21st Century Educator

Well I have arrived in India to an amazing culture shock. Poverty on one side of the street then extreme affluence on the other. I have been rereading Thomas Freedman’s book during my travels and am amazed how often I come across another example of the dedication of the Indian people to become a superpower. The hotel newsletter quoted the GM as stating that the hotel was helping India become the world’s next economic super power. The discussions I have with the locals demonstrates their extreme pride in all that they do as well as a feeling that they are contributing to something bigger as an entire nation. I have taken clips from newspaper articles that really paint the whole education scene into perspective. Schools here (public schools at that) take out page 3 newspaper advertisements and proudly state their overall educational achievements and their desires for their students. I started reading one advertisement that quoted exam results, but was taken back by the statement at the end by the principal. He is quoted as saying

“While we delight in the impressive examination results at our school we are committed to the larger cause of inspiring the young to lead society to new possibilities in a rapidly changing world.”

Oh how I wish our educational institutions back home could grab a hold of that idea. Exam results are not the be all and end all. It is obvious that this principal has a true understanding of the purpose of education. I am now interested in how they actually achieve this goal. – Some more research for me perhaps?!?!?!?

So far, from what I have seen Freedman is on the mark. I am amazed at the infrastructure here in such a diverse nation. As we drove to the hotel down dirt roads and past old tin shacks I counted at least 5 internet café’s that were running out of run down old shacks. As I write this I am in my hotel room in Goa accessing the hotel wireless internet. Each morning I head down to the beach with my laptop and use skype to call my wife as I look over the Arabian Sea. If that is not enough, in this remote part of the country I have full mobile phone coverage. Not a single drop out… I receive text messages all day long from friends and family.

It is truly an amazing experience…..

I don’t get to write on here as often as I would like but I am committed to getting to it more often. I have spent some time in the past week meeting a number of educators who are on the same journey many of us are on when it comes to web 2.0 technologies. I am still getting my head around the concept of students becoming more than just consumers of information but also becoming producers of information. I look at the quality podcasts and blogs that are being done in the educational realm and am beginning to see first hand how quickly this generation of students are adapting to a new information environment. Some things I am noticing here…

1) Students are not nervous about being the producers of information.
As soon as they sense that they have the ability to have ownership of the information they embrace the change immediately.
2) Students have more ideas on the ways the information can be produced than adults do.
I have introduced many different groups of students to the concept of podcasting. The one thing that amazes me each time is how quickly they grasp the concept and begin to suggest different and innovative ways to present.
3) Students want to be producers of information.
Give them an inch and they will want to take a mile!! (What more can I say?)
4) Students enjoy the challenges involved in producing information.
They attack the new challenges that come in this area head on.
5) Students enjoy becoming producers of information.
They can see the potential and the way that they can begin to have a sense of ownership over their learning. “I am in control of what and how I am learning”

I love the quote “In order to be the best you need to be different.” In fact I enjoy sharing that with teachers and students when encouraging them to embrace these new learning tools. Educators need to have an understanding of this idea. To be the best educators we need to be different. We need to present information and content in new and innovative ways. It is not that our students want us to do it this way; it is that they expect us to do it this way. I reflect back on the digital student’s movie that Wes Fryer alluded to in a recent podcast. It is a must viewing for any educator at all levels of education.

Just my little rant for the day. I am starting to get excited about my trip to the centre of the flat world next week. I leave for India in 7 days time and will be posting blogs on my observations while I am there.

Episode 18 - Making science fun and engaging…. A radio interview with students who had access to a live Q&A session with the international space station Right click to download the podcast

An interesting blog from Wes Fryer… I am interested in the way in which our schools go around encouraging teachers to create exciting science lessons. Too often teachers walk away from science as it seems to be the big unknown and is often placed in the “too hard” basket. In my job I often see teachers that are scared of science; they become scared because they don’t know the content. There is a feeling of being inferior when it comes to understanding science. Too often I see great activities of science exploration happening in early years, but then as students move on through school, teachers begin to have a fear of science and understanding of scientific concepts.

Recently I had to learn a great deal of scientific content. I had never learnt particular principles and I had to become the student and learn from a colleague the very same principles I would be teaching. In fact I am still learning the content that I teach. Every day a new question comes up and often I need to eat the humble pie and admit that I am not sure. So there begins the learning and the beginning of a journey that I as educator can lead.

Basically, I feel we need to encourage and create confidence in our teachers when it comes to science. When I train undergraduate education students I make sure they understand that it is ok not to know all the answers. Instead encourage a learning journey that takes place over time. Go investigate the answers and come back to the class. Encourage and reward students that begin investigating answers. Ask students to reflect on what they learnt and have teacher and student celebrate new learning and understanding.

I am glad you raised this topic Wes, it is truly a discussion worth having and may not only relate to science. I believe it opens the doors for conversation on encouraging students to become creative and innovative. Measuring success with testing is never going to develop creative, innovative and inquisitive minds. I close with one of my favourite quotes… “In order to be the best, you need to be different.” The next generation is only going to solve the problems of today and tomorrow by being different and being different requires us to encourage them to be creative, innovative and inquisitive.