It's About Learning, Not Teaching

Nearly everyone in this world has felt what it was like to be a student out in the rows, sitting quietly and letting the teacher talk. The practice of lecture is, many times, automatically associated with teaching. In the video “Technology: Instructional Tool vs. Learning Tool,” Dr. Michael Orey stated that “one of the worst instructional approaches I think you can do is the lecture approach.” The widespread use of lecture in the classroom represents the need for a major shift in thinking about education. As a teacher in the 21^st Century, this shift is not about how well I teach, rather, it is about how well my students learn.

For years, I have felt that most schools focus on educating the masses while their focus should be on educating each and every student. I have learned that bringing students to school by the busload does have its benefits. The socializing that occurs can set students up to be successful communicators. However, the sea of students that swarm our schools each day cause many problems that get in the way of learning. My personal belief is that discipline should not even be necessary in a school. A well-designed school should have a daily flow of knowledge that is so rich and engaging that all students are eager to learn.

Many teachers are convinced that the tried-and-true methods of teaching are the best thing since they and sliced bread were invented long ago. The truth is that it may have worked for many generations of people. However, the continuous progression of human intelligence and the benefits of technology have created new generations of people who will accept only the best efforts to help them learn. With endless resources on the internet and the engaging possibilities of web 2.0, today’s teachers can capitalize on the available technology to help engage their students. Not only has technology helped with learning, but it can also help teachers stay organized more easily and analyze data to help drive instruction. The possibilities are endless and technology is beginning to take on a whole new shape in education.

Throughout this course, I have built a long list of technology tools to use in class. An immediate change that I plan to make is to get these tools into the hands of my students. Two tools that I plan to integrate very soon are spreadsheets and VoiceThread. There are a variety of uses for spreadsheets and one way I plan to use them is to help reinforce student effort by having students gather data and create graphs to show the relationship between their effort and achievement in my class. VoiceThread will also prove very useful by providing an engaging platform for class discussions and cooperative learning activities.

One long-term change that I plan to make in my classroom is to become more of a facilitator than a teacher. Instead of trying to be the main source of information in my classroom, I plan to help my students become more literate with regards to digital media and information. Many of my current students are either incapable or unwilling to seek out answers and information without being prompted. By helping my students realize their potential to learn, they will be able to use our available technology to take control of their learning and become more independent thinkers. In order to do this, I must also build a strong technology platform to support my students’ endeavors. This will require me to write grants to acquire a class set of computers, cameras, headphones and microphones, and a variety of other tools to create a classroom full of possibilities.

As my personal theory of learning continues to progress, my students will begin to see the benefits. I have already begun to implement many engaging activities that I have learned about in this graduate program. I plan to continue trying new things and helping my students build their knowledge and skills by keeping them involved. As we continue to grow together, my classroom will eventually become a place where education is a top priority and all of my students are eager to learn.