An article I recently read by Suzie Boss entitled, “Teaching with Visuals:  Students Respond to Images” (available at http://www.edutopia.org/visuals-math-curriculum) is dated 2008, but it shows an example of how the next generation of students require a different kind of learning environment.  Students need to be able to interact with their curriculum material differently than the standard textbook style instruction of the past. 

Students are living in an increasingly visual world.  They have a large variety of digital media available to them at a very early age. I know of four year olds who can manipulate smartphones better than their parents.  Since this article was written, the types of technology available to both students and teachers has grown dramatically.  The role of the teacher is quickly changing from being the “expert” to the “facilitator” of knowledge, helping students learn how to use the many resources available to them to obtain and share their knowledge (thus interacting with many other experts as well as becoming the “experts” themselves).  Most of these resources are visual.   

I believe students no longer have the attention span to solely read information from a book or have facts dictated to them from a teacher at the front of the class.  Students need more!  They need to interact with the information, see, read from digital screens, and visualize what they are learning and then be allowed to create newly synthesized projects demonstrating their learning as well.  The visual products of cut and paste collages have past, for example.  Now there are countless software and freeware programs available for digitizing visual representations and manipulating images through the computer and even smartphones and other devices such as iPads.   

There are many styles of learning, and visual learning is just one of them.  But within the realms of such visual projects as podcasts, blogs, and the like, audio, visual, literary, as well as kinesthetic interactions can all be intertwined into one style of instruction, or educational project. 

The days of high quality visual instruction have arrived, and I believe are here to stay.  Visual representations of information provide access to information to not just the visual learners, but as mentioned earlier, to nearly every type of learner depending on the media utilized.  It can clarify concepts quickly, provide access to information previously inaccessible, and provide information quicker and more succinctly than can using antiquated methods.  As the old adage states, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” 

Manipulated Digital Image

                                                                                             Original Image Source:  Mycomicshop.com

One of my favorite memories as a child is watching the movie "Mary Poppins" and enjoying the whimsical music.  One of my favorite songs is, "I Love to Laugh."  As an adult the bags I carry have been equated to Mary Poppins' carpet bag.  It makes me very happy to have what others may need, and subsequently I have an endless supply of travel-sized items.  If you need a first aid kit, sewing kit, screw-driver, or tape, chances are I have it.  I may not have a full sized lamp in my bag, but I do have a kitchen sink (keychain that is).

TEDxPhilly – Chris Lehmann - http://bit.ly/LsLWcU Reaction

I am becoming more aware of the impact that Chris Lehmann has made on the field of education; not only as a teacher and principal, but as an educational reformist.  His ideas are simple, yet profound:  Make learning fun, make it meaningful, and make it about the students.  The skills the students will need out in the world now, outside of the classroom, are not the skills that have been taught in the past.

Mr. Lehmann's public speaking abilities allow him to energize current teachers to transform their classroom instruction and to rethink the skills they are teaching their students.  He energizes you with his transformative ideas, he makes you see more clearly what you were already thinking, but maybe afraid to say out loud – the current system of education IS NOT WORKING.  The needs of our students are changing and we have to change the educational system for our kids to be successful.

His name is being discussed in pre-service teacher classrooms, amongst practicing teachers, in blogs, on Twitter, and via podcastes.  He is everywhere.  His ideas are being shared and discussed and the change is being made.  

Within this specific podcast of his, what struck me the most was when he shared what teachers should be saying instead of “You are learning this because you might need it someday.”  He said, they should be telling students, “THE LIVES YOU LEAD MATTER NOW!” 

Wow – that’s a major shift.  How empowering that simple statement is.  In one sentence he is  changing the way teachers view students, students view themselves, and together, how they view the world.  Personally, if I had heard that statement regularly while growing up, I wouldn’t be a 35-year old woman still trying to “learn how” to make a difference.  I would have been making a difference doing what I love all these years. 

I have personally felt like I wasn’t ready, that I had more to learn, that I wasn’t one of the “experts” yet so my opinion didn’t “qualify” as important.  I could hear my inner critic asking, "Who am I to talk about an educational topic, I am not yet a teacher?"  "Who am I to talk about theory; I do not have a PhD?"  When I was raised there were the adults, the experts, and then the children, the recipients of knowledge.  We were just supposed to sit there passively and listen to the adults. 

But now the shift is to show the students that they are the creators of knowledge.  They are the ones who can make a difference – right now- right where they are – and with the tools they are using on a daily basis already.  How amazing!

By teaching students that THEY ARE the experts already and by teaching them how to use the tools and resources they are already using, such as social media, their voice can be heard and they can make a difference in the world.  What they have to say matters!  We have to help the see that their perspective is valid and what they are seeing and learning should be shared beyond the student/teacher relationship.  If we provide this opportunity for our students, we as the adults will be amazed at what the students can create. 

