Blog Post #2

What Will Teaching be like in the 21st Century?

Photo source: rebloggy.com

     I believe that the central message of the video is that if your lessons and your testing is not exciting or at least thought provoking, then most of your students will not care enough to pay attention. None of the students look interested in Mr. Dancealot video. Also noting that he never allows the student to practice it before the test. They are being thrown into a final grade that was set up to fail from the beginning. I think the author has a good point that when everything in your class is not set correctly, you can be failing from the start.

     I feel that Roberts thinks teaching is all about helping and applying. Which I do agree with. He sees teaching in the 21st century more like validating and mentoring rather than the only source that the information comes from. This is a very interesting take on teaching. For the longest time I wouldn't have referred to my twitter/facebook/skype accounts as useful tools but rather as distracting toys. The older I get the more I realize how much Roberts is right. These things are tools. Tools that children are learning how to use, at a much faster rate than we are ready for. I believe he wants teachers to know that teaching now, is more like filtering than teaching before. With so many super fast answers, teachers can only help along the way while students master technology.

     As far as the video: The Networked Student, is concerned, I love it. I think that this perfectly ties into the second video and actually answers the question what it means to be a teacher in the 21st century. This video shows how teachers really do so much more than just sit in a classroom. It shows that by being thoroughly involved in the technology world, they can help students learn how to effectively apply technology skills to their school and works.

     In the Davis video, I really enjoyed her way of teaching. Its very different and very collaborative. I think that the message she is trying to get across is that students are better students when they have to also be a teacher. When students are put to the test of coming up with their own ideas, and brainstorming together, they can achieve even more, and I think thats what all of this is about. I think that she wants students to become better, more active students by engaging them in everything. When she says "I dont have to stand at the front of the class and teach, I can walk around and make each lesson plan tailored to their needs..." I thought that was such a cool idea. The fact that she lets them go crazy essentially, by doing their own work but helping each other is a very good one.

      Who's ahead in the learning race? Honestly, the third graders. That is so sad. While doing some of my classroom observations, I noticed how well versed these children are in their ipads. I have an ipad and I don't know how to do half of the things they did on theirs. Sadly, I would say I am behind in the learning race....

     Up until now, I have not heard of "flipping a classroom" but I think it is a good idea. I like that the speaker in the video makes it known how to contact them about it, and makes sure the parents know that this is slow process and eventually more subjects will be flipped but currently they are focusing on one subject at a time. I love the idea of spending 1-2 nights a week preparing for the lessons to be taught the next day. I think it gives the students that need more instruction, time to figure out which issues are the ones they will need the most help with.