"A Shift in Thinking"
It was really great to hear and see what Douglas Bundy has been doing in his classroom in regards to technology. I was particularly inspired by Studentsource/(Under Revision). I loved the idea that it was created for students by students. It was an excellent example of technology integration that created mastery, autonomy, and purpose with motivation. I think this also ties in the the article The Medium is the Message: Educating Generation M, by Young Zhao. In his article he says that we need to accept media as part of children's lives, and that we should prepare them to not just become media consumers but producers as well. Studentsource is just that, and I fully agree with these statements.
However, Zhao also says the Common Core has missed the reality of today's children. In some aspects, yes because the Common Core does not mention technology that much. But I do not think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Whether it's print media or online media, students still need to learn how to do "close reading" and understand the fundamentals of basic research. In fact, I believe the reading and research skills the Common Core address are even more important when students are bombarded with different media forms and have to look for accuracy and validity of a source.
While I believe what Zhao says, I, at times, still have trouble shifting my own thinking. I am just as excited to watch teachers create technology based classrooms as I am watching kids curl up in a corner on a bean bag on Dr. Seus's Birthday reading a good, old fashioned, paper, book. Zhao says print medium is becoming increasingly irrelevant to our children. My last year's students showed me they needed both. They loved the times they were plugged in, but also loved to be unplugged, sitting outside with their books or magazines flipping through the pages. I only had one student ask if they could bring their kindle.
It seems to me we are in the middle of the transformation not quite ready to let go. After all Zhao's book is in print form for us "old-timers." Tonight, I will go home and spend time with my daughter most likely engaged in some app she loves on the iPad, and then we will curl up and read her favorite paperback book.
Thanks for your thoughts! Zhao is not a fan of massively standardized anything, but his point is really to give thoughtful and well-prepared teachers the keys to create learning environments that inspire and engage kids. We're definitely transitioning...yes, don't throw out the paperbacks!!
ReplyDeleteI think you capture the sentiment of almost everyone that I've talked to about this idea of transition to utilizing digital media more. There may always be a place for the traditional text. It is clear to me though that our world is ready to be connected, plugged in and thoughtful about how to guide little humans to use the power of the internet. I do believe the future of our democracy will need all of our citizens to be connected. Some troubling facts related to this discussion include the lack of Americans connected to the internet. I don't think most Americans know that a large percentage of our population do not have high speed internet. I'm not sure about everyone else, but what I do in a day, not entertainment, relies heavily on high-speed internet. How do our struggling citizens survive on a day to day basis without it? How do most families survive (thrive?) on one handheld device for the family. If we are going to have a truly informed populous that participates in a healthy democracy, we must connect them and allow them access to many of the amazing tools that I enjoy and utilize everyday.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a balance, isn't it? Between old and new. Between print and tech. Between virtual and real. Between information and exploration. Between learning standards and learning to live.
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