We have to remember that students respond best to students (their peers).  So why not empower them within the classroom and beyond to express themselves, their ideas, and to acquire the skills to use the tools available to collaborate with others?  The way we learn best is by teaching, so why not let them teach each other through meaningful, purposeful, engaging, and problem-solving projects. 

The field of education is changing.  We are no longer the “experts” as teachers.  We need to teach students how to use the tools around them to research, thinking critically, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, produce, share, collaborate, and problem-solve.  As Mr. Lehmann put it, we need to “teach students how to learn” rather than what to learn. Then show them how to use that knowledge to communicate and make a difference NOW!

Project Based Learning (PBL) Article Reaction

The PBL article I chose to read was entitled, “Students Thrive on cooperation and Problem Solving” by Bob Pearlman.

Mr. Pearlman explained that Project Based Learning (PBL) provides skills that students will need outside of the classroom to survive in their ever-changing world; skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, life-long learning, responsibility, self-management, teamwork, and 21^st Century technological literacy. 

He goes on to say that PBL is not a one-time activity worked into a lesson.  Instead he explained that real PBL is “deep, rigorous, complex, and integrated” projects that can take anywhere from three to eight weeks to complete.  During the process students are supported and measured against benchmarks or stages of completion prior to completion of the final product.  And that the focus is not just on the product, but the process of reaching that goal as well. 

PBLs allow for active learning, purposeful learning, and utilization of the important skills of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.  These types of activities or projects go beyond gaining knowledge and memorizing facts.  As mentioned with PBLs, higher order of thinking are involved, such as synthesizing and evaluation.  This is the purpose of true PBL. 

I agree whole-heartedly.  I can see how, although as a teacher the work to coordinate and choreograph such projects is time-consuming, the reward is more than worth it – true student-based, transformative learning.    

Response to the questions, "Can podcasts enhance/support your classroom instruction?
What are the benefits and barriers?”

The more I am learning about podcasts, the more I’m seeing the possibilities, especially within classroom instruction.  Some of the benefits of podcasts include their ability to engage students in accessing more information, their ability to provide a creative outlet for expressing newly gained knowledge, and their ease for being shared. 

Podcasts provide information access via computers, smartphones, and other digital devices, such as iPads and iPods.  This means that students can watch and or listen to podcasts in almost any venue and use devices with which they are comfortable.  And because of the variety of information available, the discovery of podcasts can be a personal one.  These factors increase the likelihood that the information will be retained. 

Within classrooms where students are encouraged to creatively express their learning, podcasts is a useful tool.  It gives students a variety of options for showing what they know in audio, video, or a combination of ways.  This allows for diversification of process and product. 

And lastly, another benefit is their ability to be shared.  This way not only are the students and teachers benefitting, but podcasts can be shared with the rest of the class, with the school, and even over the internet open for the world to benefit. 

These are just a few of the benefits of podcasts.  However, with all technology there are the issues that might create barriers – such as technology access, costs, and time for the teacher to learn the technology to know how to adapt their curriculum to appropriately implement this tool for purposeful incorporation.  There may also be privacy issues. 

Teachers need to fully understand and be able to manipulate the technology in order to effectively incorporate the right use of it with his/her students ensuring it is not a “novelty” or “one-time-use” activity.  They also need to ensure that the purpose of the activity is meaningful and not just a time-filler. 

As with other classroom resources, one tool doesn’t always work for all students. Some students may not prefer this method of sharing what they know and instead may prefer traditional methods.  Likewise, some parents may not wish their child’s podcast create to be shared on the public internet; but prefer it stays within the privacy of the classroom.  Teachers need to understand how to limit the access to how podcasts are shared.  These are some of the reasons podcasts can be a great tool, but the tools must be utilized and tailored to the individual students. 

EdReach Podcast Summary

The podcast I chose to watch was “Mobile Reach #34 – Back from EdCamp,” hosted by Chad Kafka and posted on 5/25/12. 

During this podcast, which was only audio there were several sections, including mobile learning, mobile news, and online app reviews.  Although I prefer video and audio podcasts, I can see how audio only provides opportunities to subscribing and listening regularly to podcasted shows while commuting or exercising for example where the distraction of videos would not be a benefit. 

I appreciated the discussion about how teachers can make cell phones work in the classrooms and the pros and cons that decision.  Also, it was mentioned that the decision to not allow devices into the classroom gives a message that maybe the students are trusted with them, that technology is for adults and not for children, or other negative messages.  By allowing devices, it may take a choreographed process for the teachers, but ultimately it provides positive access for the students, especially if modeled appropriately by the teachers. 

