Sir Ken Robinson's Take on Education

Robinson's Lecture
British educator Ken Robinson's 2006 TED Talk brings to light the "real" goals of education: To produce more academicians and to feed our industrialist society. He poses a very bleak outlook on the public educational system in general, but mainly focuses on the idea that schools have killed creativity and self-expression in students.

He points out that educators are pressed with the task of educating tomorrow's leaders and preparing them for what lies ahead in the future, even though "we have absolutely no idea how the future will play out." His main premise is that education in its current form has completely erased students' motivation and creativity, despite the fact that the "children have an extraordinary capacity for creativity," and that "all children have tremendous talent, but we squander it" by immersing them in a system of competition and rigidity.

The public education system, he believes, has a strict hierarchy of subjects, placing math and science at the top, then languages, then social sciences, then humanities, and finally, the creative arts such as music, art, drama, and dance, are at the bottom. Any student who shows an interest in the arts but a lack of interest in other areas is deemed an unsuccessful student. The system places the most "useful" subjects at the top, and there is a continuous "protracted process of preparing students for university entrances," whether or not the degrees they earn serve any purpose. In such a system, "there is only one right answer" and "mistakes are the worst thing in the world." Students who fail to conform to this system see themselves as unworthy and may struggle with issues of self-worth for the rest of their lives. He contends, "Our educational system has mined students' minds the way we have strip-mined the earth."

Reflection
I agree with Robinson that our schools have become overly competitive, hierarchical institutions in which relatively few students will be considered "successful," and everyone else is just average or below, despite whatever talents they may possess. This is just a reflection of what society has always valued: The acumen to make money, get ahead, beat the competition, be leader of the pack, etc. This seems to be the way of the world--those who control the scarce resources and have "all the answers" will retain all the power. I doubt that this will ever change, but we can change our response to it. Students can be taught that, even if the world operates this way, they can retain a circle of influence within their own environment, and seek their own higher purpose, beyond the pursuit of wealth, status, and power if they so choose. To do this, we must continue to inform them of their options beyond just "getting into a top-notch university." It seems that getting high SAT test scores and collecting college acceptance letters has become a competitive sport, mainly for parents. If we place more emphasis on learning actual information rather than on test scores, students would feel less discouraged and more empowered to continue learning.

John Miller's Approach to Learning Using Minecraft and Blogs

Miller's Approach

John Miller, an innovative seventh grade history teacher, loves to motivate his students with technology. He sees technology as an essential part of instruction in today's classrooms to teach real-world skills, hold students' interest in academic content, and to encourage their creativity.

Miller believes that students have tuned out of education because teachers have lost sight of what makes students interested in learning. He sees technology as the solution, since most of his students are regular users of on-line content, whether as a learning resource, or for entertainment.

"We have to go where they are if we want them to learn," Miller said. "It's a bit of a challenge for us older folks, but the payoff is tremendous."

One of the ways he "brings 'em in" is through blogging. Now that the blogging platforms have become more user-friendly, he says it is easy for teachers and students to communicate back and forth, whether at school or from home. He suggests using Kidblogs or Edublogs  as great resources, both of which use the Wordpress platform.

Miller said he "loves blogging with students" and regularly uses it as an outlet for their work. He puts them through "blogging bootcamp" at the beginning of the year so that they will "learn the ropes" that will keep them engaged all year.

"Blogging changes the way you look at your students, and it changes the way students look at the world," Miller said.

Miller also is an avid user of Mine Craft. Not only is he a regular player, he's found a way to use it as a great resource to motivate his students about history.

"Minecraft gets kids into a virtual world where they build their own creative worlds, and demonstrate what they have learned," he said. Miller uses the site as a source for quest-based learning in which students apply their knowledge of the concepts they have learned to create historical worlds.

Miller said the benefits of using Minecraft in the classroom are many. It teaches students to "follow the parameters of the game, be creative to survive under difficult circumstances, and develop patience through challenges," he said.

