Personalising Learning Through Technology
Personalising Learning Through Technology Our students are digital natives; for them the way to learn, communicate relax, socialise etc is with and by technol
- it stimulates them and allows them to be globally connected 24/7; in their worlds NOW is an all the time thing
- it provides independence and individuality in what they choose to create - it gives them access to almost limitless opportunities for accessing what they need, sharing, connecting and communicating; interdependence
- it arouses the brain; the brain enjoys the patterning and colours that multimedia affords.
As teachers are we harnessing this to teach new things in new ways or to teach old things in new ways?
Professor David Perkins from the School of Education at Harvard University describes our 21st century students as wanting to learn in a wilder
- being able to think and act flexibly to relate, create and discover
- he asks the question of us as educators, “should learning be a neat lawn or lush jungle?
- the following websites are well worth a visit; the future is happening now
So what are we as teachers meant to do?
Firstly, why do we have to know stuff before our students?
- starting with curiosity rather than certainty is what it’s all about
- ask them how technology permeates everything they do; we will be amazed
- ask them how they would approach leaning in their virtual worlds
- have a class discussion to set agreed expectations on the processes and steps that would need to be taken in project based learning
- encourage them to create questions themselves from their attempts to apply their learning to new situations
- organise classes to work together in online in groups; this can be extended to other schools both locally and globally; this is the new paradigm in their worlds
- ask our students to compile a digital portfolio of pieces of learnt material they are proud of and present it to their local and global audiences
Another innovative educator well worth researching is Marco Torres. His students are engaged in rich learning through multi-media technology. Google ”Sweatshop”, a piece of work created by one of his students; it’s special.
The world needs creative and innovative thinkers in the 21st century; it’s time learning and teaching got a whole lot wilder.
“Preparing them for their futures, not our past” Lane Clark