Some Food for Thought ...

What does it mean to teach in the 21st century? I found this video tonight ... you should definitely watch it ...



I know the video is a little long, but I was ENGAGED as I watched it (although there were a few spelling and grammar errors that drove me crazy!).

Who loves technology more than us "bloggy people"?  Our students, that's who.  It's their lives.  From the time they wake up in the morning to the time they (finally) go to bed, our students are immersed in technology.  It's their lives ... and it's OUR job to teach them how to use it.

I truly believe we have to engage the students - and I really like how the video showed the differences between entertain and engage.  I know my SMARTboard has helped me engage the students in my class - I'm so thankful to have one in my classroom.  I'm a SMART exemplary teacher, and have won awards for lesson creation, but I feel this is not enough ...

My school board has a filter on what the students can access at school (no email, social media, blogs, youtube, videos ... the list goes on).  They have recently unblocked youtube for teachers, but that's about it.  Our district's code of conduct also forbids students from bringing any digital devices to school ... are we doing the right thing???  It is part of our curriculum to teach students about media literacy and how to critically evaluate media messages ... yet, they are banning the very tools and methods we could use to teach this.  I would love to have my students write blogs, but anything with "blogspot" in the URL is blocked.  I would love to have my students evaluate the messages or bias in youtube videos, but blocked again.  I can't even assign anything internet related as homework, because as I work in a rural community, many families don't have access to "highspeed" internet, and therefore, don't have access to the internet.  How do I teach my students to be technologically savvy, when I (we) can't access the tools necessary for these lessons?  It is becoming more and more obvious that WE are prepared to teach in the 21st century, and our students are prepared to learn in the 21st century, but are our school boards ready to let this happen?