What does it mean to be part of an innovative project? To innovate is to behave in ways that are contrary to the norm. Innovation is the creation of something new from experimentation and study. The Innovative Learning Designs Project is an opportunity for teachers to experiment with their teaching in the context of the 21st century. This project allows teams of teachers to explore new ways of teaching that take advantage of digital tools and the “screenager” mindset. How can we create the best teaching and learning experiences for students? What instructional innovations have the greatest impact on student engagement and learning? What conditions will allow students to take greater ownership of their own learning? As educators, where will our own learning be in this two-year journey?
I have to say I was particularly impressed with the applications we received for this project and the depth of thought invested in developing school action plans. I learned a great deal that I want to share here.
The most powerful tool we have is our brains. Scherer (2011) emphasizes, “Engagement isn’t a focus on entertainment; it is about brain activity. Is each student’s brain fully engaged?” Teachers were clear that the project was not about the regurgitation of facts but the opportunity for students (and teachers) to transform their thinking by creating new knowledge and understanding. We leverage technology on the digital highway to stretch student thinking. Technology, “…does not drive the learning—the learning intentions come first.” Technology enhances those learning intentions but it is the thinking that is central to improved learning.
It is not about the i-candy (ie, the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch). One school summed it up this way: “From the perspective of the school and the research team members, it is critically important that everyone understands what this research project with the integration of the iPads CANNOT become. The iPads will NOT be used as toys, entertainment devices or as distractions from the learning tasks in the classroom.” And the researchers could not have been more clear that their focus is on improving student learning. How will they do that? By engaging their learners in the four C’s of 21st century learning: communication, critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity and innovation, and collaboration.
Student thinking and learning has shifted. For example, “Students today are texting, emailing, tweeting, face booking, blogging, video chatting, and playing realistic games with others across the country or across the world for extended periods of time. They are familiar with receiving instant, real time action and updates.” Teachers in the project recognize they, “need to explore ways to use students’ digital knowledge to enhance learning, and to use these tools to motivate students.” When we understand their world, we can hijack their digital interests for our own learning objectives.
Finally, teachers make a fundamental difference in the lives of students. The work of teachers is critical. A good teacher can take an activity or lesson and make it a powerful learning experience. But it is not just about what a good teacher does with lesson design–it is also about the relationship between student and teacher. For those students that struggle and have disengaged from the system, a thoughtful, caring teacher that understands their world—in this case, a new digital world–can have a powerful impact. No matter how much we innovate in this project, when we keep students at the center of our work and in the centre of our hearts, it is then that we will make the difference.
What is exciting is the learning journey itself! We have gathered a group of enthusiastic teachers and their students to join in a collaborative journey together. We have gained momentum through each other’s enthusiasm to embrace the challenge, “How to learn and teach using a new technology…the iPad 2”.
I think that we will discover a way to create authentic learning experiences using an electronic pencil. It is the new tool of the classroom and we are discovering together the educational applications as well as the artistic creativity of this tool. It’s capabilities are endless and we will engage students because it is something children like to play with. We may not want to call it a toy but we are playing with technology. Not just entertaining ourselves but mindful development of learning outside the box.
It creates excitement in all of us because it is learning to use a modern machine which an adult has developed and children learn to use it by playing with it. Adults like to play too!
We are throwing our group into the cyber sandbox. We won’t have much time for entertainment! This is entertainment… we will be busy learning to find apps, creating ePubs, accessing information, posting, tweeting, blogging and more! Enjoy the journey and drive away with us!
“When we understand their world, we can hijack their digital interests for our own learning objectives.”
I agree with your thinking. I might have written it – “When we understand our world we can piggy back with their digital learning.”
It is a complex world and navigating it as a adult is not much different from a child. We just feel that they are so far ahead of us. Instead we just need to realize they have a different skill set. The power comes when we can combine our skills (that we have spent years perfecting) with those skills they have spent years perfecting.
Together we will create a symphony of learning that we both learn through.