Global EdTech

Wow! Change is hard! And, when you work in the field of education, it can be really hard! But, when you see the rapid ways that technology and the Internet are changing, then we are obligated to not only adapt and change personally, but to also make changes professionally. It is our duty to engage these 21st century learners with meaningful instruction, resources, and projects that truly relate to the changing world of today and their future (as best we can predict it).

I love many of the quotes from Seth Godin’s book “Tribes” that Will Richardson shares in his blog post today (January 22, 2009). It is as if we are hearing John Dewey’s words in a new way.

Dewey’s quote “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow” can be directly related to Godin’s quote “When the world changes, the rules change. If you insist on playing today’s games by yesterday’s rules, you’re stuck.” One problem is that with technology, the world and the rules are changing at an amazing speed! How do we, as educators, sort through all of the changes and determine the best ways to utilize these changing resources with our students? We can’t afford to remain stagnant. We can’t “teach today as we taught yesterday” and adequately prepare our students for a life in the future. 

We must redesign education because the future is already being redesigned every day! “The classroom of tomorrow can’t be our parents’ classroom” if we are to successfully send our students out into the world of tomorrow.

We must keep learning. We must read, research, and engage these technologies ourselves so we can understand them and apply them both personally and professionally. Once you truly do that, it is an exciting journey of discovery and learning! If only we had more time in our days, weeks, and months. So much to learn, so little time! How do we decide what and who should comprise our “PLN” (Personal Learning Network)? And, how do we help to create PLN’s for our students that will educate them…all the while being sure that they are digitally literate and can accurately evaluate the plethora of information that exists on the Internet today? And, how will we assess students’ learning outcomes within the constructs of the new instructional strategies and pedagogy?

There are no easy answers to all of these questions. At least, the quantitative data is hard to find. But, the anecdotal, qualitative results are so easy to see by those of us who are actively engaged in harnessing the power of the Internet, web 2.0, new technologies, and PLN’s to help students learn at much deeper, complex levels. Students actively design their learning process. They are publishers of content, sharing what they learn and know. Their work is meaningful and authentic. And, “Wow,” they are making a REAL difference in the world!

So, after reading these ramblings, think about how YOU learn. What is engaging you? What excites you to really grab hold of knowledge and do something with it…and share it with the world? And, how are you teaching your kids today? Are you teaching them in ways that are meaningful and active and engaging?

Okay, you can’t “do it all.” But start with yourself. Start by doing one new thing. Teach using one new strategy that engages students in the ways they really learn. Celebrate your successes. Learn from your failures. Take risks. And…yes…scary as it is…embrace change!