My last post asked you to share the 'technologies' you think our students should be taking with them after they graduate and why you think these technologies are important. My thoughts on this topic are based on how I see students using technology today outside of the classroom and are very different from what I would have said five years ago. This may come as a surprise, but, I think the most important technology tools students should take with them when they leave high school are those that have helped them become connected to others.
I lean towards the constructivist side of learning. By that, I mean, and very simply, that students build knowledge through their own experiences. Technology tools can play an important role for teachers and students in this regard. Social networks, in particular, allow students to connect and learn from one another’s experiences in order to construct their own understanding about a topic. Many of you are already using Web 2.0 tools as social networks such as blogs, wikis, online storage sites, Delicious bookmarks, Bubbl.us concept mapping, etc., in your classrooms. In fact, blogs and wikis are the two most common tools I see when I peruse teacher websites and these are a great start. I am so proud of you for taking a risk and exploring how these tools help students connect. You are already on your way to helping students learn to evaluate resources, organize information, and communicate with one another as well as with experts they may contact. These are some of the most important skills our students will use the rest of their lives.
Wendy Drexler, has created a short four minute video (I also have it below) that nails this idea of students being connected as learners. Given enough time, resources, and desire, this video paints a picture of what our classrooms could look like. Wendy says it best near the end of the video when she describes the teacher role as:
- Learning Architect
- Modeler
- Learning Concierge
- Connected Learning Incubator
- Network Sherpa
- Synthesizer
- Change Agent
Wendy has also made the transcript of this video available for you!
So, what do you think? Is this realistic for you? Please let me know if you would like to explore other tools such as RSS, RSS readers, Ning, Skype, podcasts, Twitter, wiki's, Zoho, Google groups, Wordle, VoiceThread,(or pick my brain to see what else is out there!), that will help you move towards building a classroom of networked students.
1 comment:
Here is an interesting comment about this topic that I received from a Diigo group I belong to.
We must also expand our ability to think critically about the deluge of information now being produced by millions of amateur authors without traditional editors and researchers as gatekeepers. In fact, we need to rely on trusted members of our personal networks to help sift through the sea of stuff, locating and sharing with us the most relevant, interesting, useful bits. And we have to work together to organize it all, as long-held taxonomies of knowledge give way to a highly personalized information environment.
Good reason for teaching dig citizenship - comment by Jeff Richardson
Also....
Collaboration in these times requires our students to be able to seek out and connect with learning partners, in the process perhaps navigating cultures, time zones, and technologies. It requires that they have a vetting process for those they come into contact with: Who is this person? What are her passions? What are her credentials? What can I learn from her?
Likewise, we must make sure that others can locate and vet us.
technical know-how is not enough.
We must also be adept at negotiating, planning, and nurturing the conversation with others we may know little about -- not to mention maintaining a healthy balance between our face-to-face and virtual lives (another dance for which kids sorely need coaching).
The Collaboration Age comes with challenges that often cause concern and fear. How do we manage our digital footprints, or our identities, in a world where we are a Google search away from both partners and predators? What are the ethics of co-creation when the nuances of copyright and intellectual property become grayer each day? When connecting and publishing are so easy, and so much of what we see is amateurish and inane, how do we ensure that what we create with others is of high quality?
Students are growing networks without us, writing Harry Potter narratives together at FanFiction.net, or trading skateboarding videos on YouTube. At school, we disconnect them not only from the technology but also from their passion and those who share it.
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