The final week of my CEP program we reflected on our practice. How do we bring passion and curiosity to our students? How can we incorporate technology to instill passion and curiosity? The infographic below is how I chose to represent my information. It focuses on how technology is used from a student and from a teacher perspective.
From a teaching perspective, I focus on generating real-world problems. Which often means researching related topics and preparing multiple scenarios for students to explore. For example, I teach a lesson on tweets or youtube videos going viral. Students must determine how long it takes or how quickly content must be shared in order for it to become viral. Students take this questions, research it further, collaborate and assess each other’s ideas to further thinking, then submit their responses. If these responses are submitted or shared electronically, it is much easier to keep an ongoing log of student-student or student-teacher ideas for revision. By using these technologies, we are able to generate more passion and curiosity towards the topics we learn as well as improve on skills needed in today’s global and technologically advanced society.
Education, it seems, has always been pivotal in the advancement of the next generation of society. Children were apprenticed to craftsmen, artisans, clergy, etc. as they trained to become a member of that society. The problem with this form of apprenticeship allowed only certain individuals the opportunity to train, especially in poor environments. Public education addressed this complex problem in providing the same information to all attendees. The idea being that with an equal informational starting point, society creates a more level playing field for all of its citizens. Now, however, there seems to be a new shift in thinking. Intelligence is no longer being defined as what facts you know, but how you are able to collaborate, analyze, and problem solve (Gee, 2013). Gee presses for a shift to a passion-centered learning similar to an apprenticeship with one caveat: with technology, people can choose their passion. According to James Gee, “affinity spaces are locations where groups of people are drawn together because of a shared, strong interest or engagement in a common activity” (2004). Instead of having one “master” teacher skills are passed on in a “social mode of production” where many people pass on information. “Some one who knows a little more passes on information to someone who knows a little less” (Jenkins, 2011). In this way, there is opportunity for people to meet as equals yet still learn collectively about their passion.
To be involved in online affinity spaces,
people must have access to the internet, something many of my students still lack,
they must have the drive to garner new information about their passion
they must be aware of the multiple sources of information and opinion.
So Gee and Jenkins both discuss this amazing online phenomenon of the Mind where we can collectively have a voice and make a difference. But we are still not fully represented online and those of us who are online, are slowly enmeshing ourselves into singular viewpoints where we are only getting snippets of information that agree with views we already hold and provide no deeper thought, (Carr, 2011). It is very easy to put blinders on and become unaware that there exists opinions vastly different from one’s own.
Limits of an Individualized Infodiet
Image created by Cottrell, A. (n.d.)
The task we were given this week was to find three sources, including a new Twitter or RSS feed, that had a differing opinion on our CEP problem. This was extremely difficult! Each site I logged into gave me options like “recommended for you” or “stories you may like”. There wasn’t really a place that said “differing opinions from those you usually post and access.” I eventually had to search for articles by specifically typing in things like “people against internet in the classroom” and “why is collaboration in the classroom bad?” and then follow people listed as persons of interest in those sites. While one of the pedagogies I follow is to teach students to collectively work together or with others to solve problems, there is an entire group of educators and students who feel that silent, structured settings work better for many students to learn – which is after all the goal of education. (Godsey, 2015). Godsey’s school of thought is to have students only work individually. Like golf, their goal is to always improve their own work.
The other two sources I found didn’t necessarily have different opinions, they did have ideas I was not aware people were bringing up online. Things about travel and its affect on education or playing with legos followed ideas I had discussed with other educators on the path of globalization and gamification. I had not had much access to specific content in regards to these ideas. It makes sense that there are people out there trying to be heard in regards to these general ideas. Without expanding my own infodiet, I would never have had the opportunity to push my thinking. I had not realized that my infodiet blocked not only different opinions, but also ideas that I may agree with but in which I had not expressed a specific interest.
Gee, J. P. (2004). Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling. New York. Routledge.
Godsey, M. (2015). When Schools Overlook Introverts. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/09/introverts-at-school-overlook/407467/
History of Apprenticeship. Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries. Retrieved from: http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Apprenticeship/About/History/
Jenkins, H. (2011). Media Scholar Henry Jenkins on Participatory Culture and Civic Engagement. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgZ4ph3dSmY#t=104
Cotrell, A. (n.d.). Image retrieved from: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B1mFBSSPElQ/VIYAehF1OOI/AAAAAAAAAC8/HoKngzkW4NU/w800-h800/info%2Bdiet%2B1.png
A wicked problem is a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. The use of term “wicked” here has come to denote resistance to resolution. – Wikipedia
There is an ever increasing disparity between the skills we expect students to have and those they have actually mastered. Citizens today are expected not only to be technologically literate, but also be able to use the information technology offers to assess and analyze problems. The wicked problem here is asking how we can rethink the roles of educators to fully prepare students emerging into society. The infographic below explains this problem more fully.
