The methods we teach with need to constantly be adapted to meet the needs of the current culture. Now more that ever information is being shared at a rate never seen before with the use of technology. Is this reflected in our classrooms? Why not? Should it be? If so, how? These are the question educators, administrators and parents need to be asking.
Todays students are unhappy with a school system that was designs hundreds of years ago. They learn differently that the schools they attend are set up to teach them. Who needs to conform? The business or the consumer? If I have a business that is no longer meeting the needs of my clients, I am going to go out of business. "Kids expect to be able to interact with or at least partially control their own learning" (The Elementary Educator). If this is what they want let's give it to them. The standards can be taught in a variety of ways, so as long as we are teaching to them, it shouldn't matter the method being used.
The use of Web 2.0 in the classroom will allow students to become more involved with their leaning and give them a greater ability to collaborate with their classmates. For example, student can keep a blog where they post reflections to a lesson in class. Then other students can read their reflections and comment on their thought and begin a discussion on their learnings. When students interact this way with what is being taught they become engage and an active participant in their learning. Brain based learning research shows that this type of activity is much more beneficial to students. The School Matters - Thinking Skills: Brain Based Approaches video shown here, demonstrates this idea in greater depth.
It's not a new idea that teaching is done best when the methods are relevant to the learner. Thanks to new technology there are so many ways to make learning more meaningful to students. Lets step up as educators and challenge ourselves to move out of our comfort zones and do what is best for our students.
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