One thing that I've noticed about getting a Master's degree in Teaching with Technology is how much light it sheds on the shortcomings of our educational institutions, namely the elementary ones. It seems that our educators (not all of them, mind you) are a bit stuck in the dark ages...
If you really look at the standards for 21st Century initiatives, how closely should we be following them? When do our elementary-educated students surpass our abilities in the classroom? At what age do children know more than we do about how to work a SmartBoard, an iPad, or a web-based tutorial on Google Sheets? At what point does all this become rather upsetting?
ISTE NETS For Students
Now, I should certainly mention that there are many schools out there that are pushing the boundaries of the dark ages and coming up to date on where our children's education methods should be heading in the next 20 years. There are some amazing examples of schools in the midwest and around the country that are connecting with the world in tangible and applicable ways in order to further the 21st Century initiatives and create a brighter future for our youth.
Here are some great examples!
Willowbrook School, Northbrook, IL: David Karnoscak
(shared through Facebook)
Global Classroom, Fort Worth, TX: Mrs. Morgan
(shared through Twitter)
Iowa: Real-World Learning Vs. School Credits
(Shared through RSS Feed: Dangerously Irrelevant)
But while these examples do exist, the hardship of creating a forward-moving culture can be daunting. What's holding us back? This article opened my eyes to the "mind-set" that we put ourselves into, primarily regarding educational technology. When we think about what we will tolerate in a classroom and step outside of that comfort zone, we change the world.
Dangerously Irrelevant: What are you willing to tolerate?
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I read an article in the last year about India creating a tablet or laptop that cost under$100 that just used the web and a word processor. The reason was to put them in the hands of every school child. That was for 2 interestingly related reasons. 1 getting paper and chalk for every kid in remote India would be costly compared to a cheap computer. And reason 2 was knowing how to work the devices would be worth more in the long run. Not sure where I saw the article, but I'm sure Google will find it. Keep up the work!
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