Blog #7- Chapter Six in Bellanca and Brandt

Last week I read Chapter Six- Designing New Learning Environments to Support 21^st Century Skills in Bellanca and Brandt.  There were many points that the authors tried to bring to the forefront in Chapter Six, but there were three in particular that I thought they emphasized.  One is that we as educators/teachers must make a move away from teacher-directed whole group instruction.  Students should be the focal point at all times in a learning environment centered on collaboration amongst students.  We need to create learner-centered workplaces that encourage a collaborative culture of students at work.  The authors point out that research now indicates that students learn best when they are engaged in learning activities and they can now do most of the work.  “Telling/lecturing,” needs to take a backseat to the “new pedagogy of kids teaching themselves with the teacher’s guidance.”  The second main point the authors illustrated in my opinion was the changes we need to make to the learning environment/school design.  Most classrooms are rows and rows of students focused on a lecturing teacher in the front of the classroom.  The design of the classrooms and schools needs to change to incorporate the technology we now have.  Computers, Smart boards, LCD Projectors, and digital cameras/phones are just some of the technology that is now used in the schools and we need to make sure the environment is conducive to learning and this technology.  An example would be to have open spaces (no walls/barriers) where students are grouped in teams which can enable collaboration and allow for all students to easily see computer projections in the front of the room/area.  Finally I thought the authors tried to make a point that we must give the students lots of hands-on projects or initiate more Project-Based Learning (PBL).  PBL engages and challenges our students and leads to 21^st century knowledge skills.  Complex problems, critical thinking skills, presentations, collaboration/teams, posting online, and effective assessments for learning are all skills that are needed for our students.  These skills enable our students to be competitive on a global level and prepare them for the world they will be facing upon completion of school.

I found this chapter in the book to be very interesting, because it relates directly to many of the videos and ideas we have recently shared in class.  Ideas that we as teachers need to adapt to the “new learning environments,” and make changes in order to prepare our students for the future.  Just this marking period in my classes, I have made an effort to give more collaborative teamwork assignments where I assign groups and allow students to take roles within the groups.  Leaders develop in each group and students really dip into their creative sides for the various projects.  I have set up projects where the students use their computers and cell phones to gather information and complete assignments.  Students are given more flexibility to be creative and think on their own to come up with incredible projects.  I think Bellanca and Brandt highlighted some of these thoughts in Chapter Six.  “Building Schools of the Future,” is the name of the eighty billon dollar movement in the UK to prepare students for the changes that have occurred in our world today.  Rethinking how students learn best and preparing them with these 21^st century skills is the movement that is taking place and we can either jump on board or continue to fall behind.  I completely agreed with the author’s thoughts on a focused work environment, collaborative work, and hands-on projects for our students.  Bellanca and Brandt stated that the signature characteristic of 21^st century schools is, “students at work.”  This central idea in Chapter Six that the students need to be at work through critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork is right on point in my opinion.  Students learn more from being engaged and challenged than they do from listening to a teacher lecture for an entire period.  Many times as a student, I found myself daydreaming or my mind wandering when a teacher just lectured in front of the classroom for a long period of time.  When I was involved in the lesson and required to think in groups or on my own, I learned more (not only about the subject matter, but about myself).

Obviously implementation of these ideas is not an easy task.  On pages 129-144, the authors gave examples of five schools in the US and UK that exemplify the best of the new learning environments.  These schools have built technology-equipped students at work both individually and in collaborative teams. These schools are great models for technology-based schools for the future and should be used as the blueprint for schools trying to make their schools more conducive to 21^st century learning.  Hard work, effort, and dedication are required by school districts, staff, and students.  In order to completely change a school’s design and classroom environment to make sure it is conducive to technological learning, money is going to be needed to bring in the technology.  Money is going to be needed to make the necessary changes to the school layout and classroom design.  Implementation does not happen overnight, but yet is a long, slow process, but if it starts now, goals can be met in the future little by little.  Involving the community (parents) is the key to implementation.  You must educate the community as to why these changes are imperative.  You will need all hands on deck in order to accomplish school goals.  Voting ‘yes’ to the budgets each year will be important, and so the teachers/staff need to promote the good things that are occurring in our schools.  Parents need to be kept apprised to the changes that are occurring and the ones that need to occur in order to help our students achieve 21^st century skills.

