Wallwasher
The tool I’ve selected for collaboration within the faculty is wallwasher. This is an internet application that allows people to express their thoughts on a common topic. Within a school, it can be used to pass along information that normally gets taped up or stapled to bulletin boards in the faculty lounge. Staff members usually post information on the door or walls of the lounge regarding birthdays, births, gatherings, and many other special occasions. Wallwasher can be a more effective way of relaying this information without actually having to go into the faculty lounge. This web tool gives faculty the opportunity to discuss topics, give feedback and provide input on all things that go on within a school. Wallwasher is free of charge and staff members do not need an account to post on the wall.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thinking about Educating for the Future
As I contemplate the possibilities of how education may evolve in the future, I think about the challenge that lies ahead for educators. We will be responsible for equipping students with 21st century skills. The emphasis will be based on critical thinking and problem solving designed to address global issues. As Ron Brandt points out 21st Century Skills: Rethinking how Students Learn, “no generation can escape the responsibility of deciding what students should learn by analyzing what adults are called upon to do.” By answering this question, we can begin to create a framework for building schools that develop those skills necessary to meet future societal demands. I will take a look into what characteristics or themes will play a critical role in preparing our children for success in the future globalized society.
It’s impossible to look ahead and not think about technology. The technological revolution has transformed American industry leading to new types of work processes and business organizations. School curriculum must keep up with the rapidly changing times. Technology can be used to create knowledge as well as personal and social change. Schools will have to provide full access to technology. Classrooms should be equipped with active boards and mobile computer labs to create lessons that are interactive, collaborative, and fun. Social media websites will be integrated into classrooms to extend the communication and learning process beyond the school day. The use of hand-held mobile devices makes it possible to study and communicate from different locations. Technology is and will continue enable new teaching methods. There will be a movement towards virtual schools that connect administrators, teachers, students, and parents through the internet. Coursework through virtual schools provides personalized tutoring software that helps students master the material at their own pace. This networking will also allow students to team up with each other, including teachers and other professionals in other areas, to work together on projects.
Another approach evolving with the emergence of technology and that will more closely resemble real-world work is project-based learning. This theme focuses on letting students learn in areas that interest them rather than teaching every student the same information. Our education system today focuses heavily on language arts and math. This is a result of the importance placed on standardized tests and NCLB. Although I will agree that the ability to read has a direct impact on a students’ learning in all content areas, this way of teaching doesn’t exactly develop the “whole” child. Creating a whole child involves other content areas including those that interest children. The resources that will be available to children to satisfy these interests are considerable and are developing rapidly as Internet-based content grows. Project-based learning requires inquiry to learn and create something new. It also requires and develops critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication.
This brings me to the belief that learning is a social process it will become more so in the future. Collaboration and teamwork will be an essential part of the education. In most schools today, students are developed and brought up on an individually competitive basis. This mentality creates a challenge when students are then asked to work together on a project. This will need to change as education transforms in order to prepare our children for what they will be asked to do as adults. Real-world work and real-world problems involve groups of professionals working together to inquire, analyze and evaluate problems, as well as construct and create solutions.
So what will schools look like? How will the 21st century curriculum be organized, and how will it impact the way we design and build schools? I can only speculate as to what 21st century education holds for our students. I believe that school building must become learning centers that connect teachers, students, and community. Teachers’ primary roles must revolve around facilitating, not information giving. The classroom should become a center of inquiry. Schools will need to maintain the students’ interest by helping them see how learning prepares them for life in the real world. Educators will have to instill curiosity, which is fundamental to lifelong learning. Schools must allow teachers to be flexible in what they teach while holding them accountable. Finally, we create an environment that excites learners to become more resourceful so they will continue to learn beyond the school day.
It’s impossible to look ahead and not think about technology. The technological revolution has transformed American industry leading to new types of work processes and business organizations. School curriculum must keep up with the rapidly changing times. Technology can be used to create knowledge as well as personal and social change. Schools will have to provide full access to technology. Classrooms should be equipped with active boards and mobile computer labs to create lessons that are interactive, collaborative, and fun. Social media websites will be integrated into classrooms to extend the communication and learning process beyond the school day. The use of hand-held mobile devices makes it possible to study and communicate from different locations. Technology is and will continue enable new teaching methods. There will be a movement towards virtual schools that connect administrators, teachers, students, and parents through the internet. Coursework through virtual schools provides personalized tutoring software that helps students master the material at their own pace. This networking will also allow students to team up with each other, including teachers and other professionals in other areas, to work together on projects.
Another approach evolving with the emergence of technology and that will more closely resemble real-world work is project-based learning. This theme focuses on letting students learn in areas that interest them rather than teaching every student the same information. Our education system today focuses heavily on language arts and math. This is a result of the importance placed on standardized tests and NCLB. Although I will agree that the ability to read has a direct impact on a students’ learning in all content areas, this way of teaching doesn’t exactly develop the “whole” child. Creating a whole child involves other content areas including those that interest children. The resources that will be available to children to satisfy these interests are considerable and are developing rapidly as Internet-based content grows. Project-based learning requires inquiry to learn and create something new. It also requires and develops critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication.
This brings me to the belief that learning is a social process it will become more so in the future. Collaboration and teamwork will be an essential part of the education. In most schools today, students are developed and brought up on an individually competitive basis. This mentality creates a challenge when students are then asked to work together on a project. This will need to change as education transforms in order to prepare our children for what they will be asked to do as adults. Real-world work and real-world problems involve groups of professionals working together to inquire, analyze and evaluate problems, as well as construct and create solutions.
So what will schools look like? How will the 21st century curriculum be organized, and how will it impact the way we design and build schools? I can only speculate as to what 21st century education holds for our students. I believe that school building must become learning centers that connect teachers, students, and community. Teachers’ primary roles must revolve around facilitating, not information giving. The classroom should become a center of inquiry. Schools will need to maintain the students’ interest by helping them see how learning prepares them for life in the real world. Educators will have to instill curiosity, which is fundamental to lifelong learning. Schools must allow teachers to be flexible in what they teach while holding them accountable. Finally, we create an environment that excites learners to become more resourceful so they will continue to learn beyond the school day.
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