A Learning Community for the 21st Century

A student in the 21st century needs a learning environment and support system to keep up with all the world has to offer. Whether it is technology, higher order thinking and collaboration skills or pure innovation, students should be continually fostered in his or her 21st century development.

Digital tools such as wikis, blogs, podcasts and e-portfolios are just some of the ways schools can aid communication and involvement among teachers, administrators and support staff as well as including parents. By reaching out and allowing for easy access to the school, more community resources can be utilized to great benefit of the students.

Just as in student use for learning, digital tools can increase efficiency, effectiveness and even lower expenses while engaging its participants and encouraging collaboration and creativity.

21^st century learning communities should prepare students for digital literacy, innovative thinking, effective communication and efficient productivity. Emphasis should also be put on additional aspects of the learning community such as global awareness, multicultural understanding, harnessing curiosity, exploring creativity and learning the importance of self-direction. Planning, real-world application, civic responsibility, teamwork and even common sense are also ideals to consider implementing.

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Empowering students to be active and productive additions to the modern world is a goal of new and growing significance. Teachers and other support systems need to utilize all the resources available to create a community and learning environment that will show students the practical application of what is being advocated.

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With all the new technologies and mindsets comes a realization that the only aspect that is certain will be that of continual progress and change. Being able to keep up with the fast-paced technological world will be challenging; however, well worth the effort in the long run. Quality will supersede quantity every time and exposure does not necessarily correspond with integration to form a well-rounded and up-to-date pedagogy.

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You will never cross the street without stepping off the sidewalk. So, take a chance on technology and provide students with the tools they need to succeed. With a growing “digital divide”, it is more important now than ever that educational leaders rise to the challenge and make a difference. “Many schools are seeking ways to move into the 21^st century, and an environment ready to change, with a leader supporting that change, is one that will respond, evaluate and reflect effectively” (Schrum and Levin, 2009, p172).

More Tools...Screencasting and Podcasting

I am currently taking a really interesting class at Rutgers called Inclusive Teaching. This class explores how to differentiate for all learning styles and ability levels in a given inclusion classroom setting. Each week, a group gives a presentation highlighting a new technology and how it relates to accommodating at-risk students. Most recently, we talked about screencasting and podcasting. The screencasting presentation focused on Jing. Below is a tutorial I found on youtube for creating a screencast, using Jing, fairly quickly.

Screencasting benefits all types of learners when used in the classroom, including auditory learners, verbal/linguistic learners, visual/spatial learners and musical learners. By creating a narrated tutorial about a certain topic, students are engaged and can focus on the material in a step-by-step process. Screencasting enables teachers to organize and divide tasks into smaller parts so students do not feel overwhelmed.  Presentations can be specifically tailored to students' needs and to emphasize students' strengths. The explanation is exaggerated and students can refer back to this resource as they need it, going at their own pace. Screencast videos can contain text, video, speech, photographs, music and practically anything else that is on the computer. Teaches can use screencasts to explain main ideas, reinforce those ideas, give feedback and share information with students, parents and others. Students can also get involved in screencasting, themselves. By creating a screencast, students can demonstrate knowledge and understanding while expressing it in a creative way and possibly collaborating with peers. There is so much potential for
screencasts, especially for targeting students with special needs.

Here is another great resource...Screencast on Screencasting!

Podcasting is another amazing tool for students and teachers. Podcasts are audio, visual and media files that can be downloaded and played on an MP3 player or computer. With video, they can be refered to as vodcasts. Teachers can use them as part of instruction for students with visual impairments to enhance their learning experience and reinforce comprehension by listening to a reading while following along with a text. Teacher-made podcasts can be referred back to, posted on the class website for students or to allow make up work when absent so students do not fall behind. Student-made podcasts are great for practicing fluency and creating an authentic piece of work in a different way. Playing back student-made podcasts allow students to evaluate and reflect on their efforts. Podcasts are also extremely beneficial for English Language Learners to immerse themselves in a given language at their convenience and at their own pace. Giving students a chance to actively participate in their learning experience is very advantageous in the learning process.

Both of these technologies really encourage students to interact with the tools and engage in cooperative learning, as well as creativity. They can be used for virtually every subject area with an endless amount of possible applications. For example, student could practice for a foreign language class, showcase music, give an oral report, or record an experiment, just to name a few. Podcasting and Screencasting are easy to learn, fun to implement, will motivate students and really do target visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Best of all, these technological tools are relatively inexpensive to utilize!

