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So far this semester after all the things I have read, watched, and learned, I feel 20 years young again. I feel like a college student learning concepts that are at times mind blowing and inspirational. I have been teaching for almost 20 years and I recently I go into a rut. I remember when I first started teaching I had these great ideas on how to teach and was inspired to create innovative lesson plans. However, as time passed by and the different federal teaching philosophies changed over the years, my motivation and inspiration of creating unique and innovative lessons diminished. But after this semester, my spark of creating inspiring lessons has been renewed. I have started recreating new lesson plans implementing more technology within the classroom and promoting more Socratic methods and autonomy within the assignments. I am looking forward to more research and class discussions this upcoming semester on the topics of CBL and how to get more of my students of the level of being civil leaders.
Both CBL and "flipping" classroom techniques have a lot of positive ways to rethink the classroom and both support the ideas of Dan Pink's research. Both techniques support the idea of right-brained creative, conceptual kinds of abilities. This way allows the student to get more of the "Ah-Ha" moments by themselves, with of course some directions still from the teacher. This type of methodology allows students to be more creative and innovative, and using more Socratic Method. This is the type of method I try to instill within my own classroom, giving more of my students the autonomy to discover and learn on their own. I believe this gives them more chances to explore and expand their abilities without strict rules or restrictions from society. In my class, I try to teach them this method of deeper, curious, always asking questions type of thinking to prepare them for after high school.
I like using these types of methods, such as CBL, within my Government and Economic classes because it reinforces what I want my students to learn before the graduate into the real world. These type of techniques improves student academic outcomes through complexity of understanding, problem analysis, critical thinking, and cognitive development, which is needed especially after graduation. These techniques can also reduce stereotypes and facilitates cultural and racial understanding, which is needed more in our society today. After watching the C-Content Speakers, I felt very refreshed and motivated in teaching in the 21st century. All four speakers had a common theme, a paradigm shift in education, going away from the "old skool" thought and practices and into a "new skool" of thought. Where once this "new skool" of thought was banned or deemed too radical, is now the main thread of thought that can lead the United States educational system into the 21st century and beyond. For example, Daniel Pink describes in his presentation of more autonomy within the classroom to enhance creativity and critical thinking in our students to prepare them for the future. Just like what Sir Ken Robinson said, "We have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we’re educating our children."
So far, the C-Content Speakers all relate and support everything we have been reading, researching, and discussing in class about education today and where it needs to go. In the book, The Flat World, first gave us a glimpse of our current education status with a positive feeling of what it could be. Now after watching these videos, these highly educated speakers gives me even more hope that our education can change for the better and better prepare our students for the rigger of the future. As for applying Mobley's 6 insights to help my students think creatively, it inspired me to be young again. I remember when I was a young teacher I had all these great ideas, great lesson plans, and great projects. However, over the years I moved away from those ideas due to the many pressures in the classroom to try to bring up test scores. Pressures such as No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top concepts. However, due to this class, it rejuvenated my creative brain to start creating projects that showcases student creativity, student movement around the classroom, and more student autonomy. By doing this, students learn more from this creativity compared to the "old skool" way of learning from the book and constant standardized tests. I believe that to solve 21st century problems, we must solve them by using 21st century methods. To have our students be successful in the future, we as teachers must teach them for the future! In education we can not go back to the past, but just like Dr. Emmett Brown once said, we must go "BACK TO THE FUTURE!" As Darling-Hammond said for us as a nation to move into the 21st century we need the "equalizing access to critical educational resources, including a steady supply of well-prepared and well-supported teachers to all communities and a system in which ALL school models in the system support serous teaching and learning." (2013) If we do not adhere to this idea, our students will be left behind.
One key element Darling-Hammond to achieve this goal is having meaningful learning goals. This is a very important element that all schools must have. Meaningful learning goals is like having a game plan in sports or having objectives within a classroom, and without it there is just chaos. Yet it would seem our political leaders do not understand this basic concept and are constantly changing student's learning expectations with every new buzz word such as No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, or even Common Core. How can we compete or prepare our students for the 21st century if our leaders are constantly changing the expectations of learning? The simple answer is that we don't. Another key element that goes hand-and-hand with having meaningful learning goals are schools organized for student and teacher learning. This element would create 21st century schools that would "integrate new technologies for learning and create personalized structures for supporting students" (Darling-Hammond, 2013) If teachers were properly supported by their school sites and their administration, and if school sites were properly supported by their District Office, this would create a "supportive environment" that would increase student achievement. If this would happen, teachers could become more creative, more innovative, and think more outside of the box in the classroom to get our students more prepared for the 21st century and all its demands. However, instead we have local, state, and federal level leaders who promote otherwise. It would seem we have leaders who make policy for education based on their pocket book rather than what is best for our students. Teachers all across the country do not feel supported in what they do, but yet teachers still work hard for their students. "We are not 'JUST' teachers, we are managers of the world's greatest resource: CHILDREN!" (Robert John Meehan, 2015) If teachers get the support that they need in the classroom, then teaching our students on how to be successful in the 21st century can become more feasible and Darling-Hammond's idea can come to fruition. When I first read the article about the summary of Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) made me wish that I was around as a teacher when the first started this program. It is incredible, even back then, that we had this idea of integrating technology into the classroom and leading the next generation into the 21st century. I don't know if ACOT still exists today, but I do there are other forms of teacher education on technology in the classroom such as Google Apps for Education (GAFE) which I have attended multiple times over the years and always feel inspired to bring new technology into my classroom.