Reflection on Miller's Approach

As a teacher, I am glad to know that there is yet another way to pique students' interest in learning difficult, and sometimes dry, content. As I continue to learn from educators such as Miller, I am becoming increasingly motivated to incorporate more technology into my classroom "bag of tricks." I can definitely see the benefits of encouraging students to blog--especially for those students who are very reluctant to share their ideas out loud during classroom discussions. However, I'm not much of a "gamer," and I don't think Mine Craft is something that I'd use as part of a lesson. I don't think I have the interest or patience to learn all the ins-and-outs of the program. However, I do admire Miller's enthusiasm to try new things in class, and I have real respect for someone who is so dedicated to motivating his students to learn content that they may have otherwise ignored.

Marzano's Non-Linguistic Representation Strategy on Powtoon

I learned how to use Powtoon! I created a presentation on Marzano's Instructional Strategy on Using Non-Linguistic Representations. It took me a long time to learn all the cool features on Powtoon, but now that I know how, I'll hopefully be using it for all kinds of fun classroom activities.

Click on the link to check out my Powtoon presentation and learn more about using non-linguistic representation strategies in the classroom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB_-xbw5e4w
This link goes to my video on my YouTube channel.

Kyle Brumbaugh Offers Ideas on Tech in the Classroom

Kyle Brumbaugh, who is the education technology coordinator at Presentation High School, makes a convincing case for moving toward increasing our use of a one-to-one approach. At his school, each student is provided with an Apple IOS, and they are able to experience nearly seamless integration of technology at his school site. It should be noted, however, that Presentation is a well-funded private school, so it has resources that one might not expect to find in a standard public school site. However, if money was not an object, his approach would undoubtedly be effective. His ideas for the use of technology lessons sounded like fun and exciting opportunities to adapt in all subject areas.

As a future teacher, I am intrigued by the SAMR model that he discussed. The acronym stands for substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition. It represents a process by which the use of technology in the classroom will slowly become a natural, standard practice. It will take many years before all teachers reach the "redefinition" stage, since not everyone agrees to what extent classrooms should utilize technology, and few resources exist. I like to believe that I will be able to function, as well as enjoy, a highly technology-integrated classroom. However, I have a feeling that it will take a great deal of change and paradigm-shifting at the institutional level, not just the classroom teacher level.

Eventually, in a perfect world, each state will make it mandatory to provide enough funds to schools for devices, training, on-going support and maintenance, etc. for schools to completely get on board with technology. It would be ideal to have a device for each student in the classroom. Most schools today do not have this option. Today, if a teacher wants to have students work on a "technology" project, she or he must reserve the computer lab for each one of their five or more class periods. Then, students must be prepared to work on the project quickly during the allotted time only, and return to class. The only alternative would be to have them work on it at home, but this opens up the opportunity for plagiarism, not to mention that not all students have access at home. Additionally, many, if not most, schools do not allow students to "bring their own devices" into the classroom, because they do not want to create regulations and enforcement for their use, and many students cannot afford them. For example, in most high schools, students' phones are confiscated and sent to the office if they are used for any reason during class. This certainly makes it challenging for teachers who try to "integrate technology" during class. The few teachers who are lucky enough to have a SMART Board in their classroom rarely use them, since the schools provide very little training. About a decade ago, Apple provided laptops to a few schools that were accepted for grants, but these machines are now outdated and do not support the latest and greatest content that would be useful, so these are mainly used for word-processing to type standards-based essays.

For most schools, the bring-your-own-device method seems like the only option, as long as schools are willing to provide devices to students who cannot afford them, and to provide the appropriate regulations and training for their use. I am looking forward to trying out different methods of using technology, and I am hopeful that schools will continue to seek solutions to these issues.