Other specific uses of technology and digital devices shared during this podcast could be polling, sending test reminders, and teaching overall “digital citizenship.” 

Some of the applications and programs shared were voicethreads, Prezi, PowerPoint, podcasts, Flickr, Geoboards, Qwiki, Audioboo, Audacity and chrome.  I greatly appreciated the discussion about the free Geoboard and Qwiki apps.  While they were being discussed, I was able to download them onto my iPhone and start exploring them.  A fan of tangible Geobards I thorough enjoyed having access to this activity without having to carry rubber-bands.  This is also a great idea for the classroom as the logistics of dealing with the inevitably flung rubber bands is no longer an issue.  Plus students can extend their enjoyment of the activity outside of the classroom as the app is free (if they have a digital device however.  Although, it was mentioned that some schools have iPods that could be checked out of the library; what a great idea!

Response to the question, “Are podcasts something you would consider for professional learning in the future?”

I have found the access to podcasts a fabulous find.  I respond well to the visual and audio perspective of this type of learning environment.  In addition, I appreciate being able to watch and learn in my living room, using my cell phone, or wherever I am with my laptop.  The versatility of being able to pause, play, rewind, or stop and come back at a later time are definitely appreciated. 

Podcasts provides flexible and personalized learning and I respond well to that.  In addition, the information is in shorter chunks rather than half day seminars of the past, so my ability to immediately access a larger variety in a shorter amount of time is great!  I find that when a topic, idea, link, or person of interest is shared among the blogging and tweeting realms, podcasts are great for immediately gaining access to quickly participate in sharing/discussion forums. 

I can see why more teachers are utilizing this technology with their students.  As life-long learners ourselves, why not incorporate the same useful and flexible tools with them?

Within the article, “Enhanced Podcasts:  A New Twist on an Old Tool” by Liz Kolb I was inspired with the ideas shared.  I never realized how easy or how useful accessing so much creativity into one project could be.  What I love about podcasts are the possibilities.  It seems that you have a variety of ideas whether video, audio, or a combination and how the items are uploaded (such as with PowerPoint programs). 

Their purposes can also quite dramatically.  I am truly excited by the various uses, such as piquing students’ interests about a new unit, reviewing material in a much more effective and adaptable way than worksheets, or teaching a new skill for “homework” so as to use class time instead for an activity using that skill. 

You can have a class collaboration to share ideas, assign or have students sign up for group projects, and then the end result could be a combined podcast posted for the school or the online world’s benefit. 

Enhanced podcasts can be fun, purposeful, educational, personalized, as well as encourage critical thinking, creative expression, and shared knowledge for the benefit of many!

Blog Response – “The Nuts & Bolts of 21st Century Teaching”

I found this blog post to be bursting with important ideas.  The old fashioned role of teacher as “information disseminator” must be replaced with the newer function of “facilitator of learning.” As referenced in Shelley Wright’s post, we need to provide our students with the “environment,” opportunity, and structure allowing them to become “creators” of knowledge and to learn the skills they need to navigate within their new world. 

The student’s role is also changing.  No longer should they be passive receivers of knowledge, but rather “discoverers of knowledge.”  Within the discussed project-based activities, students are provided the opportunities/framework they need and then they are encouraged to put in the leg-work needed to create a solution or end of unit (and often collaborative) project.  Such assignments provide opportunities for research, information categorizing and synthesis, and the building of important skills such as collaboration and problem-solving.  The students then become the “creators of their learning” by completing these inquiry-based projects together with their classmates.  By sharing the projects they ultimately become the teachers as well. 

This change in the dynamics of the classroom, models the shift in our society.  The way we are learning and using that knowledge has changed.  We are no longer passive receivers needing to go to a few select experts to obtain necessary information.  Now, with the incorporation of social media, and immediate information access, we can all be active participants in knowledge consumption application of that knowledge and “experts” in our own right with sharing and teaching that information.  We have truly become a society of “co-learners” as mentioned in the post, or as put another way, “global collaborators.”

As teachers, we need to help our students learn the strategies and skill sets they will need to navigate in this new world.  As Shelley referenced in her post, we have to show our students how but then let them do the rest for themselves.  In order for the students to become life-long, self-motivated learners, they need to feel confident and comfortable with applying their skills of problem-solving, creative, and critical-thinking, research, communication, collaboration, technology using skills.  They need to know how to be successful “creators” and “designers."  These skills discussed will carry them through their school as well as professional careers.  Helping students in this way allows them to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning.  It is this way that teachers can truly fulfill their new role of “facilitators of learning.”  It may not always be easy, and reflection, revision, and re-tooling is a vital part of the process, but the result can be magical.