Looking
at the infographic at the beginning of the 2015 Horizon Report K-12 edition, I
noticed a lot of the same issues highlighted that I have discussed in other
classes and with my colleagues at school (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, &
Freeman, 2015). Just in my 4 short years of teaching there has been a “seismic
shift,” as Dr. Gilbreath referred to it, in how instruction is suppose to look
in my district. Just as the report recommends, we have been moving towards more
authentic learning, incorporating more collaborative activities, individualizing
instruction in math as well as reading, and attempting to teach students higher
order thinking skills.
As
I reflect the Horizon Report and consider the nature of technology use in my school,
I immediately recognize some problems we need to overcome (Johnson, Adams Becker,
Estrada, & Freeman, 2015). The biggest issue that I notice is that many
teachers are not clear on how to effectively integrate technology into their
instruction. They think that just because they use their SmartBoard to present
a lesson that they are integrating technology. However, unless students are
interacting with the technology, this approach is merely a glorified white
board. This is where integrating technology into teacher education, as the
Report suggests, becomes important (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, &
Freeman, 2015). Not only should pre-service teachers be receiving quality instruction
on effectively integrating technology, so should in-service teachers. Sheninger
(2014) suggests using a “job-embedded growth model” for professional
development and giving teachers ample time to learn how to utilize tools and
implement strategies that they’ve learned.
While
that issue is teacher-related, I also notice resource related-obstacles. In my
school, we do not have enough technology in our classrooms. While I do not
think that students at the primary level necessarily need a one-to-one ratio, I
think that it is important to have current technology available for teachers
and students to use. Currently, I have a laptop and an iPad in my classroom,
and that is the only technology students in my class have access to on a daily basis.
We have iPads available for check-out from the library, but that’s only if another
teacher or class is not using them. Last month, I wrote a grant trying to get 3
iPad minis that will be dedicated for classroom use.
The
direction I see the future of education going is congruent with the shifts that
the Horizon Report points out (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman,
2015). I see classrooms moving more towards blended and flipped learning
models. Even I am planning on utilizing a variation of the flipped classroom
model to improve math instruction in my 2nd-grade classroom. I also recognize
that we need to make an important shift from students being merely consumers of
information to creators of products based on information they’ve obtained
independently (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2015). When my
students create their own projects using technology, not only are they learning
they are having fun and it shows! I think that when we make these shifts, and
the others suggested in the Report (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, &
Freeman, 2015), we will hopefully see more meaningful learning and overcome the
massive challenge of producing students that can successfully utilize technology
to solve today’s issues and future problems, as well.
References
Johnson,
L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon
Report: 2015
K-12 Edition [PDF file]. Retrieved from:
http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-k12-EN.pdf
Sheninger, E.
(2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times.
Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad we are taking this class together! I always love reading your prospective! You made a very interesting point about students creating their own projects which in turn creates a more meaningful learning activity for them. Even in our courses here at Liberty, I have learned more through individualized projects that are directly related to my own career than through reading text, taking tests, or completing unrelated assignments. In fact, having the freedom to learn on my own and guide assignments toward my own personal situation have provided the most meaning in my time here at Liberty. I am very excited about my research-based project coming up in 696 because it has personal and professional benefit for me. Becoming excited about learning should be what education is all about, right? Once again, thank you for your insightful post and I will talk with you again soon!
Amanda
Thanks, Amanda. I enjoy reading your perspective, as well. Thanks for your comments!
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