This course was life changing. I have learned so many up-and-coming technologies that can be applied to my current job. Prior to this course, I had heard of a blog, a wiki, and a podcast, but I had no experience with them and did not truly know what they were. Now, not only have I read and listened to these types of communication, I have actually created my own. I am not an expert, but I feel as if I am on the cutting edge of an upcoming breakthrough. “As educators, we must tap into the potentials that these tools give us for learning” (Richardson, 2009, p. 8). I am no longer afraid to try to create new things on the computer. With practice I believe I can be very proficient in using and guiding others to use these technology tools in my school and my district.
My ideas about teaching and learning have definitely altered. Learning about the twenty-first century skills was inspiring. I understand that students learn differently. I realized education is different than before, but I did not know how or why that was so. Now that I know that students’ brains are different now, it is easier to change how I work with students. I can use what I now know about the twenty-first century skills to teach students in a way that will better prepare them for their futures. Due to neuroplasticity my brain is also changing with new knowledge. I am reteaching myself how to do things differently and how to do different things. Technology is an excellent tool to differentiate learning. “The power of fast cheap computers with reliable fast networks in ways that directly meet the needs of students who are able to learn in ways we could have scarcely imagines a decade or so ago” (Thornburg, 2004, p. 7). Students love learning through games, interesting graphics and fun sounds. They enjoy working together to solve problems. Blogs and wikis can be used both in and out of the classroom. “The collaborative environment that wikis facilitate can teach students much about how to work with others, how to create community, and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and information is more and more becoming a group effort” (Richardson, 2009, p. 69). Teachers need to find ways to incorporate technology and twenty-first century skills into their lessons. They are excellent tools students will need for success in their futures. “Today’s secondary and even elementary schools are filled with students… who are adept at multitasking and using technology in exciting new ways” (McHale, 2005, p. 1). We need to use technology in school to help pave the way.
The “sage on the stage” mentality has to go. Lecture is a waste of time for today’s students who can click and receive the same information in a matter of minutes. Students need time and experience identifying and solving problems on their own. They need to collaborate with others to find creative solutions to real world problems. “In student-centered learning, faculty must become facilitators and collaborators, and instruction must move from memorization to problem solving” (Keengwe, Onchwari & Wachira, 2008, p. 81). Giving students information is teacher-centered. This is definitely not a best practice in this exciting time of educational changes. Students must be challenged and involved in meaningful work in a learner-centered environment. This allows higher-level thinking and creativity in their work. “Unless you are changing how students are being taught and how they are learning and what they are learning, the technology itself isn’t going to do anything” (Laureate Education, 2008b). When teachers are lucky enough to have technology available to them. They need to make optimum use of it as an educational tool.
I am a lifelong learner. I really enjoy discovering new things. This course was a perfect example of trying something new and embracing it. I know, in my position as an Instructional Support Teacher of mathematics, that I must keep up with current research to know the newest best practices in the field. I also have a very positive outlook on technology being used to improve student achievement. “No matter how powerful the technology is, if the person who is using it doesn’t have the right mindset to use it effectively, then the only thing that changes is power consumption and electric bill of the school or institution” (Laureate Education, 2008a). I must practice what I have learned in this course. Practice is necessary in order for me to reach my comfort zone with technology and to discover all there is to learn with the new technology. “Just like anyone else trying to learn a new language, educators must practice the words, or in this case, the tools” (Richardson, 2009, p. 136). If I do not create another wiki, blog, or podcast soon I may lose the ability to know how to do it. I plan to incorporate a wiki into my school soon. This month I am going to share a professional article and post a discussion about it on a wiki. I plan to collaborate about best practices instructing ELL students, a topic from the last course that is very relevant to our school, as well as twenty-first century skills. I have a lot to share. Both of these topics should increase student achievement and motivation. Another thing I can do is model lessons integrating technology and twenty-first skills. The more teachers see these in action, the more likely they will be to learn to integrate them into lessons as well. Additionally, I will speak to others about using technology to increase student achievement. Teachers are a busy bunch and do not have time to research and plan another new thing. I will guide anyone who is interested through it and serve as a support person. Technology motivates and interests students. Also, it naturally differentiates lessons for students.
The first goal I would like to achieve is to slowly integrate technology into my lessons. “Every state has technology standards, but they go untested, which makes real change difficult to achieve” (Miners & Pascopella, 2007, p. 28). One of the obstacles with this is that I am a support teacher. I do not have a classroom or a core group of students I teach. So, although I am learning a lot, I am unable to put what I am learning into action the way my colleagues can. Many teachers fear technology and all that we may use it for. I have the opportunity, though, to instruct other teachers. So, I may have an effect on more students in the long run. “The single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language” (Prensky, 2001, p. 3). I do go into classrooms and model lessons. However, I am at the mercy of the teachers for them to inform me what I am teaching. For example, I found out late on Friday afternoon the lesson I am modeling on Monday in a third grade classroom. This does not give me very much time to research and plan with a busy weekend ahead. If it were my own classroom I could easily look ahead and plan technology integration, however that is not the case. I can be proactive and take home teacher manuals this summer to preplan integration of these skills. I can plan meaningful real world problems for students that will teach them math skills as well as motivate them.
“Teaching and learning in a twenty-first century context involves making content relevant to life outside of school” (Cramer, 2007, p. 129). Another goal I have is to gather a collection of real world problems I can use with students. “By teaching in a 21st century context, educators can create a balanced education that reflects both national concerns and local needs” (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org, p. 12). These lessons will teach skills and concepts from their curriculum as well as how to be valuable contributors in their societies. By using these real world problems students will apply math skills to authentic situations. This will demonstrate the importance of math in the real world and will motivate students to learn math well since they will need those skills in their futures. Students will be solving problems (learner centered) rather than being lectured to in school. They will use twenty-first century skills of collaboration and using technology to solve problems. The first obstacle will be to discuss this idea with my principal and the head of the math department. If, and only if, they are on board I will be able to move forward. Another obstacle for this goal is that I am not a classroom teacher. I must find a team of teachers to work with who are interested in planning with me and implementing this in their classroom. I believe the fourth grade teachers would be interested in trying this next year, but they are bogged down with a new reading program this year. I need to plan a few lessons, as examples, to show them what I mean. This may peak teacher interest and encourage buy-in by the teachers. “It is even possible that teachers do not have to work as hard to motivate traditionally failing students or to set much higher expectations for excelling students” (November, 2008, p. 81). I have found most teachers really stick closely to the math series to teach math. That is what they were instructed to do and the district has spent a lot of money purchasing the math materials. That doesn’t mean, though, that there is not a better way. “If we don’t stop and listen to the kids we serve, value their opinions, and make major changes on the basis of the valid suggestions they offer, we will be left in the 21st century with school buildings to administer – but with students who are physically or mentally somewhere else” (Prensky, 2005, p. 13). We must be proactive and change what is happening now to ensure successful futures for our students.
References:
Cramer, S. (2007). Update your classroom with learning objects and twenty-first century skills. Clearing House, 80(3), 126–132.
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77–92
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008a). The Emergence of Educational Technology. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008b). Evolution of Technology and Pedagogy. Baltimore: Author.
McHale, T. (2005). Portrait of a digital native. Technology & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/4572
Miners, Z. & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10)m 26-34.
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.
Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and education: Expectations, not options. (Executive Briefing No. 401). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/expectations.pdf
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