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Cultivating Students Who Produce

We all talk the “21st century talk” about helping students become more engaged and take ownership of their learning. I doubt anyone would argue the need for that.

However, how many of us design lessons that allow students to really be PRODUCERS, and not just CONSUMERS?

What percentage of your lessons asks your students to sit and listen to you for information? What percentage asks them to find the information themselves and then demonstrate their understanding to you?

When I was in school, we were inundated with reports: book reports, science reports, persuasive essays… you name it. While I wholeheartedly believe in the power of writing for kids, I don’t think the standard report is always the way to go.

What if I asked my students to read a book, and then design their own projects to tell me what they learned and understood? If I provided them a set of objectives/parameters, as well as the rubric I would use to grade the projects, would that be engaging? Would they have ownership of their learning?

How about a persuasive essay? Maybe I could ask my students to work in groups and create a PSA (public service announcement) instead. I could require a script, a recorded version on iMovie or MovieMaker, or maybe a live performance, as well as  anything else that would allow the students to make some decisions, solve some problems, and be creative.

What kind of lessons would you design to:

a) engage your students more,
b) incorporate 21st century skills (I follow http://www.21stcenturyskills.org for a definition of those skills),
and
c) move your students from CONSUMERS to PRODUCERS?

Please contribute an idea or two in the comments section… I’ll follow up with another post with some of the highlighted ideas, or even a wiki where we could continue to add lesson ideas.

Thanks in advance!

CatchPhrase

Definition of catchphrase1:

noun

1. a phrase that attracts or is meant to attract attention.

2. a phrase, as a slogan, that comes to be widely and repeatedly used, often with little of the original meaning remaining.

“21st Century” has become the latest catchphrase in education. Sadly.

I’ve attended numerous sessions, classes, discussions– you name it– about “21st Century” learners, skills, education, workplace, etc. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a set of definitions, as well as guidelines and resources. If you haven’t already read through that set of resources, you should. I think many others, however, are simply bandying about a term and then bending to fit their agenda. These ‘others’ range from educational leaders to politicians to business owners…

Where does that lead the rest of us?

Wordle: Random 21st Century Learning Wordle
Random 21st Century Learning Wordle from Wordle.net

Alfie Kohn posted a great proposal about this very subject.

If you agreed 100% with his proposal- we have a problem- but I’m sure you recognized the satire in his ‘voice.’ Whether or not you agree with Kohn’s sometimes controversial beliefs, I think he makes a point here that people get caught up in catchphrases. I see bandwagon jumping all the time with different educational trends. So, again, where does this lead the rest of us??

It’s important to truly understand what kids need in order to be successful in a very different world than the one we knew at their age. Mostly, they need to be able to adapt, to learn how to learn.

Alvin Toffler said:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

I use that quote OFTEN, because that is what 21st century learning means to me.

Instead of assigning a label to teaching and learning- and then simultaneously changing that label to meet our own agendas- why don’t we look at what is truly necessary for kids to be successful in their world. And when will we learn that it doesn’t look like what we’re doing now?

So… what does 21st century learning mean to you? Is it simply a catchphrase to add one more thing to what we’re already doing? or are you thinking educational reform because of the conversations around “21st century skills” that all kids need?

BTW, I really would be disappointed if the US (or anyone else for that matter) found a way to assess creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation- through standardized methods. It would make it easier to compare our kids, though, right? Because all kids are apples.

End of soap box time. Thanks for listening.

1catchphrase. (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved February 03, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/catchphrase

Technology is Simply a Tool

I find myself repeating that phrase a lot- “Technology is a tool.” It doesn’t enhance learning on its own.

In a session earlier this week, I compared blogs to hammers. You wouldn’t go to the hardware store, purchase a hammer, and make a decision to build something simply because you have a hammer. What if you decide to build something that requires a screwdriver instead of a hammer? You purchased the tool before deciding what to build, and now you have the wrong tool.

Likewise, you don’t start off blogging because you simply want to have a blog (or wiki, or SMARTBoard, or [insert technology tool here]). If you’re looking for an outlet for personal reflection, sharing your thoughts and questions with others in a similar field for example, then a blog is a great tool for that purpose. Blogs are not the answer to every learning situation, though.

Sometimes, I wonder if we are thinking about the tools before we think about the purpose. In education, it would be great to have every tool at our disposal so that learning could be unrestricted. While that’s not exactly realistic, I think it’s definitely something we need to consider. When school districts consider how they can better support technology for students… are we setting our focus on the tools? Or… is the purpose already well-defined, so it’s a good time to go ‘shopping’ for the tools?

I don’t have those answers, but I would really like to hear what you think.