The current rate of technology advance, coupled with the rapid growth of the Internet, is revolutionizing society and the ways in which we communicate, connect and learn. In order to remain relevant, schools need to revise their educational objectives and prepare students with skills for a life of continual change and re-learning.
1. Technology and the Changing
Nature of 21st Century Education
Sam Gliksman
samgliksman@gmail.com
Twitter: @samgliksman
http://ipadEducators.ning.com
2. About Sam Gliksman
Director of Educational Technology,
New Community Jewish High School
Independent Consultant
Working with 1:1 and BYOD programs
Founder of iPads in Education website
http://iPadEducators.ning.com
Twitter: @samgliksman
Email: samgliksman@gmail.com
4. Pivotal Questions
1. Technology revolution: How is technology
changing the fabric of society?
2. Different Learners: How has it altered how
children absorb and process information?
3. 21st Century Learning: What are the features
of a modern “learning” environment and how
do schools adapt?
5. 1. How is technology changing the
fabric of our society?
15. What’s significant isn’t that they went out of business
They were market leaders for entire industries
that quickly became obsolete…
They didn’t adjust to the changing needs of
a rapidly evolving market
16. My concern?
Have we reached OUR moment?
Are schools delivering a 20th century education
that’s becoming obsolete?
Are we adequately preparing children for their
rapidly changing lives in the 21st century?
17.
18. Technology alone is NOT the answer
… not if we simply use it to reinforce the same models of
education that we’ve been using for 100 years
• teacher-centered
• content driven
• memorization
• rote drills
• one-size-fits-all
19. We’re at a crossroads in time…
Doing the same old things “better” doesn’t work
The world is changing dramatically.
We need different visions of education
31. Connected – Social Networking
Facebook didn’t exist prior to 2004…
Today 1 out of every 9 people on the planet
has a Facebook page
32. If context is important… are we preparing students
for their futures?
Children starting elementary school today will
graduate in 2024
What will the world look like in 2024?
How do we educate and prepare children for a
world we don’t know anything about?
33. 2. How has technology changed the ways
children absorb and process information?
34.
35.
36. Exposure to Technology
Neuroplasticity: Brain constantly adapts to
external stimuli
Result? Kids’ brains today develop very
differently than ours
37. How Much Technology Do They Use?
Children use technology around 50 hours a week
Annually, TWICE the time they spend in classes
TEN TIMES more than they spend reading books
38. Preference for Multimedia
Our learning was text based.
They live in a world of multimedia. They learn more
effectively when information is presented visually.
39. Learning is More Effective in Color
Our learning was largely black and white.
The 21st century learner lives in a world of color
40. %
They are visual learners
90
80
Their short term recall is
70
9 times better when
60
information is presented
50
graphically
40
30
20
10
0
Graphical Oral/text
42. For example, if you were learning about the
recent earthquake in Japan you could copy
and distribute handouts
or…
43. Experiential Learners
We grew up as passive consumers of media
They constantly interact with media - and learn
effectively through trial and error
44. What do you do when you open this box?
What would your students do?
They learn through experience, trial and error
45. At school however, they still get a
steady diet of “sit still and listen”
46. Random information access
We received controlled, linear presentation of
information by “gatekeepers”
Their information access is open, fast paced and
driven by curiosity
48. Collaboration and Communication
We grew up with “independent study” – sit still, be
quiet, work on your own
The 21st century learner is constantly “connected”
- communicating and collaborating
49. 3. What are the needs of a 21st
century “learning” environment?
52. 65% of today’s grade school children may end
up doing work that hasn’t been invented yet
“Now You See It”, Cathy Davidson
53. Access to knowledge used to be scarce
School was designed to bring people and content together
But now content is everywhere, all the time.
“Education needs to deal with abundance - not scarcity”
Will Richardson
54. Has society been changed to such an extent that
we now need new skills to adapt to modern life?
56. Information Literacy
Where do I find information?
How do I know it’s accurate?
Who wrote it?
How do I filter content?
How do I keep up with all the news?
How do I organize and categorize content?
From WHOIS.com
Name:Don Black
Organization:Stormfront
City:West Palm Beach
State/Province:FL
Organization:Stormfront
Server:STORMFRONT.ORG
57.
