Job Number One: Modeling Online Learning

The most important goal of every teacher today should be to successfully model how to use the Internet for learning, creating, collaborating, problem solving, and DOING rather than merely using it for entertainment.

Why?  Because the Internet is both the keeper of all things known to man as well as the keeper of all the evil distractions.  A person can learn anything online, or they could spend the rest of their life watching YouTube videos and playing Words with Friends on FaceBook.  As of right now, we aren't using technology enough in our learning environments to teach students anything about its most powerful abilities.  Most teachers, for whatever reason, refuse to embrace its use or modify their lessons to leverage its power.  They won't take the time needed to learn what is necessary to teach kids how to use what could be the most powerful human invention ever for good rather than evil.  OK, entertaining yourself into a drooling mass of meat isn't exactly evil, but it's a far cry from using the Internet to its potential.

Here is an excerpt from Stop Stealing Dreams by Seth Godin:
Just as online shopping scaled, an inexorable rise due to the efficiencies of the connections created by the net, so will the digital delivery of information permeate every nook and cranny of what we learn.


What we can't do, though, is digitize passion.  We can't force the student to want to poke around and discover new insights online.  We can't merely say, "here," and presume the students will do the hard (and scary) work of getting over the hump and conquering their fears.


We (educators) have to model that passion.  We have to be the bridge between the world of knowledge available online and the method of its delivery, since teachers' time as THE method of delivery is over.  Our desire to entertain ourselves may outweigh our desire for knowledge unless someone shows us the way to love learning digitally.

Who is going to do that?  Certainly not the teacher who finds every excuse NOT to use technology.  Definitely not the teacher who says they don't have time to learn how to leverage the Internet's capabilities in their classroom.  What's scary is that the vast majority of teachers I've met fit into those two categories, despite what they may say about the importance of using technology or how much they say they want to use it.

If you are one of the teachers who says they don't have time:  make time.  How did you have time to learn anything you know today?  Didn't it take time?  It's a matter of priority, and I don't want to wait until an entire generation of Internet users care only about their high score to decide to do something about it.

What is Holding You Back? Part 1

Education often operates in a state of contradictions.  On the one hand, we are preparing students for the future.  On the other, we are one of the most antiquated institutions in America.  We want only the best for our students, but scrutinize every program, every decision, every move with prying eyes to save a dollar.  Most of society agrees that we need to be giving students a world class education, but the community won't support outfitting them with the modern digital tools to ensure that it happens.  We have tons of evidence and research telling us that we need to change the system, yet we still shuffle kids through a system built for an age that doesn't exist anymore.  

In my job, I am often confronted with contradictions of word and deed.  I hear all the time about how far behind the K-12 system is, and how we need to be doing so much more to help students navigate their way in an increasingly digital world.  I have yet to meet a teacher who doesn't care about the future success of their students.  I very rarely talk with anyone who disagrees about technology's importance in their future success.  Yet, I find that very few teachers are willing to put forth the time or effort to learn how to leverage this powerful tool for the good of their students.  It makes me wonder:  why not?    

So, I asked everyone in USD 418 what is holding them back from using technology to teach and learn with students.  I wanted to know:  if they think it's important for students' long term success, and they want their students to be successful, why aren't they doing more to be technologically literate?  

I have made some categories that I believe the majority of the comments fit into, and will respond in general to each category.  Responses fitting that category have been copied verbatim at the end of the post.  Each post in this series will deal with another category.  Let's get this series started, then, shall we?  

Availability of Equipment

It always baffles me when we justify spending billions of dollars on war machines without so much as a blink, and then scrutinize every dollar spent educationally as "waste".  Obviously, funding is the biggest issue with the availability of equipment in the district.  The priorities for spending during years of budget cuts have gone toward keeping staff and programs, and it's hard to argue with that decision.  

We missed an opportunity here.  Before I came to McPherson, there was an initiative to bring laptops to the HS for every student.  It failed, and it failed miserably.  Ever since I arrived, I have asked questions about that initiative.  What caused it to fail?  Who was opposed to it?  Why?  What was said to rally against it?  I have often found surprising answers.  Apparently, there was quite a bit of dissent even among staff about the proposal.  Folks at other schools felt they were being slighted, even though the rest of the High School's tech budget would have gone to their schools and accounted for a large increase in equipment there as well.  There were teachers who spoke openly in opposition to the initiative, for whatever reasons they had.  

In the end, no technology initiative is going to pass a community vote if the teachers don't even want it.  Maybe you should talk with your colleagues about how much having more available technology would help you and your students.  A big part of the reason we don't have more "stuff" could be right down the hall from you.

Survey Responses in this category:

"the number of computers available to each student"

"Some students change web pages to their own interests if they think someone is not watching them.  They quickly switch back if a teacher gets in their area.  As far as using technology without students having individual laptops, I find a lack of experience and training on my part, and a lack of equipment in the room as the main obstacles in the class"

"Ability to understand how to incorporate that technology into the lessons I provide and access to the technology in my own classroom."

