Thing 5a

http://www.infinitethinking.org/2009/02/friday-5-21st-century-skills.html


In this blog Lucy Gray states, "...many agreed with the basic idea that students and teachers today are require to employ a different mindset and set of abilities in this changing world."
I couldn't agree more. I think that today's education system needs to meet the needs of today's learners for today's society. I think that is why most of us are here or are in education. I know the way I was taught does not work for the students I teach. Lucy's blog talks about how she had the chance to go to Singapore and how they valued the change in education and the emphasis on technology. I read some other blogs both from our group and from other sites that talked about implementing standards to hold teachers to as well as standards to hold students to as well. I think the best way to integrate the mindset we want is to lead by example of the change we want to see. When people begin to see what we are accomplishing then hopefully they will catch on.
I read another blog that said they use their students as the catalysts of change. When people come to them with concerns regarding technology, they send their students to fix the problems. I know it was a middle school blog, however, I have students now who can set up my LCD projector to my computer and bring up UnitedStreaming videos. My students know how to access my bookmarks and locate the activities I want them to do on the computers in the classroom. The students are thriving for the chance to use the technology to which we already have access. Most adults would gladly use it, if only they knew how.
Where does the answer come from? I'm not sure. But I know that we have to start preparing our students to be more technology literate and in doing so, I believe more literate and better communicators not only in their school communities, but in a global community as well.