"The learning in a
classroom is only as strong as the network it occurs in" (Clarence Fisher, 2013).
In a quick skype meeting today we were able to hear from Clarence Fisher, a teacher from Snow Lake who currently teaches in a school with a student population of only 145. And that's K-12! Just like his small town of 1000 is changing (due to a big industrial development) Clarence explained that Education is changing, too. What I liked about this discussion was that Clarence incorporated real world changes into his own classroom, and encourages it for other teachers too.
As he discussed earlier, we are supposed to be adjusting to this new-world concept of advancing technology, but yet we ban kids from many of the resources available? Our job as teachers is to educate students and prepare them for the real world, but it is incredibly hard to do so if we are not allowed to expose them to different types of technology. What we should be doing is teaching them how to make connections, take what they are learning in the classroom, and apply it in different areas with different types of technology. For example- the Iphone. While it could be considered an interruption, it could also be a great resource with all of the available apps that come with it. He also discussed laptops and the issue of having personal lap tops (and other learning devices) banned from the classroom. A great point he made was-- Would we turn away a $500 donation from a parent? Of course not, then why do we turn away available resources that students could provide for themselves? Finally, Clarence also discussed the importance of being a passionate teacher who has the ability to engage students.Yes, education has high standards, but find a way to meet these standards using passion-based learning in your classroom!
As he discussed earlier, we are supposed to be adjusting to this new-world concept of advancing technology, but yet we ban kids from many of the resources available? Our job as teachers is to educate students and prepare them for the real world, but it is incredibly hard to do so if we are not allowed to expose them to different types of technology. What we should be doing is teaching them how to make connections, take what they are learning in the classroom, and apply it in different areas with different types of technology. For example- the Iphone. While it could be considered an interruption, it could also be a great resource with all of the available apps that come with it. He also discussed laptops and the issue of having personal lap tops (and other learning devices) banned from the classroom. A great point he made was-- Would we turn away a $500 donation from a parent? Of course not, then why do we turn away available resources that students could provide for themselves? Finally, Clarence also discussed the importance of being a passionate teacher who has the ability to engage students.Yes, education has high standards, but find a way to meet these standards using passion-based learning in your classroom!
I think that even with so much information available teachers are still needed. Clarence mentioned helping kids decipher truth from fiction online and that's where we come in. We are no longer information banks, but skill builders. Our students need us to show them how to think critically, make connections and be responsible.
ReplyDeleteI think preparing them for the real world is very important. We are in charge of teaching more than just content these days, such as etiquette and responsibility, which includes those with technology. Let the kids use their smart phones in the class, and teach them to use the devices responsibly! Great post!
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