In a matter of five minutes I received a text from a teacher in a different district sharing an article, which I in-turn forwarded off to two additional people in my school district, and tweeted it out to my PLN all over the world. This sharing of information and connectedness is something I could not live without. Both, in my professional and personal circles, I rely on getting information through my network and the digital tools that give me access to that network.
I thought about this for a moment and how students are often asked to turn that part of their life off when they enter the classroom door. I am perplexed by this. Why, if we rely so heavily on these tools ourselves, would we ask our students to put them away in order to learn?
My job as an educator is to prepare my students for their future, not to teach them how to fill in bubbles on a scantron. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the epitome of a data dork. I love data, but I know I can use the data from authentic learning experiences to gauge how well my students are meeting their learning objectives. I can see in the movies they create, the books they publish, and through their interactions on their blogs whether they truly understand and better yet are able to apply their learning to the real world. The more we remove the real world experience from the classroom, the further away we get from truly preparing our students for their future.
As I wrote this blog I received a text from my sister, a teacher at Helix Charter High School, sharing this video. Funny how she is back to work today, while I am home still on summer break, and a piece of the professional development for her district was able to reach me. Man I love my PLN!
I laughed several times throughout the video, but the reality is the video is actually a dismal depiction of how ill-prepared many students are for their future. Just another reminder why we must shift our approach when it comes to student learning.
Focusing on student learning and how to prepare our learners for tomorrow's world is integral in avoiding the outcome demonstrated throughout the video. We must put aside our fears and reluctance and be willing to do whatever it takes, even if it is outside of comfort zone. It won't always look pretty, in fact sometimes it will undoubtedly be a hot mess, but that's life- a road with many highs and lows all for which make your stronger, smarter, and more prepared for the the next bump along the way.