"Lack of computers: certain teachers/departments always seem to be hogging the computers and they are not always available when I would like to use them. At MMS, it would be helpful if each department (core areas) had a cart that could be shared among the teachers (or some kind of rotation between departments). It would also be extremely helpful if we could see a calendar of when computer carts/labs are being used so I can make arrangements and sign up for computers ahead of time while doing weekly/monthly plans."

"There is not currently enough computers to use with the students.  When I have asked for computers, I get the old computers that are not able to connect to the newer airports and do not have the capabilities needed to run the programs I would like to use."

"Either we do not have have them or we are introduced to great websites, applications, etc., but there is no follow up on how to truly work and use them."

"There are not enough teachers to cover all of our students to make a technology classes available for everyone in the building.  One to one laptops would help tremendously to give all students access.  There once was a time that notices would go out to inform us when there were ESSDACK events/workshops or other outside trainings to make sure teachers know about them without having to search for professional development in technology. Some of us need more than what is provided in just USD 418."

"What holds me back is that there is only so much time in the day for work, caring for my family, and other obligations.  Learning new technology takes time for exploration, learning, and practice.  I am wanting my students to have a full class set of computers in my room.  I do know how to use those…"

"Laptops to use in the classroom are older so they don't hold a charge long enough and with some of the larger classes the number of lap tops does not equal a class set."

"devises.  the ability to continue work with students when they go home (they don't have computers/internet at home)"

"Some times it's the lack of having it to use. Then other times it's a problem of myself not having enough knowledge to help them. I do feel that are kids are not having enough learning on the technology but we also don't have enough computer to for them to learn on."

"There is absolutely no technology in my classroom. There is not a projector, a screen, anything to use. My kids (pre-k) love when we let them do computer activities, and I know they would love to be more hands-on. We could also project online stories on a screen or Promethean board."

"Never getting a cart checked out when I have asked. Other departments are higher on the list or always seem to be using them.  Also, I don't always know what my plans will be far enough in advance to get the machines reserved.  Limited number of machines available."

"Lack of access to computers; working with preschoolers in general.  I think that at this age the focus is on other skills with just a basic introductory focus on computer skills."

"*Many things are filtered out.

*Taking the time to set up students' emails on each type of technology - it is difficult to collaborate if we do not have that set up and ready to go.

*Sometimes it is getting access to the technology (lab, individual computers, etc.)

*The training sessions available are good but need more time to actually work on setting up the project / and or ideas.  I tend to go home with ideas but have difficulty setting them up after I leave the training.

*Can the lab computers have photo/video capability?"

"The availability of the computers. The frustration of being able to connect to a signal with some computers while others are waiting to load/connect. Lack of money to adequately fund the technology for the classroom. Lack of adequate professional development and time devoted for professional development (unless it is all on the learners own time)."

Educating Our Way to Prosperity

We will never fully recover from this recession.  At least, not by doing what we have been doing.  It doesn't matter who is elected president, or if congress suddenly realizes that toddlers do a better job of compromise, step up to the plate and stop bickering long enough to actually run the legislative branch.  No, those things will have little or no effect on things because the real problem in the United States is that it has turned its back on the one great economic stimulus engine we have:  the free public education available to all citizens.  

I don't know how to make this any simpler:  unless you educate our youth to compete with the rest of the world, we aren't going to be able to compete.  Until we stop teacher bashing in the media and look for ways to help them do their nearly impossible jobs, until we respect education as the great equalizer that it is, until we stop taking money away from schools and forcing them to cut programs that are proven to help kids learn, and until we invest in our future at at least the same level as we invest in protecting ourselves from those who would do us harm, we don't have much hope for the future.  

The world's problems are big.  The jobs that students today will need to do in the future are complex.  We cannot continue to do the same things and expect different results.  The data is in, and it's glaringly obvious that testing kids to death doesn't make them smarter.  Filling in bubbles doesn't help them solve problems, think creatively about solutions to complex issues, or collaborate with others on difficult tasks which require experts from various fields.  Giving them drugs to make them sit still, be quiet, and listen to more lecture isn't going to create the kind of worker the future-and this economy-needs.  

We don't need assembly line workers anymore.  We don't need thoughtless clones who follow orders without question.  China and India each have more honor students than we have students.  Can you blame American companies for going outside our borders to recruit?  They can't find enough qualified people here to fill the kinds of jobs that are in high demand.  

We don't need standardized tests to help us do it better.  "Better" won't cut it anymore.  We need "different".  The entire model of school needs to change.  It needs to be more like the life we are preparing students to have.  

We need thinkers, collaborators, problem solvers, effective communicators, and most of all-we need learners who know how to learn, unlearn, and relearn as things change.  We need people who can evaluate things from different angles, then invite experts in to help them with the things they can't solve themselves.  In schools today, that's called cheating.  

The old way doesn't fit our needs anymore.  It's time to stop talking about how to make it better and dig in with the real work of retooling our education system to meet the needs of the learners.