Diana Laufenberg Promotes Experiential Learning

As I watched teacher Diana Laufenberg's TED Talk about experiential learning, I wished she had been my teacher when I was in school. Her use of interactive, experiential learning opportunities is very motivating for students. My three main "take-aways" from this video are:

1. Experiential learning is the most engaging method to motivate and encourage students to apply knowledge and skills.
2. Students should be empowered to "use their own voice" to describe their learning, meaning that they should apply knowledge to their own lives and be moved to create change in the world.
3. Students should embrace their failures as opportunities to learn more authentically--we fail, we reflect, we try again, and we improve each time we have more experience to apply to new situations.

As she pointed out, when students are faced with high-stakes testing and an emphasis on competition and getting ahead, the desire to learn takes a back seat to merely collecting points to earn a grade, and just getting through the day. Students need to be able to experience learning, not just go through the motions.

I agree with Ms. Laufenberg's view that learning "should not just be about coming to school to get the learning," because learning can happen anywhere. A truly motivated learner who is hungry for knowledge will seek it at every opportunity. Unfortunately, our schools have demotivated students so that learning anything is an enormous chore, and students are judged harshly when they do not "get the right answer."

Ms. Laufenberg  describes that an authentic learning process allows students to fail, learn from the experience, and do better next time. This is also much more motivating for the instructor--the positive energy created when students are experiencing authentic learning experiences fuels the desire to go on to the next challenge.

Unfortunately, Ms. Laufenberg's willingness to allow students to make mistakes and learn from them is uncommon. Unfortunately, this type of teaching is rare in most of our overcrowded, underfunded public schools. Few teachers will take on such an initiative when faced with the massive obstacles that public school teachers face. This is not to say that it is impossible, but it is the rare educator who has as much energy to beat the system as she does.

Lisa Highfill Flips the Classroom

Lisa Highfill, who teaches fifth grade in Livermore, California, had an epiphany when she began learning more about integrating technology in the classroom. Technology expert Ramsey Musallam, Ed.D, guided Ms. Highfill toward the concept of the "flipped" classroom: Rather than having students follow the traditional model of explaining the concept first, then applying it, then assessing it, she found a way to make learning much more engaging. By "flipping," or reversing the order of the steps, she found that students were "hooked" into the lesson more readily when given the opportunity to explore a concept first before having the teacher explain it, then have them apply the concept, after which they explore again, using manipulatives and technology. Now Ms. Highfill is a renowned speaker on the "flipped" classroom, and has shared a great deal of insight on the subject through multiple forums.

According to Ms. Highfill during a recent TED Talk presentation, she employs the "flipped" technique in her classroom by having students explore and test their ideas first using a variety of materials and technology tools, rather than lecturing them on a concept. Then, for homework, students must watch a  video that she has created during which she explains the details of the concept. After watching the video, students write reflections or comments on a Google Form that they submit to her electronically. The next day, students discuss and explore the concept again. On the TED Talk video, she describes that she is able to monitor students' progress by checking their Google forms. She says she can tell who understood the concept, and who didn't, as well as who did not turn it in. Students who do not submit their Google Forms must watch the videos and write their reflections during class. These are often students who do not have access to technology tools at home, so she ensures that they learn how to use the tools at school.

 Ms. Highfill uses a wide variety of technology tools in her classroom to teach everything from quadratic equations to literary analysis. She finds that students are much more motivated to participate, complete assignments, and interact with peers by using the "flipped" model. She views her students as a collaborative team who help each other reach their learning goals. Students work at their own pace, and each student contributes their unique experience to the classroom. She refers to her students each year as the "Highfill Crew," and tells them, "Once a member of the Highfill Crew, always a member of the Highfill Crew!" She believes they will learn important technological skills and an appreciation for how these tools can enhance their learning that will last a lifetime.

I am inspired by Ms. Highfill's passion for teaching. She constantly seeks new, creative methods for engaging her students. Her boundless energy to learn new methods of utilizing technology is admirable. She clearly enjoys exploring technological tools and discovering new ways to motivate her students.