58. Literacies – Is everything you read on the Internet real?
An octopus that lives in a tree?
The history of robots in Victorian times?
59. The modern world of constant change requires
independent learners with new skills for
changing and complex work environments
71. Online and blended learning
Over 6 million students took online course in 2010
Predicted 50% of school courses online in 10 years
Interactive, personalized and differentiated
72. iTunes University
Hundreds of universities such as
Stanford, Yale, MIT, Oxford, and UC Berkeley distribute
their content publicly
77. Virtual Communities
Social networking is one of the most powerful forces
on the internet today
Not restricted by physical location
Includes social groups, interest groups, learning
communities and more
New phenomenon of “Networked learning”
85. Places to start…
Listen…
Create a classroom culture of inquiry and innovation
Set an example and embrace your role as a learner
Connect with other teachers
Connect your students
Move from text to multimedia
Encourage skills such as creativity, collaboration
88. "If we teach today
as we taught yesterday,
we rob our children of
tomorrow"
- John Dewey
89. Thank you for your time and patience!
Sam Gliksman
Email: samgliksman@gmail.com
Twitter: @samgliksman
iPads in Education community site
http://iPadEducators.ning.com
Notes de l'éditeur
IntroductionsThanks
Life used to be simple. Go to school, get an education…leave with a career or go on to college. There was a certain amount of security – and you could often stay in the same career for most of your life.Things aren’t so simple any more.
What were you doing in 1995? Here’s a snapshot of my life…
In looking for reasons to deploy tech, let’s take a trip back to 1995.Let’s test your knowledge of popular culture…Nicolas Cage won Oscar – know which movie? Leaving Las VegasMost popular TV show? Jerry, Elaine, George and KramerVandelay Industries, “No soup for you” and we found out about shrinkageMost popular song? Blues Traveler’s “Run Around”What were you doing in 1995? Here’s a snapshot of my life…
Browse books, take kids there for kids books, get a coffee and read
I’m a big music buffGo to store to sample albums Ask to play and they give you for headphones
TIME showed up every Tuesday in the mail
Need to book a flight. Call your agent. Usually knew them by name.
Either closing or scaling way down on the way to closing… (yes, even the newspaper business)
In the case of Blockbuster they were selling you a physical product that required you to make two trips to a store… and we hated returning that video. Along came Netflix – convenience: order online and we’ll mail it to you… and now Netflix is adjusting to online streamingGone from physical location to ordering online to now viewing onlineNow have this connected presence where I can research, order and view
For most schools the answer is clear… Just buy tech for use in schools…right? We turn to technology as our solution.We waste untold amounts of money chasing technology for education … that simply addresses the wrong issues
Not if we simply use technology to pursue the same goals and models of education that we’ve had for over 100 years: - teacher-centered, content driven, one-size-fits-all, memorizationWhat we need instead is a new holistic vision for education that prepares children for the future…
Not about better frontal teaching, learning drills, better testing, better content delivery
1996 - Jobs felt students had no choice, curriculum was too rigid, subjects were overly specializedHe envisioned a system where students could be active in following their educational passions
We often find something humorous because it contains a pearl of wisdom … such as this student’s response to a math question. As educators, we don’t operate in a void – our education system works within the context of a 21st century society and culture – and it relates to children that are products of that culture. If we are to succeed as educators then we have to understand what is happening to the culture around us.
No use acing school tests if those skills don’t translate outside of school as well.
The one trend that is having the biggest impact on society at the moment is “change”. The world around us is changing at a frenetic pace.
Turn to the person next to you and come up with a quick short list of 3 items…
Education serves society at large - so what context are we working within? What is happening to society around us?What technologies have disappeared in the last 30 years?We’re not the first generation that has had to deal with a change in technology. What technologies were in use when you were a little kid that are now obsolete?
Fantastic use of technology – seeing history through the eyes of people that were actually there. Video archives on the internet provide incredibly useful footage.“Are people becoming obsolete?” – note the awe but also a sense of fear and trepidation“Can add a column of figures a yard long in a second”“One day… who knows?”Mention: blinking lights use in development of the hydrogen bomb weighed 30 tons - as much as a pair of grey whales performed hundreds of calculations per second but required lots of programming Eniac was finally put out of commission in 1955 – by a bolt of lightning
Library of Congress on your iPhone in seconds
2010 statisticsThey aren’t just phones any longer. They are computers that connect us to people and information anywhere.About 30% aresmartphones and the number is growing.
