Tools don't make the Teacher

Tonight's twitter edchat was concerning the interactive nature of interactive white boards. Comments kept appearing about how it is the teacher that makes the difference not the tool or piece of piece of equipment. I remember someone commenting that mud can be interactive if in the hands of a good teacher. Teachers need to have the training and support to make the best instructional decisions on how to use interactive white boards or anything (technology-related or not) in the classroom. Teachers also need to have the freedom to make decisions about what will or will not work best in their individual classroom for learning to be facilitated. Yes, administration can "require" that technology be used, but it is really up to the teacher to use it effectively at the right times to promote student learning. There are lots of things that technology allows a teacher to do in his or her classroom, but there are also lots of good things a good teacher can do without using technology. Technology, like any tool used in the classroom, should be used with the ultimate goal of enhancing student learning.

Different color heads still make bugs . . .

My three year old was playing with a game tonight (Cooties). Instead of playing correctly, she was just making bugs by putting the pieces together. When she and her dad played the other night, they made sure that the heads and bodies matched (same color) as well as all bugs having the same sets of legs (shoes, skates , . . .). Tonight when she was on her own, she pulled a green head off and put it on a red body. Then she looked at me and said, "It is still a bug even if it doesn't match."

Her small comment got me thinking. We may not do things the same way but as teachers we are working towards the same goal: student learning. We use many different tools, technology-related or not. It is not about what tools we use, but it is about what we are trying to achieve. Our classes look different, our students are different, our ways of teaching are different, so the way we "build our bugs" is different, but they are still bugs (hopefully bugs that have learned something).

What should 21st Century Skills look like in a classroom?

When I think about a 21st Century Skills Classroom, I see a classroom where students are actively involved in learning. More time and attention is spent on discovering information, finding solutions, and figuring out ways to present what has been learned rather than just memorizing facts and listing them on a test. Students may be working in small groups, completing whole class activities, or working independently. They are not fixed to one spot doing one type of activity over and over but are able to move back and forth as they work on integrated projects designed to increase communication, creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and problem solving.

In this 21st Century Skills Classroom, technology is present but is not the main focus. Students and teachers are using technology to enhance learning and instruction, not just because it is there. Lessons and projects determine what and how technology is used; not the other way around. Are all students and teachers doing things the same exact way? No, there are many pathways to the same end result. Students are using the ways that work best for them to achieve the stated goals, whether those goals are teacher-directed or student-initiated. There is a “technology toolbox” providing a variety of available options to complete the task at hand. While students are involved in these learning experiences, they are using various technology tools that are readily available in this 21st Century Skills Classroom. Using these tools allows students to be exposed to and learn more about the information, media, and technology skills they will need to be successful.

A certain type of teacher is needed for this 21st Century Skills Classroom. Vicki Davis (http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/) describes this teacher as a “teacherpreneur” who is interested in collaboration, reflection, and always learning (NCTIES Opening Session, March 2009). The teacher of this class will work hard to form partnership to benefit his or her students, as well as think about what does and does not work with his or her instruction, and strive to gain new ideas and insights, possibly form a Personal Learning Network (PLN). The teacher in this 21st Century Skills Classroom is more concerned with teaching the skills students need for learning than focusing on the tools they may use.

Students and teachers in this 21st Century Classroom may be using things like interactive boards, document cameras, wikis, blog, and all kinds of things we don’t even know about yet. But the main focus of this classroom and its teachers or students will be the LEARNING that is taking place whether using the newest forms of technology or not. The technology that is used will be used to bring about greater levels of learning.