After reading about ACOT and TPACK my feeling of excitement turned a bit into stress because I realized, even though I use technology almost everyday in my classroom, I am no where near where I should be in integrating technology in my lessons. Comparing what I do to the SAMR model of technology in education I would be mostly in the "enhancement" area where I need to strive to be more in the "transformation" area of technology in the classroom. What I can do in my classroom/school to engender 21st century teaching and learning is to strive to reach the higher levels of the SAMR model and create more lesson plans that promote the 4 C's of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Just like in my case study where I watched students fully engaged with their assignment while having a lot of fun doing it. Students in this case study I found were learning and reaching their goals / objectives while having fun using technology. It is like that quote from Heath Ledger where he says "I only do this because I'm having fun. The day I stop having fun, I'll just walk away." Those students in the case study didn't realize how much they are learning because they are having so much fun completing their assignments while using technology. I think that is what a lot of teachers tend to forget when they teach, make it fun for the students and they will comprehend more and work harder. I really enjoyed watching Ken Robinson talks about Changing Education Paradigms and actually watched it before awhile back. I enjoyed it so much I immediately shared it on my Facebook page so I can start a mini discussion on this topic. As a teacher for almost 17 years, I agree when Sir Ken Robinson said that "the current system (of education) was designed and conceived for a different age." I see it everyday in my class and at my school site. Just like in the book "The Flat World", that type of educational idea of may have worked back then, but with today's technology and in today's world that is not enough to keep up with the "Jones". There must be a paradigm shift if we want to serve our students to become competitive in today's world, against other students who are receiving a better education that are preparing them for the 21st century.
I also agree with Ken Robinson when he states that our "schools are organized on factory lines" and we still educate our student in "batches", which limits our students reaching their full potential and having "divergent thinking". Once again, in the book "The Flat World", other countries are putting more emphasis on education and creating divergent thinking within their students that American students are being left far behind. Another example of this divergent thinking is in my previous blog reviewing the video, An Introduction to Technology Integration, where students do not follow the "traditional" learning style but are allowed to freely express their ideas through today's technology. That is a game changer! Within my classroom I try to use more of this type of paradigm, allowing students to freely express themselves and their ideas through the use of technology. With the use of technology, it has been easier to create and share ideas and to have more Socratic discussions. This paradigm shift presented by Ken Robinson and so many others must be utilized if we want our students to lead in the 21st century and not follow in its footsteps. Web title: An Introduction to Technology Integration
Web link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d59eG1_Tt-Q Applemeter: 100% 1. What is the purpose of the lesson - is it an intro to new material, review, extending learning, etc? The purpose of the lesson was to introduce and allow students to create podcast, movies, songs, etc. to help them express their ideas. 2. Ask yourself: How do you know the students are learning? Watching the video I know students are learning by how engaged they are while they are doing the assignment. The students looks happy and excited while they are creating their movies, songs, or podcast. There was also a scene where the teacher was lecturing and many students had their hands up trying to participate because they are having so much fun with the lesson. 3. Ask yourself: What is the teacher doing? I.E. What elements of the lesson (pedagogy, modeling, questioning techniques, etc) did you observe? The teacher throughout the video is giving her students directions on the assignment but allowing her students to explore and experiment on how to accomplish it on their own term. The teacher is allowing her students to express their ideas using technology without being overbearing and authoritarian. The teacher allows the students to "take ownership of their learning" when doing their assignment. As it said in the video Technology in the Classroom: Digital Media, "The use of technology in the classroom will result in a more productive learning environment." (http://bit.ly/2Cs3Fho) 4. Was there anything different about them from “traditional” learning? Everything was different about this class compared to "traditional" learning. Students were working more in groups, students were more engaged, students were more expressive, students were more critically thinking, and students were having more fun within the classroom. 5. Could you potentially use this lesson? I would love to use this type of lesson within my own classroom as long as I have the proper technology, applications, or even programs for my entire class. I don't want to only have this great lesson only for a few students, that would create a "FLAT WORLD" and may cause inequality in their education. |
EDUC 701: The Dynamics of the Equitable ClassroomArchives |