Sunday, August 31, 2014

Blog Post #2

words describing a teacher in the 21st centuryMr. Dancelot
The message found in the video Mr. Dancelot is that students are not able to learn from a teacher that does not allow them to practice the material they are supposed to be learning. The author tries to convince the viewer of this conclusion by showing a class that is only allowed to listen to a lecture instead of trying the process of learning to dance. The author furthers the conclusion by showing a class completely unable to physically dance for their final exam. I do agree with the author's conclusion. I know from my personal experience that I learn better if I am able to go through the steps one by one while learning something new. To me, learning is much more successful when someone is allowed to try it themselves.


What Does It Mean to Teach in the 21st Century
I. A Teacher's Role
A. Teachers can no longer provide only facts
B. Facts can be found anywhere
1. Can be found on places like Facebook, blogs, Twitter
C. Teachers now need to be a filter (Roberts, 2011)
II. What Skills Does a Student Need?
A. A student will need skills to answer everyday questions such as who to vote for or what is the best route home (Roberts, 2011)
B. A student will also need to know how to use technology skills for things like searching, posting, and locating (Roberts, 2011)
III. Teachers Need To Rethink the Classroom
A. Rethink the classroom by asking "how could you gather and discuss data?" (Roberts, 2011)
B. Rethink the classroom by asking "how could you talk about reliable sources?" (Roberts, 2011)
C. Rethink the classroom by asking "how could students be challenged to solve problems online?" (Roberts, 2011)
IV. How Does a Teacher Manage a Student Using Technology?
A. Make the content engaging instead of entertaining (Roberts, 2011)
B. Make the content relevant and challenging (Roberts, 2011)

I feel that Roberts is correct with his view of how the role of the teacher is changing. We will need to show our students the importance of technology and how to successful use it. I do however feel that while the technology itself is different, some of the ideas have not changed from when a teacher taught with paper and pencil. Whether or not the student is using the Internet or a book, they will still need to be taught how to find out if a source is reliable, how to not plagiarize, and the appropriate places to look for an answer.


The Networked Student
After watching this video, I found myself truly challenged on my idea of what a teacher should be.  It showed me that the role of the teacher is shifting from being someone who teaches the facts to someone who facilities the learning process allowing the student to find his own knowledge.   Even if the teacher does provide content knowledge, the format for doing so will be dramatically different such as the professor who provided podcasts of their lectures.


Harness Your Students Digital Smarts
In Vicki Davis video, she proposes that a teacher should not be the only one to teach. She believes that a classroom is successful when the students are allowed to learn and discover on their own as well as work together.  I agree with this idea.  Students who discover information and work together not only become more productive in the future, but they also become excited about learning and gain a sense of pride from being able to branch out and learn on their own.

Who's Ahead in the Learning Race?
After watching the video, the elementary students are by far ahead in the learning race.  I was amazed to see such young students being able to use such a diverse amount of technology.  Looking at my own experience, I know I am no where near as knowledgable about technology as they are.  My position in the race would be behind the elementary students.


Flipping the Classroom
Flipping the classroom is a new idea to me.  I can see the potential of using this technique in the classroom.  Instead of using time teaching the background of a subject, the students will come prepared to try their knowledge out and dig deeper into the topic they are learning.  I can also see how this method would also help students who need extra instruction in a topic.  Now instead of rushing through, a teacher could take time to address individual needs.

Bringing the Locker Room Into the Classroom
The idea I feel that could be used in my own classroom is allowing students to converse and collaborate with one another.  I can see how allowing them to discuss and follow their ideas and trains of thought would promote a more engaged environment with more learning taking place.  Again, it also seems that students that are allowed to participate and try their ideas out have a better chance of retaining the knowledge they are learning.



1 comment:

  1. Great post! Be sure to include a link for each of the videos and or websites you refer to.

    ReplyDelete