The future is unpredictable. It is safe to say that our students will hold jobs that do not exist today.
Read Part One - The Conceptual Age from A Whole New Mind - Why Right Brainers Will Rule The Future by Daniel Pink
Now consider what values and skills we as educators need to instill into our future stakeholders. How do we leverage technology, especially powerful multimedia tools, to construct learning environments which foster these values and skills.
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Most teachers I know, even in the high school, outline exactly what students should do in a particular course. I realize that when this occurs students follow this specific outline and do not “think outside the box”. Teachers are always encouraging students to do this and never showing them how. Perhaps it is because they themselves do not know how to instill this type of power.
ReplyDeleteI myself am trying to figure out ways in which I can exercise my students R-Brain using technology. Although there may be many ways, here are a few that I have come up with. I have always been a fan of projects, but I felt the need to always iterate word for word exactly what needed to be done, in order to get some type of produced work out of students.
I believe that many teachers would agree with me when I say that asking questions is the key component to educating a child; well what if those questions came from students themselves once in a while, that would definitely help exercise their creative R-brain abilities. Here is an example of how.
Teachers can ask students to pick a topic that appeals to them (related to the subject matter of course). Instead of assigning a project in which the teachers ‘typically’ provide questions in which the students would answer. The teacher could have students be creative and ask questions of their own; ones that they are most curious about. The students could then use the Internet to pick up facts and organize data about this topic and together with their logic skills (L-brained) can help them achieve these skills that will help them for the future.
There are also other technologies out there (without getting to specific) for certain subject matters that make students create their own questions/conclusions about certain topics. These technologies are useful because in the end they are very creative, leads to great conversations and the information obtained will actually ‘stick’ with students, much better than any teacher taking 20 seconds out of a class period and saying “Here is the rule/ here is what happened, now remember it”.
I spent 10 years as a classroom teacher before transitioning into an instructional technology coordinator. What I feel continually frustrated with is those colleagues who neglect to see how today's digital learners interpret and access information. Whereas in the past, the teacher was seen as the necessary dispenser of knowledge, the Internet has dramatically altered the relationship between teacher and student.
ReplyDeleteNo longer is the primary task of the classroom teacher to be the "sage on stage" and fill students with the necessary information. Rather, today's education needs to value the process by which students access information and their ability to appropriately interepret that information. As a result, students need the skills to think critically about information. No longer can information be necessary deemed correct because no longer is the content coming directly from the teacher's mouth or from the traditional textbook. Rather, the student needs to develop the necessary skills to think critically about content.
As a result, today's students need to become problem solvers who can communicate and collaborate. Given the global demands on today's 21st century worker, this ability to demonstrate innovation and creativity is paramount to today's educational system. We need to understand that we are preparing students for jobs that do not exist yet.
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ReplyDeleteI sit on my district's technology committee where we are writing our tech plan for the next three years. A question that has come up again and again in our discussions is how will student learning change and how can we accommodate it.
ReplyDeleteDo we need to revisit curriculum when infinite information is available at our finger tips? Do we need to memorize formulas? Does anyone memorize phone numbers or driving directions anymore? If standards can be eliminated can we replace them with student led projects like Veronica mentioned above.
I think technology provides a chance for the burden of learning to be taken off the teacher and the responsibility placed back on the students. Teachers will mentor students in the creation of multimedia digital portfolios that research interests important to the students. The digital portfolios will address common assessments that must be met by all students.
Some teachers currently try and address student interest with Interest Surveys and Multiple Intelligences. Tools are available now that can leverage these interests and learning styles.
When we remove frivolous memorization from the curriculum our students can start thinking about their thinking or Metacognition. This has more of a chance of happening if students have an intrinsic relationship to what they are studying.
As we progress into a world where students are becoming more responsible for their own learning, teachers are starting to become the source of guidance rather than the sole provider of information. With all the various types of technology and multimedia available, we are in a fast moving world where students need to be prepared for their futures in newer ways than ever before. Students need to be problem solvers and effective communicators in order to succeed in the world in front of them. Not only do they need the basic core subjects anymore, but they need to master critical thinking and technology skills in order to survive in the future work environment. It is the job of the teacher to prepare these students for what they are about to face. However, just giving students computer classes or time on the computers, is not teaching these students the skills needed or exactly how to use the computer, technology, and various multimedia as a tool for developing skills. Students need to use the technology as a means of collecting and analyzing data, solving problems, and developing strategies to finding solutions to real-world issues. Teachers should allow students to work together and engage in creative, critical thinking inquiries. Teachers should provide guidance, but allow students to branch off and use various tools of technology and multimedia that will engage them and tap into their creative ways of solving problems and present ideas. Students should be able to develop their own preferred ways of presenting data that will allow them to showcase their strengths, creative abilities, and talents; which in many cases is required in the workforce.
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