Take a minute to check this out, it has some really great and inspiring videos. Some you have probably seen, but there are a good amount that may be new to you! What better way to get amped up about the school year than to look at some inspiring stuff!
This is a really awesome presentation that really reminds you how much things do change in education. Only 5 years ago I was finishing a degree of cutting edge education, and now, technology has become a huge part of the new cutting edge of education. Quite interesting how quickly things change!
I'm not sure what other states started a new information and technology skills curriculum ,but North Carolina transitioned into a new one at the beginning of the 2011-12 year. With this new curriculum comes a deeper responsibility to teachers. Because we are in the day and age of a constant information flow, technology teachers and media specialists can no longer teach all of their curriculum in a "specials" class because there just isn't enough time/resources.
In Glikman's blog post "Everything I Need To Know - About Education - I Learned In Kindergarten" he point s out that the seemingly "radical" and "revolutionary" changes that we have been calling for already exist, in the Kindergarten classroom. What we, as educators and citizens, have described as essential components for 21st century learning, already exists in classes daily. Gliksman identified 8 areas that are addressed within these classrooms: Play, Create, Socialize, Discover, Experience, Express, Move and Relate. I feel like Gliksman's identification and analysis sums up what I haven't been able to say, yet believe in. As we head into a full week of testing in grades 2-5, I hope someone takes a minute to look at this article.
This child prodigy is incredible! And once again, Ted features another amazing speaker. 11 year old Adora Svitak raises valid points about how we as adults should listen to and learn from kids. Definitely provides food for thought!
This week, and in coming weeks, we are celebrating careers at school. Initially I started talking to our guidance counselor about how we could collaborate to teach our students about careers. I made the mistake of assuming we would just be talking about 4 year colleges/universities. The guidance counselor made a quick and logical point: yes, we want all students to go to college but in reality (and because of the economy) this isn't going to happen. So, rather than forcing the issue, we are going to be talking about certifications, 2 year degrees, trade schools, and 4 year universities; basically anything that requires some type of training or education to perform a job.
Michael Ellsberg's article "Will Dropouts Save America?" further supports this thought. As it is, famous entrepreneurs Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg were all college dropouts. Given the staggering statistics of drop out rates and the rising costs in education, perhaps we should start opening up our minds and including more creative opportunities for our students while they're still in our hands.
I
watched an inspiring 20 minute lecture on TedTalks by Sugata Mitra. His
project, named Hole in the Wall, was driven by a main topic/question: Can kids
teach themselves? The results were astounding and the video footage was
excellent in driving the point home.
Watching this made me wonder, are we teaching kids to learn on their own
or are we doing it for them?
Now consider this scenario:
Every day students come into the computer lab and sit on the
carpet for an introduction or a lesson. I almost always write step by step
directions on the board next to my smartboard, so that the kids have something
to refer to later on in class. We go through the lesson and I model what the
kids will be doing, we do a practice activity together, and I ask if anyone has
questions. I even have students tell me what the step-by-step directions are.
Just when I think they can’t take my repetition any more, I send them off to do
the task. Almost every time, I have a student come up to me and ask what they
are supposed to be doing, as if they just showed up to class. Many students
will even readily admit that they were NOT LISTENING during class! At least
they’re honest!!
Once they get to work, more questions pop up, and I have
found that many students do not try to problem solve on their own. This makes
me wonder, how did this happen and what I am I doing to improve this situation?
When did our students become reluctant to try new things? And most worrisome of
all, does this reluctance spill over into other areas of their lives?
How do I effectively nurture and guide them without simply
doing the task for them?
Normally I catch myself watching stupid videos on YouTube: crazy kittens, little kids singing, and adults doing crazy things. I caught myself watching the “illustrated” version of Sir Ken Robinson’s “School Kills Creativity” talk on TED and sat for the whole thing. After watching it, it made me question how I can make a difference in a child's life. It also made me wonder how I am contributing to decreasing kids' capacity for creativity.
In education we have this push to bring schools into the 21st century, yet our foundation is rooted in a past that does not represent us. This video will definitely motivate you, and it will also help you think about your effectiveness as a teacher and what you are really here for.
