"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.