Technology sometimes involves taking “that step” into the unknown and hoping that your educational goals are met. I am reminded of the Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) movie where Indiana takes a faithful step over a deep ravine, only to find that the invisible path is there for him to continue the quest. Integrating technology in the classroom is sometimes a similar “blind step.”
Tomorrow we have our World Culture classes in the computer lab to explore the Virtual Forbidden City. The students in the class just finished their China unit and I suggested using the virtual world to enhance the student learning. I set up the lesson, worksheet, and necessary downloads. I am optimistic about the results the students will experience. When I approached the World Cultures teacher, she said “Well, I’m glad you are positive about it.” She was not worried about the activity, but nervous about the results and the behavior results of her students. We do not know how the students will act. We do not know how they will react to the learning environment. We do know we have an excellent lesson. I acted as the support system towards what I believe will be a valuable experience to the students. It’s a mental challenge because it is revolutionary learning approach and we are inviting teachers and administrators without even knowing the results!
Maybe my position is to be that support structure- to assure the teachers that, technologically, everything “should” work according to plan. We know the lesson is student-centered and the learning opportunities are powerful. The teacher has excellent intentions, but just does not know what to expect. It’s like the “first day of school” jitters all over again!
As a first year CFF Coach, I have been bombarded with trainings and meetings. As an educator, I have also experienced countless professional development sessions in a mere five years of being a teacher! Yesterday, while sitting in yet another meeting, I realized that too often we are not creating meaningful professional development for educators. I get frustrated sitting in meetings wishing I was back at school where I could get work done. I also dislike the feeling that I just wasted an entire day and gained very little “professional development.” Are we doing the same thing to ourselves that maybe some of our students experience?
As educators we work on building a curriculum that includes both depth and breadth. We create a curriculum that challenges every kind of student, from lower achieving to high achieving. We create meaningful lessons that relate to the student and help show them how our content relates to real life experiences. Why are we not doing the same for our professional faculty? If we do not challenge the intelligent minds of the professional community, what good was the day? I have not experienced many sessions where I felt intellectually challenged. I want to be challenged!
The educational community is an intelligent group and I feel that professional development plans fall short on engagement and rigor. What happened to rigor? Just because we have degrees in our field does not mean we lose rigor in future learning. If we do not hold high standards for our educators, how can we expect the professional educator community to hold similarly high standards for our students? It is time to challenge the professionals! I encourage each of you to set high standards not only for yourself, but also for others. Seek to challenge the minds around you. You may be impressed with the result!
The shift in effective educational practice is that of creating a student-centered classroom. For those of you who teach middle school, (and many times the lower high school grades) you know how the behavior of the children is self-centered. “What’s in it for me?” “Why do I need to do this?” The unavoidable questions are due the nature of the adolescent- where they view the spotlight is always on them and they must perform! The very actions each day cause many an educator to shake his/her head in disbelief, but this is the moment where we can seize that nature and create educational purposes.
Technology allows the educator to set parameters and then let the self-proclaimed drama queens loose. We can create web-quests and searches. The students feel a sense of control with the technology. They may all come to the same answer, but the process was their own. The students are the ones doing the work, so they are the ones doing the learning. Think of the process as a 21st Century Socratic Questioning.
Socrates would be pleased with all of us. We can use technology to first present big idea questions and then guide the students through their research-based conclusions. Searches, podcasts, collaboration and online communications allow us as educators to sit back and let discovery happen for each student. Sure, it is incredible work to set up, but when the learning occurs (remember the student is working) we are sitting back and reaping the benefits of their learning. It’s okay fellow educators, let the students take the credit sometimes. We all know who started the questions!