As an English teacher, I will definitely explore some of the tools she has suggested, and I hope to use the "flipped" classroom model, or variations of it. However, as much as I would like to, I don't have quite as much passion for using electronic devices as Ms. Highfill does. It will be a challenge for me to integrate technology to such a great extent. I find it tedious to be attached to a device for very long, and I need frequent breaks for fresh air and exercise. I find that many of my students feel the same way, so I often take them outside to write poetry or descriptive narratives. We even have our literature circle groups meet outside frequently. I offer students the option of using a computer-based program for projects and presentations, but many students would rather do "live" performances of their work. They write their own scripts, make props, and engage their audience with their "acting" skills. Some students are excellent artists, and they enjoy creating original paintings or drawings to hand-illustrate their stories or reports, as opposed to creating them on a computer, even when they are capable of creating work electronically.

Therefore, while it is important that students learn how to use technology as an important part of their learning, they should also have the opportunity to explore all facets of their personalities and skills, such as fine arts, exploring nature, developing strong social and emotional relationships, etc. In my opinion, more technology in the classroom is part of the solution in creating a more engaging learning environment. I try to remind myself: "Don't be boring!" If the lesson is relevant, interesting, and engaging from the beginning, technology will enhance it, right along with a variety of other opportunities to learn in many ways.

Reflection on Joe Wood's Presentation

Joe Wood, a teacher and technology guru at Natomas Charter School, provided some great advice for teachers who are trying to build their repertoire of technology skills in the classroom. He offered many suggestions that could be useful for a variety of applications.

He described the technology standards that are part of Common Core as being an important part of a new approach to education. Students must become technology-literate to face the challenges of a more competitive job market, and they must begin to develop these skills at a very young age. Also, by using more technology in the classroom, Mr. Wood believes that schoolwork will become much more engaging.

Mr. Wood described several tools that could be useful for all content areas. I liked his ideas for using the Google Earth site to produce "digital stories" to trace the paths of historical figures, as well as that of the students' own ancestors. Another interesting prospect was the Game Star Mechanic site, which helps students create their own video games. In one example he described, students wrote problem-solution essays on which they based their video games.

While I embrace the idea of using all of these fun ways of engaging students in the classroom, I am still concerned about the amount of "screen time" students may be getting--especially for very young students. If students are using technology devices all day at school, and then go home to use them for homework and entertainment, I wonder if this is healthy. Even as I adopt more and more technology into my daily life, I long for more fresh air and exercise. I hope that students will still know how to play outside and use their imaginations without being attached to anything requiring a battery.

Reflection on Us versus Them: The Theory That Students Are Digital Natives and Teachers Are Digital Immigrants

If you read most current treatises on education these days, it seems as though the sky is falling simply because teachers have not learned how to “integrate technology” enough. Proponents of this idea describe that students are disengaged, curriculum is outdated, and teachers are underprepared to face the challenges of teaching the techno-savvy student body that schools now serve. 

For example, in Marc Prensky’s article, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,” he describes a fairly bleak picture that today’s students are from a completely different world than their predecessors, and that most teachers are completely incapable of teaching them. He believes that students are “digital natives” while their elder teachers are “digital immigrants.” His theory is based on the idea that nearly anyone under the age of eighteen has been born and bred with a device in their hand, that their brains function differently than ours, and that they cannot learn successfully in traditionally-run schools.

I only partially agree with Prensky’s assertions. While it is true that this is the first generation of student’s to have grown up completely surrounded by technology, I don’t think there is enough evidence to show that “our students’ brains have physically changed and are different from ours.” While their thinking patterns may have changed, this is true of each successive generation. I’m quite sure that even someone my age does not think in exactly the same way as my parents’ or grandparents’ generation, mainly due to changing societal norms.

It is also true that today’s students are used to “receiving information really fast,” and “thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards,” and “prefer games to “serious” work.” However, I do not believe that these preferences mean that students are not capable in learning in multiple ways, and I also do not believe that students lack the patience and focus to do well in school simply because they are “used to” certain kinds of gratification.

