Society’s trend toward the increased use of technology in
our everyday lives intrigues me, and it makes me wonder; if society is changing
so rapidly, are our classrooms? Here is a video that shows what education in the 21st century could look like. Does your classroom/your child's classroom look like the 21st century learning environments in this video? For a vast majority of you, the answer will (unfortunately) be no.
Society is becoming increasingly digitalised (Howell, 2012; Scardamalia et al, 2010) whether we like it or not. In her book, Teaching With ICT, Jennifer Howell outlines the changing policies of various nations around the world in regards to the implementation of technology into the education system. Australian education policy now says students should have the skills to properly utilize technology, as well as have sound literacy and numeracy skills if they are to be successful learners (Melbourne Declaration, Page 8, Quoted Howell, 2012). Howell then goes on to note Australia’s intention to implement a National Broadband Network, provide secondary school students with personal computers, provide better professional development for teachers (regarding the use of technology in the classroom) and offer better online resources and tools for student and teacher alike. Other countries have introduced similar education policy changes, with many, (including Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States of America), (Howell, 2012) also aiming to make digital technologies a core part of their educational practices. Howell indicates that such changes have been spurred on by the digitalisation of the world, and that the education system must prepare students for this changing world. I believe the increased implementation of technology in classrooms can only be a good thing, especially as technology is such a huge part of everyday life. Throughout my schooling life I used a great deal of technology to aid my results – if a teacher didn’t explain something in a way I understood, the internet became my best friend as I was able to learn the content at my own pace, in a manner that made sense to me. Howells book also includes a small case study on the use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB’s) in the classroom. Interestingly enough, the study showed that as well as engaging students more than a conventional lesson, it made lesson planning much faster for staff, and allowed for smoother lessons, with students easily transitioning from one activity to the next. It also mentioned the use of a ‘spider chart’ with an IWB, in which students could first make note of their current knowledge on a topic in their notebooks, before using the IWB to share their knowledge, collaborating and correcting each other as they went (essentially creating a more user-directed learning experience, one which I find much more engaging). As well as making note of the potential uses of ICT in schools and how education policies are adapting to our changing society, Howell also provides methods of creating and developing an effective digital pedagogy, an important addition, as ultimately, it is the teachers ability to use this new technology that is going to make the biggest impact on the 21st century classroom. Here is a word cloud and a few pod casts about technology and where it may be heading in the world of education.
Society is becoming increasingly digitalised (Howell, 2012; Scardamalia et al, 2010) whether we like it or not. In her book, Teaching With ICT, Jennifer Howell outlines the changing policies of various nations around the world in regards to the implementation of technology into the education system. Australian education policy now says students should have the skills to properly utilize technology, as well as have sound literacy and numeracy skills if they are to be successful learners (Melbourne Declaration, Page 8, Quoted Howell, 2012). Howell then goes on to note Australia’s intention to implement a National Broadband Network, provide secondary school students with personal computers, provide better professional development for teachers (regarding the use of technology in the classroom) and offer better online resources and tools for student and teacher alike. Other countries have introduced similar education policy changes, with many, (including Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States of America), (Howell, 2012) also aiming to make digital technologies a core part of their educational practices. Howell indicates that such changes have been spurred on by the digitalisation of the world, and that the education system must prepare students for this changing world. I believe the increased implementation of technology in classrooms can only be a good thing, especially as technology is such a huge part of everyday life. Throughout my schooling life I used a great deal of technology to aid my results – if a teacher didn’t explain something in a way I understood, the internet became my best friend as I was able to learn the content at my own pace, in a manner that made sense to me. Howells book also includes a small case study on the use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB’s) in the classroom. Interestingly enough, the study showed that as well as engaging students more than a conventional lesson, it made lesson planning much faster for staff, and allowed for smoother lessons, with students easily transitioning from one activity to the next. It also mentioned the use of a ‘spider chart’ with an IWB, in which students could first make note of their current knowledge on a topic in their notebooks, before using the IWB to share their knowledge, collaborating and correcting each other as they went (essentially creating a more user-directed learning experience, one which I find much more engaging). As well as making note of the potential uses of ICT in schools and how education policies are adapting to our changing society, Howell also provides methods of creating and developing an effective digital pedagogy, an important addition, as ultimately, it is the teachers ability to use this new technology that is going to make the biggest impact on the 21st century classroom. Here is a word cloud and a few pod casts about technology and where it may be heading in the world of education.
References:
Jennifer Howell – Teaching With ICT, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria, 2012
Scardamalia et al – New Assessments and Environments for Knowledge Building - 2010
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