To think about this problem further and analyze possible solutions, I met with two colleagues over the course of three weeks within our class at MSU on Applying Educational Technology to Practice. You can find the blogs related to my colleague’s educational practices and rethinking teaching here (Lindsey) and here (Brett). After discussing many solutions including project-based learning, educational and professional development opportunities and strategies, and cross-curriculum teaching (the fact that there are many potential solutions and any or all could be beneficial or not depending on their implementation is another aspect of this problem’s “wickedness”), we finally settled an a three-tiered solution.
Create student-centered classrooms
Implement project-based learning
Utilize technology appropriately
While each of these could be a solution on its own, we tried to focus on using these three things in conjunction in order to have maximum impact on broadening student skills.
You can read further about our solution in the white paper linked below.
“Since time immemorial, people have been transferring skills from one generation to another in some form of apprenticeship. Four thousand years ago, the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi provided that artisans teach their crafts to youth.” – Washington State Dept
Education, it seems, has always been pivotal in the advancement of the next generation of society. Children were apprenticed to craftsmen, artisans, clergy, etc. as they trained to become a member of that society. The problem with this form of apprenticeship allowed only certain individuals the opportunity to train, especially in poor environments. Public education addressed this complex problem in providing the same information to all attendees. The idea being that with an equal informational starting point, society creates a more level playing field for all of its citizens. Now, however, there seems to be a new shift in thinking. Intelligence is no longer being defined as what facts you know, but how you are able to collaborate, analyze, and problem solve (Gee, 2013). Gee presses for a shift to a passion-centered learning similar to an apprenticeship with one caveat: with technology, people can choose their passion. Instead of having one “master” teacher skills are passed on in a “social mode of production” where many people pass on information. “Some one who knows a little more passes on information to someone who knows a little less” (Jenkins, 2011). In this way, there is opportunity for people to meet as equals yet still learn collectively about their passion. This actually coincides quite nicely with the complex problem my group in CEP812 is researching: tentative title: Rethink Teaching: Preparing Students for a Globalized World.
Jenkins and Gee both refer to people who participate in games (Gee) or are passionate about anime or play dungeons and dragons (Jenkins). Their examples include things like Harry Potter, The Sims, and Call of Duty. The majority of students are not involved in this online culture. Many share experiences via social media, but few meet the nerd-like criteria Jenkins and Gee seem to take for granted. To be involved in online learning centers,
people must have access to the internet, something many of my students still lack,
they must have the drive to garner new information about their passion
they must be aware of the multiple sources of information and opinion.
So Gee and Jenkins both discuss this amazing online phenomenon of the Mind where we can collectively have a voice and make a difference. But we are still not fully represented online and those of us who are online, are slowly enmeshing ourselves into singular viewpoints where we are only getting snippets of information that agree with views we already hold and provide no deeper thought, (Carr, 2011).
The task we were given this week was to find three sources, including a new Twitter or RSS feed, that had a differing opinion on our CEP problem. This was extremely difficult! Each site I logged into gave me options like “recommended for you” or “stories you may like”. There wasn’t really a place that said “differing opinions from those you usually post and access.” I eventually had to search for articles by specifically typing in things like “people against internet in the classroom” and “why is collaboration in the classroom bad?” and then follow people listed as persons of interest in those sites. It was much more work than I expected. If it was difficult for me, someone actively seeking an alternate opinion, how much worse is it for those who are not aware that there are more ideas out there?
The things I learned from this exercise:
It is very easy to put blinders on and become unaware that there exists opinions vastly different from one’s own.
While one of the solutions I offer in the problem of “Rethink Teaching” is to teach students to collectively work together or with others online to solve problems, there is an entire group of educators and students who feel that silent, structured settings work better for many students to learn – which is after all the goal of education. (Godsey, 2015). More research must be done in order to fully express a solution to this problem.
References:
Washington State Dept. (n.d.). History of Apprenticeship. Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries. Retrieved from: http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Apprenticeship/About/History/
Jenkins, H. (2011). Media Scholar Henry Jenkins on Participatory Culture and Civic Engagement. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgZ4ph3dSmY#t=104
Godsey, M. (2015). When Schools Overlook Introverts. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/09/introverts-at-school-overlook/407467/
As the modern world progresses and technology becomes a more integral part of society’s identity, one must ask the question: How are schools handling this change? We know schools are purchasing technologies. As this shift towards technology occurs, businesses are starting to look for a new set of skills. What are these technology based skills employers seek? Are educators implementing technology in such a way as to benefit these skills businesses are looking for?
Side-by-side comparison of a business meeting and a classroom with technology.
This week I polled my school’s staff of 104 to see their take on how important technology is in teaching the next generation of students. Also, are we able to show students skills and proper use of technology? I found that most teachers do see technology as the future and they recognize the need for educators to learn new skills towards this implementation of technology. The results seem to point towards a point made by Gee in his book, The Anti-Education Era. We have many tools, and most people think those tools are necessary to success in modern society. However, these tools are “separated from, rather than blended with, face-to-face interactions, physical spaces, and deep educational uses that go beyond education” (pg 198). You can further read about my findings here.
References:
Gee, J.P. (2013). The Anti-Education Era. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin.
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