I am a science teacher, and I teach evolution and change every year to my biology students. I believe the classroom is not exempt from the same evolution and change that I teach my students about, because we learn that humans have evolved and are still evolving. We learn that evolution really just means change. If we are changing, then it only follows that education should change with us. If all of this is true, change is inevitable and we must be ready to explore alternative ways to doing things. "Traditional approaches to learning are no longer capable of coping with a constantly changing world. They have yet to find a balance between the structure that educational institutions provide and the freedom afforded by the new media’s almost unlimited resources, without losing a sense of purpose and direction" (Thomas & Brown, 2011). Learning is less about rote memorization and more about making meaning out of what we are learning in relation to the world. In this day and age I do not think we can live in a world that just asks "what," or in other words students are just learning facts. Everyone needs to make connections and understand how things are related. We need to fit our knowledge into our own niche of the world. That is where we can accomplish so much. We attach meaning, and this meaning is transferable to life outside of the classroom walls. (McCarthy, 2015). Put another way, "In the new information economy, expertise is less about having a stockpile of information or facts at one’s disposal and increasingly about knowing how to find and evaluate information on a given topic" (Thomas & Brown, 2011). Technology is a huge component that cannot be ignored. Information is at our fingertips, and with the ease of access, students no longer need to have things memorized, but rather they need to know how to find the answers they are looking for. We need to be teachers who show our students how to use technology to take their learning to the next level.
Artifact 1-Twitter
In my teaching practice, I learn so many new techniques from Twitter. Here I can connect with other educators across the globe that otherwise I many never have had contact with. With Twitter I mostly follow people in education or educational companies. I also follow peers in my classes. This allows my feed to be almost 100% populated by educational resources or ideas. With this I can easily favorite ideas and find them later. It is such a quick and easy resource that allows me to stay current in technology.
Within my classroom, I take most of my teaching practices from the connectivism, constructivism, and constructionism learning theories. Students need to make sense of meaning on their own and we have to let them. According to Fullan (2001), if we only invest in those who are like us "they become more like-minded and more unlike the rest of the organization while missing valuable new clues about the future.” Even though Fullan is talking about companies I believe the same is true of students. We have to let students think for themselves and to find their own voice, rather than the voice we want them to have. We, as teachers, are leaders in the classroom. Leaders need to show by example what we expect of those around us. "Leaders matter less for the ideas that they possess and more for their ability to connect ideas (sometimes controversial) and people across their organizations. By attending to our human need to create, connect, and play, leaders assure that great ideas can evolve from young seedlings into robust, self-supporting ecosystems" (Saibel, 2016). It takes so much more skill as a teacher to facilitate student learning and to help them find their voice than it does to lecture. Too many take the easy road, but that will not help our society advance to the next level. Project based learning and design thinking are 2 types of classroom instruction that will help teachers move away from being the “sage on the stage” and will help teachers to enter partnerships with students as they learn.
Artifact 2-Google Classroom
I believe that without change we would not learn from our mistakes. When we are little we learn that touching something hot hurts, so usually we do not repeat this action. This is an adaptation that helps us to survive. In teaching we are learning how to better help our students. We, as teachers, know that not all students are the same. In the past all students were taught the same with the idea that knowledge would transfer from the teacher to the students. We have learned that this is not the case. Student learn by making their own meaning, and teachers need to be facilitators to help students progress in their learning. I use Google Classroom to help me facilitate learning, rather than trying to be the "sage on the stage." This allows me to effectively send digital resources to students. They log-in and everything is right there for them. If they need to turn in something they can do it here to. This helps me, as the teacher, keep track of all student work and I can even attach a grade and feedback through Google Classroom.
With all of the technology available teachers have to try to pick the best resources. Resources are constantly being changed and new ones are being added. With all of this I realize change is inevitable, and we must constantly try to better our teaching to reach new generations of students.
Artifact 1-Twitter
In my teaching practice, I learn so many new techniques from Twitter. Here I can connect with other educators across the globe that otherwise I many never have had contact with. With Twitter I mostly follow people in education or educational companies. I also follow peers in my classes. This allows my feed to be almost 100% populated by educational resources or ideas. With this I can easily favorite ideas and find them later. It is such a quick and easy resource that allows me to stay current in technology.
Within my classroom, I take most of my teaching practices from the connectivism, constructivism, and constructionism learning theories. Students need to make sense of meaning on their own and we have to let them. According to Fullan (2001), if we only invest in those who are like us "they become more like-minded and more unlike the rest of the organization while missing valuable new clues about the future.” Even though Fullan is talking about companies I believe the same is true of students. We have to let students think for themselves and to find their own voice, rather than the voice we want them to have. We, as teachers, are leaders in the classroom. Leaders need to show by example what we expect of those around us. "Leaders matter less for the ideas that they possess and more for their ability to connect ideas (sometimes controversial) and people across their organizations. By attending to our human need to create, connect, and play, leaders assure that great ideas can evolve from young seedlings into robust, self-supporting ecosystems" (Saibel, 2016). It takes so much more skill as a teacher to facilitate student learning and to help them find their voice than it does to lecture. Too many take the easy road, but that will not help our society advance to the next level. Project based learning and design thinking are 2 types of classroom instruction that will help teachers move away from being the “sage on the stage” and will help teachers to enter partnerships with students as they learn.
Artifact 2-Google Classroom
I believe that without change we would not learn from our mistakes. When we are little we learn that touching something hot hurts, so usually we do not repeat this action. This is an adaptation that helps us to survive. In teaching we are learning how to better help our students. We, as teachers, know that not all students are the same. In the past all students were taught the same with the idea that knowledge would transfer from the teacher to the students. We have learned that this is not the case. Student learn by making their own meaning, and teachers need to be facilitators to help students progress in their learning. I use Google Classroom to help me facilitate learning, rather than trying to be the "sage on the stage." This allows me to effectively send digital resources to students. They log-in and everything is right there for them. If they need to turn in something they can do it here to. This helps me, as the teacher, keep track of all student work and I can even attach a grade and feedback through Google Classroom.
With all of the technology available teachers have to try to pick the best resources. Resources are constantly being changed and new ones are being added. With all of this I realize change is inevitable, and we must constantly try to better our teaching to reach new generations of students.
References
Fullan, M. (2001). Chapter Four. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. In Leading in a culture of change. (pp. 51-76) Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED467449.pdf
McCarthy, J. (2015, September 09). Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-centered-learning-starts-with-teacher-john-mccarthy
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change [Kindle].
Saibel, E. (2016, January 29). Cultivating a New Leadership Archetype. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-a-new-leadership-archetype-eric-saibel
Fullan, M. (2001). Chapter Four. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. In Leading in a culture of change. (pp. 51-76) Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED467449.pdf
McCarthy, J. (2015, September 09). Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-centered-learning-starts-with-teacher-john-mccarthy
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change [Kindle].
Saibel, E. (2016, January 29). Cultivating a New Leadership Archetype. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-a-new-leadership-archetype-eric-saibel