Here is a great children’s story called The North Star that you can read online. It is a wonderful story that even adults should take note. You choose your character and the story begins. At one point in the story, my little character talks about exploring the world, “"Oh, but I HAVE been on a journey! I've seen many wonderful things."I need to do the same thing when I am introducing new concepts, skills, and technology to our students and I need to do the same thing when I am introducing new technology to colleagues. I need to make make the world an exciting place to explore and make the students/colleagues curious enough to want more. I need to make them excited about the new things they learn and make them want to learn more. Not only do I want them to learn it but I want them to use it.
Just like a small child who learns by experiencing the world just by touching, seeing, feeling, hearing, and playing, I need to make sure that the new learner is able to experience the same things. Small children are constantly learning and are so enthusiastic to learn. Why have I joined others and changed the learning environment into straight rows and lectures? How could I think this was more important than touching, seeing, feeling, or experiencing the actual learning? Would it be better to teach a student to cook by having him read a recipe book or actually make something by following a recipe?
Now that the economy has gone in a downward spiral, how can I help new learners to get these experiences? I heard on the news today that local schools are being discouraged from taking field trips because of high gas prices. Teachers will need to see how to bring students on virtual field trips. Maybe they can invite people into their classrooms using Skype. If you can’t go to the art museum, maybe go to specific pictures of the art and have the art curator talk to the class over Skype about the art. Brainstorm with other teachers (in your real world or virtual world) about how to bring the world into the classroom.
Before teachers are able to engage students in this kind of learning, teachers will have to learn these tools also. Again high gas prices are affecting teachers going away to professional development opportunities. I have heard where many schools are letting teachers go to workshops because of the economy. Professional learning does not have to stop because of that. Why not get a group together at your own school? Have teachers talk about a new tool they want to learn or a project they want to do. Then everyone researches what they can about and get back together to share information. The other day someone on my Twitter network wanted to try out this tool called Twiddla and asked people to join her in trying it out. You could do the same thing with people at your own school and still invite your virtual friends to help out. When I see events like this, I think the options are limitless. We need to use all of the resources that are available.
The world is an exciting place and we need to experience it and we need to help other experience it too!
Photo credit: The Great Orion Nebula by DJMcCrady
4 comments:
Thanks, Pat. This next year my charge is to become "less tactical and more strategic" in getting teachers to use technology effectively. I've had a lot of tactical success with one-one-one sessions. Like you, I have an enthusiams for trying new things, and I'm told it can be infectious. :-)
But how to scale that? That's what's still got me puzzled.
skydaddy: I think the important thing to do is to excite learners by giving them bite size. We need to make sure we don't overwhelm learners (students or teachers). Once they feel the taste of success, they will crave to learn more.
"I heard on the news today that local schools are being discouraged from taking field trips because of high gas prices. Teachers will need to see how to bring students on virtual field trips. Maybe they can invite people into their classrooms using Skype. If you can’t go to the art museum, maybe go to specific pictures of the art and have the art curator talk to the class over Skype about the art. Brainstorm with other teachers (in your real world or virtual world) about how to bring the world into the classroom."
It is really unfortunate that we would think that children's learning is the thing we should sacrifice instead of any other number of things. Authentic art experiences can't be replaced by "virtual" experiences although the learning can be similar, the difference between one of my paintings online and in person is huge.
There is a percetpual shift when art is viewed online of in a book. Everything becomes 16"x20". There are many pictures I have seen in books that did not impress me but, when I saw them at MOMA I was blown away.
Ethically, should field trips be the first thing we cut? Maybe something else should be at the front of the line like unnecessary administrative costs, or unused subscriptions to online resources that aren't used in classrooms.
Inviting people in with skype is a hugely important idea. Then you can talk to places you could NEVER go on a field trip to. I have found that many higher ed folks are very keen to talk with people for a few minutes from the other side of the country. How about learning about the Olympics from a person at the Olympics?
j m holland: I understand that virtual trips won't take the place of real field trips but most of my students couldn't afford the field trip when gas prices were low so we didn't take many. I wrote grants a few times to get money to take them on field trips and one of them was our local art museum. I think we have great works of art but I couldn't pay for this trip every year and wanted my students o learn to appreciate the art. Taking a virtual trip was the next best alternative.
I love the thought about Skype-ing to places they will never go. Your suggestion made me think about interviewing an Iditarod racer which I think would be cool. But I guess I was thinking less globally because some of my students have never been out of their own neighborhoods. I've taken my class hiking at a state park which is only 20 miles away, and they were speechless. It is hard for them to relate to places they will never see until I can get them to understand the world that is close to them.
Post a Comment