Tonight I joined other world language teachers in a Tweet Chat. The energy was so high. I made some great new connections, and I learned so much about what and how other world language teachers are currently teaching!
Why does school persist to focus on yesterday's needs? "We're facing a significant emergency, one that's not just economic but cultural as well. The time to act is right now, and the person to do it is you." I had an experience last week in my Action Research class that fueled my optimism for the future of our education. As I sat with four classmates and our Action Research mentor, I listened to their inspiring and innovative ideas. Interestingly, a common theme that I noted was that each AR proposal was about letting the teacher become the guide on the side, rather that the sage on the stage--a significant transformation of the role of the teacher. We were re-imagining education with forward-thinking, innovative ideas, but most importantly, we were re-imaginging classrooms that are compatible with relevant 21st century skills. One classmate talked about how he plans on observing what happens to student learning if he allows students to use any and all resources around them, all the time, including surrounding peers and the Internet and all of its unlimited resources. I listened as each classmate defined school as place where learners are connected to learners, not simply taught in isolation. As Godin puts it, the "new job of school . . . is not to hand a map to those willing to follow it, but to inculcate leadership and restlessness into a new generation. Our students are expert at consuming online content. They are well versed in all the latest apps, and they are very familiar with online tools and technology. What they need is to learn how to connect with and contribute to online communities that allow like-minded learners to share ideas, grow as professionals--learners connecting with learners. As teachers, our rising generation of digital natives needs us to be there for them to model good digital citizenship and help them develop 21st century literacy skills. They need teachers who can convert their skills of online content consumption into skills of online participation and contribution. They need teachers who can help them learn and unlearn. Or as Will Richardson puts it, they need teachers who can help them become "expert learners" equipped with 21st century tools. In Stop Stealing Dreams, Godin argues that our current system of education was built for an era in which the industrial revolution depended on obedient workers to realize mass-production. This system has been in place now for nearly 100 years. According to Godin, it is reflected in our obsession for standardized testing, straight rows of desks in our classrooms, and the obey-me-or-else attitude of an unfortunately large number of American teachers. This system, Godin argues, has turned our education into a factory. Whenever I run into people whom I have not seen for a long time, the conversation typically goes something like this: Friend: “What are you doing these days?” Me: “I’m a high school teacher.” Friend: --Awkward silence and then a forced “Good for you!” On one occasion, I ran into the same friend a couple of months later, and the conversation went something like: Friend: “Are you still teaching?” Me: “Yes.” Friend: --Awkward pause-- “I just always figured you would do something more meaningful with your life . . . like teaching is sort of beneath you, don’t you think?” It pains me to post these conversations for my fellow teachers to read. But something tells me that they have also had similar experiences and conversations. To be fair, these friends I run into are speaking from their own experience and background with traditional education based on standardized testing and traditional teaching methods--can I expect them to respond any differently when they themselves went through a system that likely sucked out any air of creativity in their own learning experience? I agree with Godin in that changing school does not involve “sharpening the pencil that we’ve already got.” In other words, school is not broken, it is working just as it was designed to work. The current educational system does not need to be improved, it needs to be changed all together. This is why I love surrounding myself with like-minded teachers at USD, at my current student-teaching placement, and online via my PLN (personal learning network). It is energizing to go onto Twitter and find so many explorative teachers who are so positive, who share so many amazing resources, and who are searching for and experimenting with forward-thinking and progressive ways that transform the educational experience in meaningful, productive ways. There has never been a more exciting time to be a teacher. The challenge before us is great. It is a challenge that requires creativity, innovation, and forward-thinking minds. We are truly at the cusp of something amazing. Teachers across the nation and even across the world are connecting, sharing, exploring, and searching for ways to change the system. For me, exploring ways to use technology in the classroom is invigorating. I get so excited about it. It is electrifying. Next time I run into a friend who asks me what I am doing these days, I am going to respond, “I am currently transforming the educational experience for students. What about you?” |
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