My initial reaction was wow. I’m not sure ..I know…any more. I can’t believe it. I always heard US was behind China and India. As far as education goes, they have more honors students then we have students. China will be the number one English speaking country in the world? That doesn’t seem right….Could it be?
Based on some of the statistics, I think we need to prepare students to be more independent learners and thinkers. The jobs we are preparing students for now don’t even exist yet. If we can help them learn to get along with others, to challenge each other, to discover their own learning, then they could be successful in jobs. I find that students who are more independent and can manage their own education tend to be more confident and secure in themselves. This confidence would hopefully, allow them to perform well in jobs in the 21st century. Successful students are learners who can adapt to current technologies and embrace the use of technology and use it to its fullest potential. For example, if the student is a poor writer, they could use multiple technologies that would allow them to improve their writing, whether they have grapho-motor difficulties or even sentence structure. There are tools out there that they can assist all types of student to perform at a level at least equal to their peers.
To be successful in changing the current paradigm to a more innovative paradigm people need to accept change. Accepting change can occur if teachers, students, parents all work together to look for ways to improve education for all. Teachers need to be trained, parents need to support the teacher training, and parents also need to be supportive of their child’s education and potentially a shift from the traditional math/science/social studies /English curriculum to a more innovative curriculum. Curriculum needs to incorporate general and advanced skills to assist our student to adjust and embrace fast changing technology and future jobs.
Who’s scared? I’m scared. I’m scared on multiple levels. I’m scared personally because I have children who hopefully will be productive members of society. Who knows where their future lies. I’m scared professionally, as I’m trying to transition from the classroom to a position of administration, I will be charged with assisting staff to make curriculum changes to help students be successful in the 21st century. Are students scared too? I’m not sure; the students I deal with have total faith in their teachers. I don’t think they realize education can be different.
What do we do with the teachers who refuse to use technology? First and foremost, we need to be sure these teachers have been trained. Not just put in a training session and then say go use it in your classroom, but have been trained, have observed the desired use of technology in action, had opportunities to try and succeed (or fail) without penalty and the opportunity to grow. If after multiple attempts to help the teacher use technology – then perhaps more corrective actions should be investigated.
Did I know? Now I know more. Is there more to know? I always assume there is. Let’s see what the future brings.
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4 comments:
Mary, all I kept thinking about was the "myspace". I can't believe that my son hates typing his papers, but will spend hours on myspace.
For years I have always wanted to do a study on China or India to see what it is that makes them so far ahead of us. In my school all of the national honor society kids are of Indian descent. (We do not have many from China). I have gone through extensive measures by talking and surveying people from India about their advancement and I was not surprised to find out a few interesting things. Did not know that: In India as early as kindergarten children must memorize the time tables. They do not have the technology and if they do they do not allow them to use it because they believe that by exercising the brain it will absorb the memorization process. English is taught alongside with their country language. I now understand things a little better.
How do we help students use technology when they more about it than we do? When my computer at school doesn't work, I usually get a sixth grade student to come down and fix it.
Educators need to be better trained in the use of technology--training that should be mandatory. If educators are going inspire their students to take risks, they must do so by example.
I agree with you we defitnately do need to prepare our students to be more independent thinkers and learners. This is very hard though because I know in my class if the answer is not right in front of them some of them give up. We need to teach them not to give up. They need to have confidence. Like you said children that are more independent tend to be more confident. We want our children to be successful. We need to make sure they walk out of our classrooms with the skills needed to be that person.
American educators need to seriously take a look at how we do things and try to develop a way to equal the educational production of these other countries. Maybe we should send teachers to places like India and China and study their methods to help our students.
Side note, it does strike me as outlandish that China will have mroe English speakers than anywhere else in the world.
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