21st Century Learning

It is amazing to see how innovative education has become!  To think learning can take place at all hours of the night from any place in the world is absolutely fantastic.  It amazes me to think how technological advanced the world of education has become.  However, this does not dismiss the value that can be gained from sitting in a classroom and learning face to face. 

Face to face learning environments can be beneficial to students who are still maturing and learning how to be responsible.  I say this because working with 10 year olds face to face teaching is necessary.  As I reflect on my own experiences in college, I would have still struggled not being in the classroom with my professor.  I believe a lot of these feelings stemmed from my lack of confidence and insecurities I felt without the guidance of a professor being there to show and teach me what I needed.  A face to face environment can be useful especially for students who need immediate assistance with a concept. It also makes developing a classroom community and relationship with the students easier. In a face to face environment to teach new literacies in my content area is important.  While I do not believe this should solely be relied on, it is the most effective classroom interaction for 10 year olds.  However, I do believe that with face to face teaching an integration of web 2.0 and 3 D virtual worlds is important.  At 10 years old, my students are still in need of direct instruction which makes face to face teaching necessary.  However, content that is taught can be reinforced with the use of the virtual world.  For instance, my students use the internet to blog about trade books that they read, interact with content taught in the classroom at an inquiry level through webquests, and create voki avitars to depict their learning.  Integration of all learning types is important.  I have found that using the internet allows for students who do not actively seek opportunities to share in the classroom open up online.  I noted in an earlier blog that when I incorporated student blogging with a novel project, students who claimed to hate writing were producing quality reflections.  It must be noted that the internet was not the prescription needed to ‘cure’ these students; however, it was the catalyst that encouraged them to see their own possibilities.  Moreover, the integration of the internet in the face to face setting encourages students to learn in a much less linear fashion.  Additionally, students begin to learn how to develop a perspective when communicating and learning online. In video on “Participatory learning vs. de-schooling, d-skilling, and de-valuing,” I was blown away with the presenter’s passion for implementing more media outlets into the classroom. Working in the elementary setting, free use of the internet is such a touchy subject.  His passion for opening the internet gateway in the classroom makes sense, even Eric Sheninger would now agree is important and appropriate

 Teaching students how to handle inappropriate information and pop ups is important when learning in the 21^st century. I feel so torn on this debate. It is clear how valuable the Internet is for students in the classroom, but how do we ensure that students are utilizing it as an educational tool and not a means to discover inappropriate information?  Is there a happy medium? At what age should students’ firewalls be lifted? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to teach students about what to do when stumbling across inappropriate information? Based on the article “How our school adopted school media, one small step at a time” it seems that many of the changes that need to occur in the classroom will require small steps.  Like, Eric I believe that social networking is a valuable resource to be used in the classroom.  I have stated in previous blogs the interest my students display when writing is integrated with blogging.  Not only did I see greater results in student interest, the quality of the writing was much improved.  I think that integrating social networking into the classroom can encourage students who feel they can’t share their thoughts or feelings due to anxiety gives them an opportunity to shine.  Also, there is no pressure of other students waiting for you to answer.  So, students can take their time in responding to information to ensure accuracy in their understanding.  One change that Scheninger mentioned that struck me was making himself more transparent and sharing the ‘happenings’ with others. Making himself more transparent has shed a positive light on how technology can shape the students experiences in the classroom.  

 While I do not believe that either teaching strategy outweighs the other, it is important to note that for my level of students face to face interaction is pivotal in their developmental growth.  This does not go without saying the need for 21^st century teaching integration through web 2.0 tools and 3D virtual worlds.   The book notes that “text learning opportunities in multimodal environments are interactive, enhance communication, engage students in multimedia, create opportunities for inquiry…and support socially mediated learning” (Vacca, Vacca & Mraz, 2011).  These skills will be essential for students as they advance in higher education.  

Side Note: I'm about to start a book (required by Wake County) in regards to 21st Century Skills.  I'm interested to learn how the content from this class and the knowledge being shared by the author's will coincide!