This week we read The Future of Thinking; Learning Institutions in a Digital Age by Cathy N. Davidson and David Theo Goldberg.  This book had me hooked right from the beginning.  In the opening scenario the authors tell about an instructor who grows frustrated by his students.  The students seemed to be paying more attention to their devices than to him as he reads from a book in the front of the class.  He complains to colleagues and receives two very different responses.

• The first colleague agreed that students are indeed to distracted by laptops and feels this behavior to be outrageous.
• The second colleague wondered why an instructor in the front of the room is reading out of a book.

Right away I was intrigued yet also reflective.  Is that me?  Am I the teacher who stands in the front of the room dispensing information while my students sit quietly in their seats?  The answer is no, I am not.  Well, most of the time.

Responding to Emerging Technologies

Over the past few decades the ways in which we learn has changed dramatically.  From the sources we use to acquire new knowledge to the exchanging and sharing of ideas, for example blogs, wikis and Web 2.o tools.  There are so many ways to learn and connect.  It is clear that the authors believe that with all emerging technologies that have shaped learning over the years, formal institutions are slow to keep up and implement change.  When I was an undergraduate earning my education degree, I did not take any courses that specifically related to the field of technology and instruction.  If those courses existed then I do not know however, instructional technology was not a requirement to earn my teaching degree.  Now as a teacher I use technology in my classroom every day.  The majority of technology i use for classroom instruction I had to learn on my own.  Over the past few years and in addition to the new technology I have taught myself, I also find myself learning new things from my students.  The authors share this same idea.  “This reversal of who is teaching whom, who is learning from whom, and the constantly shifting hierarchies of expertise and the ability to appreciate those shifts when they happen and to value them are central to digital learning.” (Davidson, C., Goldberg, D., et. al. 2010) It is so important to be open to learning from our students.  Show them what you know about a Web 2.0 tool and they might come in the very next day and show you all the new things about it that you didn’t know!

Pay Attention Educators!

As a public school teacher there are certain constraints that are put on me; such as state testing, district assessments, and policies.  Working within these constraints to create learning opportunities that are collaborative, authentic, creative, and innovative is my job as an educator.  I think that the biggest way to do this is to embed Web 2.0 and tech into the classroom.   Recently, I had a conversation with a teacher from Hazelton, PA about how she implemented blended learning into her kindergarten classroom.  She told me that teaching, using the blended model, involves a great deal of work up front but that it is well worth the effort.  Her district has developed an initiative for K-2 teachers to implement blended lessons for both ELA and math.  She found it best to teach ELA blended on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and  math on Tuesday and Thursday.  As part of the blended learning model of teaching her students use Web 2.0 tools daily. She credits a lot of the success she has had this past year to her team members.  They work together to support each other, share ideas, and collaborate.  One of the principles of digital learning is peer to peer sharing. This can happen by meeting as teams within a building or reaching out to your PLN for help with a project or an idea that you want to do but aren’t quite sure how to get started.  When I began teaching I remember teachers being more hesitant to share with others, it was the sense of I created that, I want credit for creating that. As education has shifted throughout the years so has how we view our work.  We have now built networks where we openly share ideas with each other not for the credit we receive but for the benefit of the kids.  “The fluidity and creativity of technological sharing in order to facilitate shared learning can be breathtaking.” (Davidson, C., Goldberg, D., et. al. 2010)

https://blog.blackboard.com/5-tips-for-embracing-blended-learning-in-elementary-classrooms/

As educators we must recognize the need to shift our teaching practice to one that meets the needs of today’s students.  We cannot continue to teach as we did for yesterday’s learners.  That is our challenge!  On Thursday I was privileged to listen to a keynote speaker,  Sara Heintzelman,  the K-12 Instructional Technology Specialist for Centennial School of Lehigh University speak at the KTI Summit.  Her message to the audience was clear. Connect!  Connect with other educators.  Connect with groups and memberships.  If  we want our students to work collaboratively and become an innovative team member then we must first connect ourselves.  We also need to teach our students that a challenge is just an opportunity, that a really tough math problem you just can’t seem to solve is your opportunity to connect.  To connect with someone who can help you solve it and then teach you how to solve it.  Passion projects, Genius Hour and PBL are all ways to engage students in authentic learning that excites and invigorates them.