I do not believe that students’ lack of success in school has anything to do with teachers’ inability to deliver “instant gratification” or are too slow to deliver information. Quite the contrary.

Has Mr. Prensky seen most of America’s schools? The larger problem has more to do with social class, family resources, and emotional support. If you look at the students who are achieving the highest test scores and getting into the best colleges, it is the students who have the most access to computer technology at home, because their families can afford it, their parents are highly educated, and going to college is a requirement for them. They also attend more affluent neighborhood schools. The students who are not as high achieving tend to be English Language Learners with very few “built-in” resources, lack a strong system of support at home, and are not emotionally resilient. Most of them attend very poorly resourced schools.

Blaming lack of student success on teachers’ lack of technological prowess may be expedient, but it does not address the real, deep-seated realities that educators must face every day. While increasing the use of technology in classrooms might help to make school seem more “exciting,” it will not solve all the budgetary, staffing, and facility problems that schools today must face. Most educational decisions today are made by politicians, and teachers have very little control over most of these decisions.

The teachers I know would love to use the latest, greatest technological gadgets in the classroom, but their first priority would be to have chairs that aren’t broken, windows that don’t leak, a heating system that works, and voting taxpayers who care about the future of education.

If there are teachers who are resistant to change and are not doing a good job, then yes, by all means they should be retrained. All teachers should care deeply about the success of their students, and they should be willing to achieve it “by any means necessary.”

However, most students with whom I have discussed this topic tell me that “it’s not the lack of technology—it’s just that teachers don’t seem to care.” Many of teachers who started teaching with the best of intentions  are just not nice people to be around anymore—after years of dealing with overcrowded, underfunded schools and a society that is experiencing deep moral decay, they are burned out. We are going to burn them out further by suddenly slapping on all kinds of new requirements, from Common Core to technology.

I also disagree with Prensky’s idea that “today’s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students.” I think teachers should continue to be who they are. We will not help matters by adopting a style that mimics that of the students. Most students I know can’t stand the inauthenticity of adults who try to speak and act like them, and this also takes away from the fun of being a teenager if all the adults start to emulate them. I know that I never would have had as much respect for my teachers or professors if they did not carry themselves in a wise, articulate manner. I want to learn from them, not “hang out” with them.

 In Mary Beth Hertz’s piece entitled, “Digital Native vs Digital Citizen—Examining a Dangerous Stereotype,” I found more common ground. She espouses the idea that students should not necessarily be described as “digital natives,” but that “digital citizen” would be a more appropriate way to describe them.  Ms. Hertz explains that, “Rather than stereotyping our students as "digital natives," we should be calling them "digital citizens." She describes the complexity that being a “digital citizen” entails.

We should not simply assume that just because students have access to technology does not mean that they know how to use it responsibly. Students need direct instruction on the social and moral implications of how to be a good digital citizen. She cites her fifth grade students as an example: While they can easily learn how to find a resource on the Web within minutes, they must be taught about the importance of copyright laws.

While we “can place a tablet in the hands of children who have never seen a package label or a sign, and they will learn on their own,” but it is not guaranteed that they will be ready to navigate etiquette and intellectual property rights on their own.” By buying into the idea of students being “digital natives” we are assuming that they will be able to learn everything there is to know easily, simply because they were born into it. But, like any native speaker of any language, this cannot assume that they will never make a grammatical mistake, to extend the metaphor. They must be taught how to appropriately use their knowledge responsibly and for the good of others, not for the detriment of others. As we have seen through the prevalence of “cyberbullying,” simply having access to technology does not mean the technology will be used for the proper purposes.

Although older teachers may not be as quick to send a text message, do a Google search, or set up a Skype session, most of them still know a thing or two about ethics and fairness. These cannot be learned simply by just logging on to a device.