Saturday, November 14, 2009
Cedo535: Week Five
As this class comes to a close, there is so much that I'm thinking about and planning on taking back to my class. I thought Richards chapter 9 did an excellent job at summarizing all the things that I need to plan for as I update and lay out my curriculum this year. Actually, he seems to summarize all the things our classes have been emphasizing up to this point; that, as teachers, we need to be role models and collaborators in showing our students how to work with Web 2.0 tools and that we need to prepare them for all the various tools they will be utilizing in their lives. Obviously, the Internet is not going away anytime soon, so we have to stop delaying their progress. This is what frustrates me the most. I am so ready to switch things up in my classes and begin utlizing all sorts of Web 2.0 tools, such as video sites, blogs, Nings, Wikis, graphic programs, podcasts and screencasts, but how do I then justify my curriculum when the standards for my school were written almost nine years ago? There's where the real frustration lies, I think. Even if teachers are ready to move, the state is not. I'm glad the NETS are there, but I'm not sure I can model my curriculum solely off of them. Anyone have any advice?
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Kara,
ReplyDeleteI share in your frustrations. It sounds like we must incorporate 21st century skills into our curriculum, and schools love to advertise that we are doing that, but then we must look at the reality of changing our curriculum. Two things come to mind with this shift: 1. Why make the switch if standardized tests are going to remain in the same format that they are currently? and 2. Teachers are not lining up to spend time revamping curriculum. It would appear that we have a unique opportunity to help students use the Web efficiently and safely, yet many teachers are not convinced that 21st century skills are here to stay. Many have told me that it is another phase that will come and go and that it is not worth the effort changing what is currently being done. I suppose we continue to fight the battle, and hopefully we can convert some that are on the fence, while the state and national standards should actually change to measure students literacy in these skills. It is time that schools and education in general don't simply give lip service to this change, and actually make some positive changes themselves to ensure the success of our students. :)
We can think of ourselves as pioneers!!! I think we are all going into the unknown and it will take time for students, faculty, administrators, and state level educators to change their way of thinking. I think if we keep laying ground work in our classes and document how useful the collaborative tools have been in our classroom, those groups of individuals will start to see part of the "light". It will be important for us as Web 2.0 Collaborators to show that these concepts aren't just fun and flashy technologies, but innovative educational technologies that will aid in the classroom setting.
ReplyDeleteI like Nick's comment. I agree that we need to think of ourselves as those who can help bring our coworkers up to speed with the latest and greatest tools. Once our colleagues can see that we are making strides, and students are enjoying the technology in our classes, perhaps they will be more willing to get on the technology train!
ReplyDeleteKara, I too am puzzled at the state standards. Does anyone know if they are working on revamping some to include more technology? Or, does that become an issue of some districts having money, while others do not. (I think about how much Melissa struggles to find useable technology in her district, and how fortunate some of the others of us are.)