A survey of 17,000 U.K. children between the ages of 7 and 16 found that 86% owned a cell phone. Only 73% said they owned a book.
Greatestimpct on modern times is the Internet and social networking is most sweeping phenomenonAround 800 million users, 50% daily access - Predicted to hit 1 billion this year.Mention Arab revolutions
We can be sure you won’t even see it until at least 7 years from now…
If context is important…and we’re preparing children for their future roles in society…Devices and technologies that will be central to our lives in 2022 haven’t even been invented yet!
Skeptical? Let’s try a little experiment to see if our theory about kids being different is true.I want you to watch this next video VERY carefully. You’ll see a group of people with basketballs in a moving circle. You need to count the number of passes made … but only by the people wearing white shirts. Only count the passes made by people in white shirts.Make sure not to say anything or make any comments. Keep still and quiet during this test and count the passes. I’ll get your feedback later.
Here’s the answer.What conclusion can we draw from the test?They call it “Selective Attention” – how you can totally miss things that happen in front of your eyes.You have not developed the ability to process parallel feeds of information. You’re a poor multi-tasker.
Theory of the static nature of brains held until the late 20th century. You had a fixed number of brain cells with a fixed memory and processing power. Your brain’s capacity and capability was fixed by age 3.New MRI scanning techniques can monitor changes in the brain and we now believe that brains are totally malleable. They can be completely adaptive, changing as a result of external stimulus and its intensity. This is key to understanding the impact of digital bombardment on kids.Let’s try a little experiment – Gorilla video.
Reading = actual book reading. If you count ALL reading they will actually have spent way more time than we did reading and writingThe average child will have spent around 4,300 hours reading by the time they reach age 21 - That’s well under 10% of the time spent with technology=
Technology impacts information transmissionWe were still the descendants of the printing pressYouTube is 2nd most popular site for search.Video is second nature to them.
We had b/w textbooks. Was cheaper to produce. If they included images then it was as an addition to the b/w text.Still see line at photocopy machine of teachers printing b/w handouts for class distributionNot just that they prefer color… they process and retain information more effectively in color.***Yet we continue to hand out dated textbooks and black and white handouts.
We grew up with a text based education…that’s what we give them.
Learning occurs best when you’re speaking a common language
Game playing is the ultimate example of trial and error learning
They’ve taken an album og photos and uploaded it to the web before you finish the introduction to the manual.They are active learners - experiential models of education tend to be more effective than content based, frontal teaching methods.
GatekeepersReading fashion – we read in Z pattern, they read in T pattern
No interactionLargely text drivenStale information
“Sit still, look forward and be quiet”We live in a world that is connected and where collaboration is a key requirement. Friedman’s “world is flat” – connecting and collaborating are key skills for 21st century
So we have identifies two important factors:- Our children learn differently that we did. We can’t use the same teaching methods.The world is vastly different and we need to be graduating students with the skills they need in today’s society (not 20th century society How do remain relevant??
There may be a projector, maybe a smartboard, some computer use … but the essence of education, the structure of the school, division of content into subject areas, the role of the teacher… those essential elements haven’t changed. All while the world around us is racing ahead at lightning speed.
There may be a projector, maybe a smartboard, some computer use … but the essence of education, the structure of the school, division of content into subject areas, the role of the teacher… those essential elements haven’t changed. All while the world around us is racing ahead at lightning speed.
How can we be in the business of college prep and content delivery any longer???
School delivered content Democratization of knowledge… not longer reliant on the gatekeepers
Are we witnessing a digital evolution or revolution?Can we simply adapt and apply old skills to new contexts?Has society been changed to such an extent that we now need new skills to adapt to modern life?
A constantly changing world requires students to develop new literacies and skills.Topic for a complete and different session…can’t do it justice in 2 minutes
We just assume they know how to find stuff
Can also talk about multimedia literacy, e-safety, digital citizenship and more
Average graduate will have 4 careers within 1st 10 years after graduation. Need skills to be constantly learning and relearning.“Technology doesn’t improve test scores”
Cannot be content delivery system – web does it way better anyway.Best way to develop the all important 4C skillsThey have the world at their fingertips – let them use technology to explore it.