Blog #6- Collaborative Technology

The website that I decided to select was the one that I was assigned in class, because I found it very interesting and something that is completely relevant to the changes in education as we move towards on emphasis on 21^st century skills.  The website was under the third link: Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership. ‘A Collaborative School Embracing Digital Media’ was the article I selected.  First I want to give a brief overview of what the video included.  Landmark Elementary School, which is part of Pajaro Valley Unified School District, in Watsonville, California has made major strides for equipping the staff and students with the latest technological gadgets.  Under the direction of Principal Jennifer Wildman there has been a foundation of trust and collaboration built around digital media.  After years of raising money by fundraising events and working with the parents/community, Landmark Elementary School obtained $80,000.  The money was put towards building a computer lab with LCD Projectors, six Smart Boards, flip phones/digital cameras. 

The video focuses though on the flip cameras and the use of these phones (camera function) in the classrooms.  Providing staff and students with access to these technological tools, has enhanced both the teaching and learning at Landmark Elementary School.  The camera function on the Flip Phones is used in a variety of ways to improve the education at the school and has completely changed the teacher evaluation process.  Flip cameras allow teachers to go back and observe their own lessons, when in the past and in most schools, teachers never get to see their own lessons. It gives teachers an opportunity to critique their own lessons and self-evaluate which can be very helpful.  Another great function of the flip cameras is Peer Teacher evaluations.  Teachers meet after observations and provide feedback to one another on lessons (after watching observation videos), as well as give teachers the opportunity to see new practices, share ideas, and participate in quality data.  The evaluation process is cost-effective as well, because no substitutes are needed.  The teachers have bought into the new evaluation system and feedback has been extremely positive.  Most teachers have indicated that they have found the phones to be very helpful in their teaching process.

Students also benefit from the flip cameras, because they are able to see their own work/performance.  The students take a certain pride in knowing that their work is “published,” and is significant.  Another great thing about having the students see videos of classroom lessons, presentations, themselves, peers, etc. is that they can go back whenever they desire and see the video.  They can learn skills such as analyzing, critiquing, adjusting/revising, and computer functions that go with the videos.  It also enables the students as much time as they need to analyze their work, because of the pause and rewind features of the videos. 

I really enjoyed this video for many reasons.  I believe Principal Wildman, her staff, and the students are all benefiting from the flip cameras.  Both teachers and students are learning so much about themselves through this process.  Implementing technology into the classroom is imperative for all schools as we move on in the 21^st century, and this school has it right!  Principal Wildman had several thoughts that I loved, because of the simplicity and vision she has for the future of her school.  She said, “implementation is a process.”  She knows this is a marathon and not a sprint.  Capturing promising practices is so important and this school has that advantage through the technology they are using.  I also love how Principal Wildman talks about the fact that she encourages her staff to, “not be afraid of the technology,” but yet embrace it.  Trial and error, exploration, sharing strategies, collaboration of both staff and students are all ways Landmark School is trying to sustain technology.  Principal Wildman said herself on the video that she still has no idea on how to use the Smart Boards they have in the computer lab.  She says she understands that some teachers/students will be more tech savvy than others, but she does not want that to deter the members of her school from trying everything and working hard to obtain the skills to use the technology.  Constant collaboration of staff and students as well as building such a positive atmosphere in the school can only help this school move forward.  

“Let’s make our teachers better,” Principal Wildman stated towards the end of the video.  She said that all of these pieces of technology the school has acquired have been great, but the main focus is on making the teachers better.  Better teaching leads to more student learning.  This video related directly to many class discussions we have had, ideas in Bellanca and Brandt, and how I personally see schools moving forward.  Technology is no longer going to be a rare sight in a classroom, but yet be the driving force behind the classroom.  Why would we deny the technology, when our students are using it all day, everyday?  This video opened my eyes to ways to incorporate a few pieces of technology into productive lessons.  Teacher evaluation is changing as well, and this school highlighted great ways to evaluate teachers.  Many times there is little to no feedback after a lesson I get observed in.  If I had the opportunity to see my own lessons as well as see other teacher’s lessons, I could gain so much beneficial feedback. I work at the HS level, so if a school filled with children as young as the Kindergarten level can use technology to help their education, then anyone is capable of doing this!

Class Activity #5 (URL)

http://www.portical.org/tv/a-collaborative-school-embracing-digital-media/97.htm

Implementing technology into the classroom with a focus on Flip Phones and their camera function