B.A. Social Studies
Nothing against interactive whiteboards here, but when was the last time that you used yours and its interactive capabilities? Also, nothing against my district or the hundreds of others that placed a focus on putting one in every classroom. Having this meant/means that you have the technology in place to help students to learn, right? The problem isn’t the technology resources. The problem is that our education system does not promote progressive ideology that allows us to find better ways to use it. It does not promote allowing teachers and students to find the best ways to use those resources, but simply says here’s a cool new tool, now use it in the same way that you used magnets on the refrigerator or on the magnetic chalkboard from the 1950’s. If we are honest with ourselves, most of us aren’t using all of this new technology in the most impactful ways are we? Now, think about the billions of dollars spent on putting this technology in the classroom… I know that this isn’t a question that can be tangibly measured here, but I would like to ask it. “How much ‘bang for the buck’ have we gotten out of all of this new technology?” I recently had the opportunity to hear keynotes from two education leaders (at the Greater Ozarks Cooperating School Districts Innovation Summit in Springfield, Missouri--#GOInnovate @GOCSDMO), George Couros (@GCouros) and Will Richardson (@WillRich45). The general message that I gathered and I hope that all else in that room took with them is that our current education system is not structured in a way that allows our learners to gain the skills necessary to be successful in the real-world. One topic among others that drew my attention was that across the board, schools are laden with the latest and greatest technology but are missing educators trained with and willing to learn how to use it to its full capability. I am fortunate enough to work in a district that has a 1:1 laptop to student ratio from grades 5-12. I’m also very proud of the fact that our district has been at the front of adopting this. It is what is best for our students. They need to have these tools in their hands in order to learn how to use them because that is the direction that the global society is moving. Our students will need to have the ability and skills to use computers, tablets, smartphones, and social media in order to get a job, turn it into a career, and be successful at it. Making connections is huge, and social media needs to become a part of our education culture. Remember the age old mantra, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Go back and take a look at the previous paragraph. What is the purpose for providing our students with this technology? Now here is the real question: Are we fulfilling our purpose and goals in regard to providing our learners with “21st Century Skills” (I hate that we are still using this term a decade and a half--16% of the way through it) that they need to be successful? I would argue that as a whole, we are not. Why? Let’s take a look at this from the perspective of each significant group of stakeholders within education. The Students:As the place that all things in education should begin, let’s discuss our students’ perspectives (from what I see in the classroom every day). Why haven’t students bought into using this technology? The real answer, they have. Now, using it productively and having the ability to do so is different from “using it.” Across the board, our students lack models for how to use technology and social media in a positive and productive manner. Shouldn’t one of our missions as educators be to allow them to learn this skill? I’m not talking about creating a course on “Digital Citizenship.” What I’m talking about is instead, using these tools in every course and allowing our students to become digital citizens. I really worked last year to connect my students to others, having them write “research blog posts,” and trying to find people to review them using my Personal Learning Network (PLN), I also brought in Greg Myre (@GregMyre1) via (failed video call) phone with my students as a resource for a PBL unit on current tensions in the Middle East. That was a start. One thing that I took from Couros and Richardson was that I can and should be taking this way further. I’ve started thinking about how I’m going to encourage regular use of social media, blogging, vlogging, writing, etc. in my classes for next year. This makes learning more relevant, more personal, and provides students with a voice. What better way to get students involved in using technology and learning how to take control of their own learning? If we are using technology, but still using methods from the 1950’s, how is that relevant to our students and to their future? The Educators (Teachers and Administration):So, I’m going to throw this out there. I recently did not get an instructional leadership position in my district that I would have loved to have and felt that I would have been a great fit for. I really do enjoy being a leader from within the classroom though, so why did I want this job? Because I wanted share the perspective with others how making a shift in mindset and learning and how incorporating technology with sound pedagogy can make our classrooms so much more successful and enjoyable for everybody involved. Now, was I the right personality for the job (this is where it gets tricky when you’re really evaluating whether you are actually the right fit)? I probably would have ruffled some feathers, which may be a reason that I didn't get it. I expect for all educators to take pride in being lifelong learners--that includes being open, willing, and adaptable in order to do what is best for our learners. Looking around at our district, and mine is probably the same as yours, we have many that do not have the mindset to meet the expectations that I have for them, both as teacher and parent, in becoming adaptable educators that are open and willing to change along with the pace of the rest of the world. In essence, I’m calling out all of my colleagues at every level of education, to focus on and embrace lifelong learning. From my experience, education is one of the few sectors where it is "OK" to be a part of the status quo and it is sometimes even frowned upon to make changes even when it is evidently necessary. Does the old way work? Maybe. Does the new way work? Maybe. What’s the difference in the outcome here? “Maybe.” There is no difference. So, why not try it? There is no right or wrong way to learn or teach, but we need to be working on our craft continuously. So now another “real question.” Why don't teachers embrace lifelong learning, and why won’t they make changes? FEAR. This is where I’m really going to go on my soapbox, so beware if you are going to continue reading. The atmosphere in education currently does not foster growth, innovation, change, adaptability, or choice. There is significant risk involved if you are going to try any of the items on that list. Why? Because teachers are the ones that get blamed. Blamed for accountability scores from high stakes tests. Blamed for a failing school system. Blamed for the United States standing in the global community on those high stakes tests. Teachers lose and get jobs based on their ability to get their students to perform on whatever measurable test that policy makers throw at them. I have been asked these questions during presentations on the implementation of Project Based Learning in my classroom. Each of them really drive my point home here, I think, and really show the ineptitude that our current system fosters:
