Stop Living in the Past!
Throughout the years education has evolved. Technology has become more available and has found its way into the classroom in different capacities. The way of thinking of teaching and learning has further developed. So what is 21st century learning? After much thought and research, I would define 21st century learning as being a combination of the 4 C’s: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. It is the shift from memorization of facts to the understanding of concepts and the ability to apply skills and knowledge. 21st Century Learning may look different in every classroom but the goal is the same. In my classroom, I try to incorporate collaboration, creativity and technology as much as possible. One main concept that I didn’t know about until CEP 810 was TPACK. TPACK is the combination of pedagogy and content knowledge and how to incorporate technology into a lesson. As an 8th grade social studies team, we look at what the students have to master and how we can use technology to fit the model. Our task for this week in CEP 810 was to create a 21st Century Learning lesson plan. My students are encouraged to work in groups, ask questions for understanding and clarification, have discussions, and use technology when available. One thing virtual learning has taught me is that my students know more than me. I was introduced to PBS Kids and on their website I had a student show me an American Revolution interactive game. I partnered up students and had them work through the game. I listened and viewed great discussions with partners and had them support one another when one of them got an answer incorrect. Hearing “Don’t you remember when…”, “We did an activity on that Tuesday with ...”, “You may not have been in class, but…” I think that 21st century learning is happening in the moments that we aren’t planning for. It also happens differently in each classroom because of the environment the teacher has created. I believe if a student feels like a valued member of the class then they are going to want to work harder, if they don't feel valued then they aren’t going to do the work. Another effect is the use of technology. In my classroom, when technology is being used, students are more engaged in learning which leads to a mastery of the outcome. Incorporating technology in lessons was all about availability, but with virtual teaching it’s about getting creative. For my lesson plan, the outcome was for students to look at the social and military factors of the British and Americans during the American Revolution. Integrating technology into my lesson plan required some research and collaboration. Ultimately, I chose to use Jamboard, a digital white board, for students to post answers and ideas. This enabled them to collaborate and communicate with one another in real time. I also used Brain Pop, a website with over 1,000 short educational videos for students, for my introduction into the causes of the American Revolution. This allowed students to visually see what we had been discussing in class. The lesson also included Padlet, a web app that lets users post notes on a digital wall, for students to work collaboratively on the differences between Britain and America. For my lesson, students will work within Padlet to create a digital wall on the strengths and weaknesses of British and American societies. They then will have to find pictures and political cartoons to showcase their understanding, which allows for creativity. Students will then share their wall and field questions and comments from other students, as they collaborate and apply their understanding of the concepts. Not all plans go accordingly, making adjustments on the fly is key. I think embracing those adjustments and altering your plan as you go to keep students moving towards the goal is what makes a teacher successful. Resources: Candace M. (2013, April 26). TPACK in 2 minutes. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=FagVSQlZELY
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