This video captured what many educators have already began to notice in the education system today. We are now teaching in a world where technology isn't just a tool to use here or there, it is a requirement for success in almost any field. Our students are living in a different world than we grew up in. They are learning in different ways than we learned. They have more information at their fingertips than we could have ever imagined. So, what does this mean to us as educators? It means if we, as educators, do not equip them with the technological skill sets of the 21st century it is not just poor teaching, it is a disservice to that child. Currently, students are being over tested and drilled with skills that are not relevant to the world they are walking out to outside the classroom. We as educators need to strive toward facilitating students to be problem solvers, critical thinkers, data collectors, and explorers, not "good test takers".
It is undeniable that students are surrounded by an amazingly stimulating environment. One of the speakers said that students are so connected outside of school through Facebook, twitter, online communities, messaging, and yet schools are banning these tools. I can relate to this in my own experience as a teacher. I can recount conversations with several educators who said that they have passed on these great global opportunities for fear of breaching "school policy". Is it safe? Will I get in trouble if my student posts something online? How do I even go about utilizing more technology into my teaching? These are just a few questions that linger in the minds of most educators. I believe in order to move forward we need to make educators comfortable with taking risks in 21st century learning and teaching. We also need to train and give teachers the skills they need to lead their students in a technology rich world. Just as we recognize that students are learning in a different way, we need to address that teachers need to teach in a different way.
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