Blog Post # 2

What will teaching in the 21st century be like? 


Mr. Dancealot- The message conveyed by this video points out the absurdity of expecting students to learn practical application by writing notes about the subject instead of participating interactively with the material. The author makes the case by portraying students in a dance class sitting in a lecture hall looking at slides and book pages about dances. At the end of the semester when they are expected to perform the dance, the students instead have their noses in books and are confusedly asking each other what dance they are doing. I fully agree with the author's conclusion because in my  experience learning theory does not always adequately prepare you for the subject you are studying. For example, while I attended cosmetology school the first few months were spent in a classroom studying theory out of the textbook. The day we picked up a mannequin head and started trying to perform on it, we were anxious and completely inept. That can be applied to the field of education. As educators our job will be interactive. We will be trying our hardest to inspire and encourage students to become thinkers and life long learners. That can not be solely achieved by rattling off a power point lecture.

Teaching in the 21st century outline
 I. Teacher' role
     a. traditional functions such as teaching content, dates, facts, stories, formulas, theories, research ,information
      b. useful functions for today's society such as validating, leveraging, synthesizing, communicating, collaborating, and problem solving information

II. Information resources available to students
     a. google, twitter, blogs, facebook, cellphones, Wikipedia, You Tube, Ipods

III. Tech skills necessary to current times
       a. searching, paraphrasing, attributing, linking, reflecting, networking, bookmarking, experimenting, sharing, locating, commenting, tagging, editing, twittering, mashing

IV. How technology could benefit students
      a. data gathering tools such as cellphones, Twitter, Facebook, crowdsurfing, RSS feeds, online surverys
      b. the discussion of reliable sources using Wikipedia, Google, Delicious, podcasts, blogs
      c. evaluation/publishing with Nings, wikis, website creators, video, audio, graphics, programming
      d. collaboration using Skype, Chat, Google Wave, Google Docs, Twitter, Facebook
      e. struggling students could utilize Wordles, virtual manipulatives, Audacity, video lessons, dynamic graphic organizers
      f. e-portfolios to store and reflect on work
V. Engagement vs. entertainment
     a. engagement is active learning
     b. entertainment is passive enjoyment
VI. How to start
      a. research, try software, find sites
      b. start small
      c. collaborate
     d. take risks


Roberts feels that in the 21st century teachers are no longer the main source of knowledge, rather they are filters. I agree with Roberts' view except that teachers are not only filters, but organizers and inspirational leaders. After all, Google has features to narrow a search. It has already affected me as an educator. Before taking this class I had never blogged and never used Google Docs or Twitter. Tools Roberts mentioned such as Wordles, Nings, and Audacity have never been introduced to me either. I never knew there was so much out there that can help me become a better, more relevant teacher.

The Networked Student- This class sounds very similar to EDM310. Because I am so used to the traditional format, this new way of learning seems intimidating because it so hands on. Ultimately I feel that it will be much more beneficial than the old way of teaching/ learning for exactly those reasons. It forces the student to be active and involved with their learning as opposed to passively listening to a lecture trying to pull information that seems like test material. No matter how technologically helpful a class is, a student will always need a teacher. The teacher provides support and direction. The teacher will help the student with any concerns or technical problems that may arise in the class.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts-  Davis' thesis is that the traditional pen and paper style of learning is only conducive for certain types of students. She teaches interactively, where students are responsible for learning, and in turn teaching, new material. She focuses on teaching them how to learn, and customizes their education to their needs. I find her style fascinating. She assigns students topics and then helps them help themselves learn and teach the rest of the class, and in some cases Mrs. Davis herself learn something new. I would be interested in learning how to apply this to my field of study, history.

Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?- Undoubtedly elementary students.This video makes me feel like the way I grew up learning has become so antiquated. I am an undergraduate and have never used a MAC, and as I have previously stated am just beginning to blog. Maybe I could get some lessons from the third graders.

Flipping the Classroom- I have never heard of flipping the classroom until watching this video. I think it will be useful to me as a teacher because it prepares the student before class time with what they will be learning and since they will be watching the lesson before class, they can prepare questions they may have allowing a more in depth learning experience during class time. However, it does seem problematic that if a student does not have access to a computer at home they will have to watch the next day in or before class. It seems that may cause a bit of embarrassment or teasing.