Embedded technology is not evidence of a transformational shift in teaching practice. It’s possible to embed technology into every aspect of teaching and learning and still have a completely teacher-centered classroom, with the teacher in control of what is learned, how it’s learned, and for the most part, how students show their learning.
During Connected Educators Month we’re sharing frontline stories about what it means to be a connected teacher and leader, in the classroom and the school. Each Wednesday we’re featuring several articles by Voices from the Learning Revolution bloggers — posts that capture the spirit and immense value of connected professional learning.
THIS WEEK: A veteran educator is “knocked out of my orbit’; a faculty comes alive when they create their own school-based virtual community; small strategic steps can help teachers shift their practice; global classroom tips.
Every state requires high school students to take a US History survey course. For the makers of the SAT Subject Test, every event, every President, every person of note is of equal importance and equally likely to show up on the examination. If I were a college admissions director I would want an assessment that sought to tease out a young person’s sense of what it means to be an engaged citizen, not how many facts they know about President James Garfield.
My friend and collaborator Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach is eminently interviewable. Whether she’s talking about passion-based teaching and learning, the secrets of successful online communities of practice, or her ideas about integrating new technologies and social media into everyday teacher and student life, her transformative vision comes through and what she has to say always has valuable take-aways for listeners.
While some teachers may wonder about the merits of PBL, I’m sold. My high school students have learned much more in an inquiry classroom than others did when we had a traditional one. PBL allows them to have a say in what they learn and how they present their knowledge. Every semester I’m impressed by the hard work and energy my students pour into their projects. Here’s the story of our biology projects this year.
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