Joe C. and I were talking this afternoon about technology in the classroom and the concepts being introduced in the 21st Century class. It dawned on me that teaching a 21st century learner is not so much about the teacher being able to use the technology in presenting the content (through Powerpoints and such), but rather that students are being encouraged and allowed to utilize the technology themselves in discovering and mastering the content.
In essence, our job continues to be preparing the students for the world in which they will work and live. The content and core skills we teach remain as the foundation of that work, and they can be taught in a traditional classroom manner.... Or in a way that promotes not just mastery of the information, but also a mastery of technology as well.
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Steve,
ReplyDeleteIt is funny because I also felt that our conversation was a break through in terms of understanding our role as educators. It also puts the course in perspective. That said, at times it feels overwhelming to always use technology within the content areas. There are times when using a "tool" makes sense, and other times a pencil and paper make sense. Where are we teaching interpersonal skills?
Thank you for sharing this insight with the class. It is on target.
ReplyDeleteDennis
I also think that both points you guys are making get right to the heart of the issues:
ReplyDelete(1) The goal is more for STUDENTS to do amazing new, authentic, interactive things that technology can facilitate, than for TEACHERS to use technology to present content,
but at the same time,
(2) When the technology DOESN'T allow something new and wonderful (or at least useful) that SURPASSES what regular old tools can offer, we might as well use the regular old tools for that particular lesson and let students get some practice with face-to-face interaction!