What will teaching in the 21st Century be like? Blog Post #2

In the video, Mr. Dancealot, the professor teaches the students dance moves through power-points alone, he does not engage the class and let them do the dance moves in class. I believe this video shows us that students must learn through practice, like they say, practice makes perfect. I believe it is an inadequate way to teach students simply through notes and power-points. Students learn in all sorts of different ways. Being engaged and being able to work hands-on with other students is a good way to succeed. The message I got from this video is that we as students and educators must get active. The best way for success is not to sit in a class room writing down everything the teacher says. The best way for success is to be involved and practice and work with fellow classmates, as well as the teacher.

Robert's video, Teaching in the 21st Century, tells us all the different ways teaching has evolved. It is no longer the students getting the facts and information from the teacher alone. Now with smartphones, iPads, and laptops students have access to the internet to look up anything and everything, whenever they want. With the click of a button students can now learn what teachers are teaching them in the classroom. That will not keep students engaged too long. Like Robert's says, we need to engage the students, not entertain them. We as students and educators need to be taught skills. We need to let it be known that the technologies in the class room is fine, but we need to learn the ways of working it and succeeding in school through the technologies. This video has really shown me the ways teaching in the classroom has changed and how different it will soon be in all classrooms. I believe that Robert's makes excellent points, that we need to engage the students, teach them skills and professionalism. I believe that we should take advantage of all the technology surrounding us. We should take advantage of it and make good use out of it to better educate our students and to keep them interested and engaged.

In Wendy Drexler's, The Networked Student, video it shows us all the different ways and search engines to find valid information. When asked, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?", it explains to us that the teacher more or less his backbone. She is there for him to educate him and teach him how to make blogs, how to find legit websites, the proper way to engage in a conversation professionally. The video shows us that as a teacher they more or less supply us with all of the tools and help, and we go and explore and find the facts and find evidence and the teacher is there every step of the way for help. I believe the networked student is the future. With all of our resources and technologies, why not let the students use them? As educators we will be there every step of the way with support, teaching them how to put all their information into a well written article or blog. As educators, we are here to teach and engage students, if we give them the tools and help them put their masterpiece together each student will succeed.

I believe that Vicki Davis' thesis is that all students learn differently, therefore pencil, paper, and textbooks will not work for every student. I agree with her 100% and I think it is amazing that she learns stuff from her students. I think when students feel like they're one step ahead they get excited and want to learn more and find more out. I think it is great that she has her students teach and she gives them the tools and they go from there. It is a very smart idea to make students google the words that they do not know, this helps them learn better than just reading them definitions out of a textbook. When students have to research, and go on their own to find information, they are more likely to absorb the learned information. Personally, hands-on learning is the best way for me to learn. Sitting in my room reading a textbook just goes in one ear and right out the other.

I am very shocked by the Who's Ahead In The Learning Race? video. To answer the prompted question, I believe 100% that these elementary students are winning. These children in this video are accomplishing tasks on their computers and iPads that I have never even heard of. I am very shocked, I never would have thought that elementary children would know more about technology than a college student. I cannot speak for the entire class, but I know personally I am blown away at the elementary students skills with technology.

I have never heard of "flipping the classroom" until now. With that being said, I think it is an awesome way to really help the students learns. By watching videos at home of what to expect in the classroom this gives them time to really think about questions. I know personally, I never think of questions to ask until it's too late. With being able to watch the videos from home I believe it will give the children time to process and understand, and even to write down answers if they have any. If you spend the majority of your time at the front of the classroom lecturing it almost cuts out the students time, it gives them no chance to discuss and ask questions. With the flipping the classroom program I believe that students will find it easier to approach their teachers, and teachers will find it easier to engage students and really help them learn and understand what is going on.