Social Networks and Privacy Protection

A majority of students are very familiar with the internet and the endless possibilities associated with it. By brining this knowledge into the classroom and applying it to learning holds great potential. Integrating technology into education brings about a whole new set of concerns that must be considered. The goal for every teacher is to find the balance between technological benefits and keeping students safe as they explore the digital world.

One of the most exciting digital tools is social networking. Websites such as Twitter and Facebook have become centers of innovation, progress and connections. Social networking gives everyone a voice and the ability to communicate with virtually unlimited resources. This nod to collaboration and its constructivist nature allows for a creative outlet in education. With the ability to empower students and give them some control of their learning potential, this type of technology enhances student-centered instruction for the 21st century.

With every positive aspect of social networking and other online tools, there comes a host of possible negative consequences. Although they do not outweigh the benefits, they must be proactively addressed. Keeping students safe in regard to privacy and protecting them from inappropriate material is crucial in a successful technology-based learning environment. Legal issues do come into play and it is not something to take lightly. It is up to parents and teachers to inform students on the pitfalls of social networking and should take the steps necessary to guide and direct students to make good decisions. Although so much of staying safe is commonsense, students need to be taught what is acceptable and the possible consequences for misuse.

"Social networking tools, have almost become indispensable for teenagers, who often think their lives are private as long as their parents are not reading their journals" (Barnes, 2006).

Parents should really get involved and set boundaries. This awareness and control will help students as they move into social networking for academic purposes. Teachers and parents can work together to help students develop guidelines and online "commonsense" that will encourage communication, collaboration and creativity without jeopardizing privacy and safety. Creating an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is an important step in getting all parties on the same page and working toward the best online learning environment.

"Protection of teens is a parental responsibility. But the education of teens and their parents to the growing privacy problem will require an educational effort that involves schools, social networking organizations, and government agencies" (Barnes, 2006).

Using Technology In The Classroom

"Part of the allure of blogs is the easy way they move between the personal and the profound" (Nardi, Schiano, Gumbrecht &Swartz, 2007, p 46).

Personally, I think blogs and other digital tools can have a profound impact on teaching and student learning in the 21st century. After reading the article, Why We Blog (Nardi, Schiano, Gumbrecht &Swartz, 2007), I started to realize how blogs can have a real place in education. Blogs document, act as a catharsis, inspire ideas and connect people (Nardi, Schiano, Gumbrecht & Swartz, 2007). What a great tool for teachers and students to use to enhance the learning environment. Materials learned can be reviewed and reinforced. Questions can be asked and reflections contemplated. Students can be prompted to think critically, problem solve and work collaboratively with peers and community resources. The possibilities are endless with the versatile nature of blogs. Class discussion and knowledge formation doesn't have to end when the bell rings. Blogs also give students and teachers a chance to be creative and innovative by expressing ideas, opinions and posing new avenues for inquiry.

Creating and sharing knowledge in an up-to-date fashion can give students a learning experience closely resembling the way in which they share and receive information in their daily lives. Along with blogs, teachers can employ wikis, podcasts, web 2.0 software, photo sharing and the endless amounts of educational websites to aid in students becoming active learners, engaged in the best modern technology has to offer. As with any resource, the benefits don't come without aspects to be concerned about. A technology is only as good as your ability to use it. Keeping up to date is essential and knowing how to use a tool doesn't necessarily mean it is being used to assist learning and higher order thinking abilities. This takes time, pre-planning and pre-assessing students. Individualizing the technology used to the students involved will have the best outcome. Safety is an issue as well. Privacy and appropriateness must be addressed. In addition, validity of the information shared can be an issue. Students also need to know there are consequences for misuse or abuse of technology used for learning purposes. Another thing to consider is how technology can assist and accommodate different ability levels and learning styles. All students learn differently and at different rates. Technology can bridge the variations in any given class. Differentiation is essential, but it doesn't mean students have to be isolated. All the more with technology, differentiation can be collaborative and social. Students can learn from each other and work together to achieve understanding and perspective. "In general, students at all levels show more interest in their work, and their ability to locate and reflect upon their work is greatly enhanced, as are the opportunities for collaborative learning" (Richardson, 2010, p28).

Other than using facebook to keep in touch with friends and family, I am new to creating and utilizing digital tools. In many of my college classes I have been exposed to digital tools, but never used the tools to their fullest extent. It is my aspiration that I can take what I have learned and am currently learning to create a positive technology based learning environment for my students. Making real-life connections and making information meaningful is the first step in transforming information into knowledge. Technology is an integral part of most students' lives. Bringing this element into the realm of education allows students to more easily connect with what they are being taught.