I think it is great to teach our children to think creatively, collaborate, lead, take initiative and to use the other tools in the 21st century box. It is still, however, just that, a box. If those are the only things we teach them, or the only way we encourage them to think about things, they will still not explore beyond that realm. To most adults, using rote memory seems painfully simple. That is how most of us were taught to think. Maybe a few people had the good fortune of having a variety of teachers who taught them a variety of skills, and ways to approach topics, but I don't think that is the case for most people.
You see when we polarize our thinking we end up in a place where X=bad and Y=good or vice versa. Either way, we are reluctant (or even refuse altogether) to try anything that does not fit neatly inside the box that we have constructed. You may say, "but when we teach children to think creatively they will explore all their options." In response, I would say, "No, they will explore the options we taught them to explore, and then maybe, if we are lucky, they will take another tiny step and extrapolate a variation of one of the ways they were taught to approach a problem." Teachers are just that, teachers. The children they teach often have very little in the way of experience. While some are naturally creative, and most are naturally curious those are skills that need to be practiced and honed, even when they come naturally.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Admin can also influence teacher prep prgms. Too many Ts tell us in interviews their idea of tech integration= PPTs & whitebds #edtechchat
— Lyn Hilt (@L_Hilt) April 23, 2013
It's great when teachers use PowerPoint to stay organized or excel to help with calculations. It's really cool to shoot a video of a lesson, or even create a guided Web quest where students go out and find answers to a worksheet using the internet, but it isn't really technology integration. These things are just remakes of old teaching tools. A PPT is easier than rewriting your notes on the chalkboard, over and over, and it can be better if you are using videos, and other multimedia elements, but unless the students in your classroom are interacting with your slideshow, then it isn't tech integration. Students should be engaged with technology, experimenting, failing, succeeding, and learning using technology.
That doesn't mean you should stop using PowerPoint, or that you should make quick videos of yourself reteaching a pivotal concept to post online. It just means that you can do more. Web quests and online quizzes are great tools. They are easy to grade, allow you to give your students quick feedback, and can be good learning experiences, but this sort of activity isn't the kind of 21st century tech integration that makes a difference in learning. It is just a new way to create the same ol' stuff.
Need some ideas? Try these sites:
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm
http://shoutlearning.org/
http://www.web20labs.com/
http://www.classroom20.com/
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