Wow! This section contained a lot of information. It focused on the way that knowledge, learning, digital lifestyles and digital tools have changed the way we learn. The emphasis has shifted from individual learning of facts, which do not constitute thinking power to collaborative teams solving real-world problems.
The new technology that we have experienced in our lifetime is incredible, and to just think about what our future generations will experience in their lifetimes. One quote that stood out to me was, "These young people are the first generation in history to know more about the most powerful tools for change in our society-digital information and communications technologies-than their elders: their parents and teachers." The digital natives have come to expect and demand freedom to choose, customization, scrutiny, integrity, entertainment, collaboration, speed in communications and innovation in products. I liked the table on page 38 entitled "A New Balance." It brought into perspective what we need to accomplish. It is definitely a balancing act to incorporate the basics along with the skills our students need.
As an educator, my goal is to take one step at a time, because the task is somewhat overwhelming to me. I do believe that incorporating technology one project at a time can be done and that it will be more relevant and memorable for my students. In closing, I would like to include one more quote: "Learning for work and life in our times means helping as many children as possible learn to apply 21st century skills and a solid understanding of core subjects to the challenges of our times."
This section did indeed include a lot of information. The quote you chose was one that stuck out of the reading for me as well. Our digital natives, aged 11-31, are much more demanding and much more knowledgeable than even their parents of one generation ago. They know so much more than we do, in a technological sense, and we can learn from them. What they need to learn from us is the new balance that you referred to in the chart. Like the Singapore quote, “Teach less, learn more,” we need to cultivate their 21st Century Skills so that they can be the problem solvers of the future.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of taking one step at a time is very sound. There is so much information and new tools coming our way. My questions is " how do we find time to try the new tools in a lesson. Students are the digital citizens and we need to attempt to keep a pace near their skills.
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