comfort zones and become willing to think independently, creatively, and critically.

Are you truly ready for the challenge? Learn more by visiting the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills at http://www.p21.org .

A Webblog would be a valuable learning tool in my 8th grade French 1 classroom.

The blog would be a great place to share course information and documents, such as the course syllabus, homework assignments, project instructions, and other important communications. I could also post class notes, presentations, and other media. This would benefit students and parents immensely.

There is a tremendous amount of resources available about the French language and culture. The best way to learn a second language is to immerse oneself as much as possible in that language. Although my students are only beginning learners, identify resources rich in the target language and culture for them will hopefully help them appreciate the language in real contexts and connect to the culture. I want to get them excited and motivated about learning French, and what I can provide to them inside the confines of a classroom is just the tip of the iceberg. A blog would be a great place to centralize their access to the wonderful resources available to them.

Eventually, the blog could be a place for students to share as well. Students could share their thoughts, reflections, and links articles, Web sites, and online materials that they locate. It would also be an ideal place to highlight student work as well.

I have thought about, and even explored resources pertaining to, pen-pal type communications between my students and French students. It seemed that the logistics become very complicated -- I only have one group 18-25 of students each year. From the pen-pal matching sites I had explored in earlier years, many teachers had different numbers of students they were trying to match. Given the differences in second language learning in the two countries, it also seemed difficult to match students' language readiness / levels with their respective ages and interests. Perhaps blogging would be an ideal forum to re-examine this possibility.