I typically don’t receive questions other than that. Those who are really curious and are open to making changes are there to see how it looks, how it’s been implemented, to get ideas, and usually thank me on their way out the door. I understand these questions and why they’re being asked. Our jobs are at stake if something doesn’t work. I’m all for accountability, and it’s a topic for another day, but how we assess students, teachers, schools, and districts needs to be THE topic of discussion for our policy makers, which I will elaborate on later. The Parents:When I think about getting my students connected, I immediately wonder what the backlash could be. There is risk involved and a possible (though small if done correctly) negative outcome. The world isn’t all rainbows and sunshine and there is risk in getting our students connected. When I have discussed the 1:1 Initiative with parents in our district, there are a few (though not the majority) who look at the machine that the students have been provided as a negative thing because it has now exposed things to their child that they might not have been exposed to without it. Is it worth the risk? Even speaking with my college friends about what I do, and how school has changed, they are in awe typically. They realize that education is not the same as it was when we were there (I graduated high school in 2002). They realize that school is and should not be done the same way that it was then. That was before Facebook, text messaging, etc. When I explain it to them that way, it seems to click. Also, we are open to how much technology has changed our lives because we have lived it in our generation. We were raised without cell phones and with the original Apple Desktop Computers in our school wide computer lab playing Oregon Trail and have seen it transform to having more technological capability in our pockets than the vehicle that transported us to the moon. As a whole, I think that parents understand the purpose for implementing technology and progressive methods in the classroom, but may not fully embrace it. One of the issues is that there is risk involved in the lives of our children. My son is entering preschool next year. Do I want him to be in a classroom where the teachers are taking chances and messing with things? Of course I do! If I walk into a classroom where he is expected to sit in one place and complete worksheets all day, I will be ticked! I hope that parents become more in tune with this over time as well. There are many parents though that believe that if teachers are doing that, they are using their kid as a “Guinea Pig,” and don’t want their child to be a part of a failed experiment. I understand that sentiment for sure. I feel the same way. My perspective though is that if an experiment fails and my kid sees it, he should learn from it. As long as we are all learning in the process, there is no risk. There may be reteachable moments along the way, but across the board, what is the risk of having our children in classrooms that aren’t making the changes to keep up with the pace of the rest of the “real world?” It's up to the parents first, to understand the reasons that education is changing, then to demand that our children/learners, educators, and policy makers also do the same. The Policy Makers:Yes, I’m going to broach the topic of politics here. Risky move, I know. That being said, they are often neglected when it comes to a list of stakeholders. That being said, they are the stakeholders with the most power to allow our education system to make significant progress. I propose that together, we have open dialogue with our policy makers to share our qualms with the way that the system is set up, especially in the way that it is assessed. In the same way that educators should be adapting to the times, so should our entire system. No complete change can take place until those at the top realize that the answer is not more high-stakes testing to measure school performance or by labeling schools as failing, then taking away funding. Shouldn’t education work be more like the private sector? Who gets the dollars from consumers? It’s a simple economic concept. In order to continue to sell a product, businesses have to adapt. They have to improve their product, offer more choice, and innovate new ways of doing the same thing in order to earn consumer dollars and stay relevant. Why not promote that way of thinking in our education system? Promote innovation, adaptability, learning and support for educators and assess schools and educators based on the skills that are needed most in society for our students to be successful in the long term. I don’t necessarily have a plan or direction, but I’ll think about it, regarding how this assessment model would look, but doesn’t it make sense if we are going to adapt education to the times in the long-term? Finally, I’m calling for our politicians to be lifelong learners as well. I know that education isn’t the only topic that they have to deal with, but I would think and hope that it’s a top five issue for them to think about and address with their constituents. Wouldn’t it be nice if they dealt with classroom educators, immersed themselves in professional development conferences with them and actually interacted with those that are in the classroom on a daily basis? Ask the questions about what teachers really need in order to help our students succeed, and involve ALL stakeholders in the process, not just a select few on state school boards and in state education departments, who are politicians themselves (whether they believe it or not) that have not been in the classroom for decades or ever in most cases. Only then will real changes take place in our education system. The Challenge:I want to leave you with this to consider: Whether you are one or a combination of these stakeholders, how are you going to make sure that you are making the best use of the resources provided to us? It’s going to take a real change in mindset from all involved in order to make real progress in education. How do we open this dialogue in a realistic way and do what is best for our students and communities in the long-term?
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AuthorBrian Anton currently serves the Purdy R-II (Missouri) School District as the 7-12 Principal after working in the PK-12 Assistant Principal and Athletic Director roles for two years. In the 12 years prior to moving into administration, he served as an award-winning high school social studies teacher. Archives
September 2018
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