ETC BP3_2009101_Anti-Teaching

To say that education in our time is significantly different than in our parents’ time is an understatement. The more I attend training workshops and conduct research, the more clear I am about the direction we must go in regard to teaching students. As a whole, we are not there yet. In part, however, teachers are piecing things together to rethink the way we teach.

As it should, by now, the work I have done in my master’s degree program at Full Sail University over the past three months is starting to really come together in terms of how everything is connected. I have discovered so many key strategies and ideas in a relatively short period of time, and there is so much more to be learned. In order for me to become a true leader in my field, I must continue to search for more and push for integration of resources in my school.

The idea of using virtual learning environments with course management systems is inevitably going to be a tool of the future. While the “future” may be now, in some cases, we are still some time away from fully utilizing these tools as the norm. From the perspective of an elementary/middle school teacher, the idea of using PLEs has some merit, but still seems to be years away from implementation, especially at the elementary level. However, Web 2.0 tools are abundant and absolutely necessary in order for us to get to that point where PLEs are more realistic.

There is a question in the assignment description this week that asks, “Is technology itself enough?” To answer this, I think about the “Networked Student” video that was part of our assignment for this week. The end of the video refers to the role of the teacher in the future, and how the teacher will still be an integral part of the process. Technology cannot and will not replace the human element in education. On the other hand, there are technology tools available that can help students in ways that a person cannot, but the technology can only go so far without human intervention and assistance.

So what are the key components we need for our future schools? Of course we need to technology tools, but to use those tools correctly, we need well-trained and open-minded teachers that are not afraid of change. We need to apply the strategies identified through brain-based learning research and multiple intelligences research, especially in terms of varying instructional methods and planning lessons that allow students to absorb meaningful information. Perhaps most importantly, though, we need to teach our students social skills. Our schools need to integrate social skills into all lessons to encourage teamwork and to foster the creativity of classmates.

Michael Wesch’s “Anti-Teaching” article was interesting with his focus on “Significance.” His thoughts are right on about students not feeling that school has any importance in their lives. As teachers, we must recognize this and apply it immediately if we are going to change how students learn.