Teacher doesn’t give project – generated by students6th grade class – students direct project and take charge of processHow do my actions impact water in my community?Example Guiding QuestionsWhere does our water come from?What are the ways that we use water?What are the main pollutants in our local watershed?Polled residents, produced report on usage. Created promotional campaign to reduce water usage
An integral part of the process is the emphasis on asking questions – not just memorizing answers.Importantly, it encourages and embraces mistakes. We hate mistakes in schools – we ask children to give us back the answers we expect.But mistakes are at the very heart of creativity and innovation. How do you move forward without trying things, making mistakes and then adjusting?
Refer to expert on comparing merits of knowledge construction and memorization – Father Guido Sarducci
In his own way, Einstein was a great educational philosopher. He believed in inquiry based education – questioning everything and pushing Do we want our schools limited to learning about past knowledge or push forward towards exploring and creating the future?
Needs to just become an essential component of education – just as the pencil and notebook was for our generation.Student pulling out Google to research answer to a questionShouldn’t be this long process of pulling out laptops, logging in – mobile devices turn on and connect instantly
Mention Julie’s class at the missionInventing ways to use iPads
No longer just producing material for the teacher
Students aren’t just knowledge consumers. Today they are publishers.6th grade class in ManchesterTeacher and students write on the blogPost what they are doing, videos and moreNote the cluster map and visitors – keeping track of visitors from all around the world
School is no longer the only place of learning…
Define online versus blended learningBold statement - The physical school is in a period of transitionPersonalized – interactive, differentiated, formative assessment and corrective actionRaising hand in class? Can’t help everyoneWhy online? Personalized, flexible, anytime
Motuto – personal tutors available on demand. Promise to help you learn how to solve problems within 20 minutes.Not only that, while teachers grapple with ever increasing class sizes, new digital systems can personalize instruction and content so that each student is analyzed and given what they need most.Online course and schools is becoming a big, well funded industry that competes with schools. So what is the role of school?
Motuto – personal tutors available on demand. Promise to help you learn how to solve problems within 20 minutes.Not only that, while teachers grapple with ever increasing class sizes, new digital systems can personalize instruction and content so that each student is analyzed and given what they need most.Online course and schools is becoming a big, well funded industry that competes with schools. So what is the role of school?
Want to attend college? Turn on your iPhone.MIT as an example offers free course content from over 2,000 course offerings. MIT estimates that up to 100 million people around the world have viewed their online courses.
Schools building an LMS – can be much more than just dates and handouts
Not getting rid of text – just not monopolizing learning processes
Democratization of knowledgeMention book authoringMention social reading
Remember the vision – it’s about being student centered, building knowledge not just consuming it.Wiki – add, share … and revise/edit to arrive at common base.Has revision history.
Left the best to last Biggest change… internet is driving most revolutionary era of human knowledge growthSchool used to be isolated institutionNo longer need to learn about the world outside – can connect to itConnected like never before –2 billion people
We scoff at Facebookfriending but there are very real communities forming all over the web – many of them learning communitiesMention Aviv’s mother dying and he updates his Facebook status saying how much he misses her
The DEPTH of commitment aroused by these learning communities is staggering… some examples follow
Created by Mark Klassen, Canadian high school student that hasn’t ever taken a film class in school. Followed his passions and connected through the internet.
There are a variety of ways to connect to other students and classes anywhere in the world. Think of how education is enhanced by learning with people in other cultures, exchanging opinions and working together on projects.
Connect to teachers and experts anywhere. At one high school I work with, the kids were reading a book by an English author called Allie Shaw. I found him on Twitter and we skyped him into the classroom where he discussed the novel with the kids. It was an exciting experience that brought the pages to life.
Bottom line - world has become a very small place. You no longer have to live within closed off school and learn about world “out there” – you can connect to it.Learning networks exist on pretty much any subject and theme you can imagine. You can connect with others that have similar passions and learn anything you want – both students and teachers.
Connect – importance of infrastructure
Educational tech can be used to reinforce 21st century educational practices … and it can be affordable
Educational tech can be used to reinforce 21st century educational practices … and it can be affordable