The best thing about the conference was meeting such wonderful people! Yes, I do love technology, but I always come away from conferences like this one thinking about the interactions I had with other educators. I attended three sessions where I enjoyed sharing and learning with other teachers that were in the room, but most of all, I was excited to be able to present my "Technological Tsunami" ideas to a group of discerning and interested colleagues. It was wonderful to watch the thoughtful expressions on their faces as they journeyed with me through the future paths beginning to appear on the landscape of educational technology. One of the participants, a personal friend and an inspiring teacher, reminded me how important our role as human beings would continue to be as we learn to adapt to technology that isn't always reliable. I have always believed that education is more about people than anything else, and I now realize that it will still take skilled people like us to guide, support and encourage young learners as they wade through the waves of technological floods that are rising daily around them. They still need teachers to sit beside them and act as their global tour guides in a world that is fast becoming a virtual ride into the unfamiliar, unpredictable future. I salute the thousands of educators who continue to strive for what's best for their students in a world that has often left teachers behind. We may not have the money, the respect or the power, but we do have the ability to shape the future - everyone's future!
Twenty-first century education won’t be defined by any new technology. It won’t be defined by 1:1 laptop programs or tech-intensive projects. Twenty-first century education will, however, be defined by a fundamental shift in what we are teaching—a shift towards learner-centered education and creating creative thinkers. Today’s world is no longer content with students who can simply apply the knowledge they learned in school: our generation will be asked to think and operate in ways that traditional education has not, and can not, prepare us for.
Education has long tried to produce students who can think (and at times, think critically) and it has, for the most part, succeeded. As we move into a world where outsourcing, automation, and the ability to produce a product, physical or intellectual, at the cheapest cost, become the cornerstones of our rapidly evolving global economy, the ability to think critically is no longer enough. The need to know the capital of Florida died when my phone learned the answer. Rather, the students of tomorrow need to be able to think creatively: they will need to learn on their own, adapt to new challenges and innovate on-the-fly. As the realm of intellectual accessibility expands at amazing rates (due to greater global collaboration and access to information), students of tomorrow will need to be their own guides as they explore the body of information that is at their fingertips. My generation will be required to learn information quickly, use that information to solve new and novel problems, and then present those solutions in creative and effective ways. The effective students of tomorrow’s world will be independent learners, strong problem solvers and effective designers.
If we accept the above to be true, I would argue that there are two types of education that will prepare students for the world of tomorrow: experiential learning and project-based learning.
Experiential learning can be best seen in extracurriculars and in some schools, senior projects. These experiences give students the opportunity to face first-hand the challenges that arise when applying the theoretical knowledge provided by traditional classroom learning to real-world challenges. Light designing for MICDS Theatre has taught me how to take my technical knowledge of lighting and apply it to a creative and artistic end. As issues arise, I must problem-solve within the constraints provided by my technical knowledge and my creative vision—I must think creatively.
Project-based learning is the in-class complement of experiential learning. The concept behind project-based learning is simple: give students the basic tools, then ask them to go above and beyond on their own projects, exploring the information in their own way, and on their own terms. The effect can be awe-inspiring. Our students are diving deeper into subject matter than ever before, and doing so on their own terms in ways that they enjoy. Whether it is through producing a movie on burlesque dance or deriving Kepler’s laws using calculus, students are not only learning, but they are learning how to learn.
Traditional-rote learning has its place too, as a jumping-off point for our intellectual endeavors. We are, however, crippling our students if we don’t give them the tools necessary to be life-long learners.
And how about joining the voices of teachers who realize their own worth? Have you seen Mr. Mali's great rendition of his poem "What do teachers really make?" It's brilliant and inspiring, watch it.
When I graduated from University, I remember making a vow that I would always teach in independent or private schools. I kept that vow until a few years ago when I was selected by the Visiting International Faculty to participate in their cultural exchange program here in the USA. It has always been an honor to participate as an ambassador for my country in a program where only about 7% of applicants are chosen. It has also resulted in professional and personal growth that I had never imagined possible. That said, I am sitting at a recruitment fair in Atlanta having had several interviews with some of the finest private schools in the United States. To say the least, it has reminded how wonderful these institutions of educational progress have always been, and always will continue to be in our rapidly changing world. I am not saying that public schools are not able to be exemplary institutions of learning, but I am pointing out that alternative schools appear to evolve more adequately when it comes to meeting the demands of the dynamic society we see around us every day.
Check out my first attempt - it is alive with all kinds of interesting widgets that include podcasts, videos, links, photos, math questions, mind maps and other fantastic goodies. You've got to try it! Watch this space for exciting news about what the students have created over the next few weeks.
designed this great document about the instructional strategies:
Here's a video about using technology in conjunction with the book and the strategies.
SURFING THE TECHNOLOGICAL TSUNAMI by Steve Williams 12-12-2007
Like it or not, technology is bursting through the doors of every classroom. Some teachers are flooded with wired tools while others are eagerly awaiting the arrival of modern magical devices.
Whether you're drowning, sinking or swimming, it's time to start surfing the wave of technology that is coming. The future is going to be very different for us teachers. We will be expected to use technology in ways that require adaptability, creativity and innovation.
I first presented this digital collage of technological awakenings at the Visiting International Faculty Conference in Atlanta on January 25th, 2008. It had a greater impact than I had expected. Many of the teachers that attended told me afterwards that they had no idea that this was such a significant issue. I made the assumption that most of them knew what a blog was, or a wiki, a podcast or RSS feed. Some of them were not familiar with interactive whiteboards, or were desperate to learn about using one. This blog is a response to that event and an attempt to share what I find in order to help educators think about how they can get started or keep up to date with what we will be facing in the classroom of the future.
I look forward to many responses, comments and ideas being shared on this blog and I am excited about reaching the minds of millions of teachers who can feel the ground shaking with the coming of a great change in the way we learn and teach on this planet.
I will be presenting an upgraded version of the presentation at the Forsyth County Digital Schoolhouse event on March 1st, 2008. Watch future posts for some more information and a copy of the presentation for you to download.
You can also download my award-winning Promethean flipchart on the Promethean website here. You'll need to register, but don't worry, it's free! if you don't have ActivStudio software, download the viewer here.
