It has been two years now since our district started looking inward and outward at how to improve science in our district. I do believe we are headed in the right direction. In that time we have brought together many teachers at all levels and now have adoptedthe FOSS curriculum for elementary school and what I believe is the best middle school program available, SEPUP. When we discuss these skills our students want to have as they move into this “new” 21st century world I truly believe that inquiry-based science is the vehicle to drive us. We must insure that we provide not only the structure and the materials for our classrooms but a way to breakdown the walls of our classroom. I watch and play with Google Earth and I see the immense possibilities. I want all of our students tapping into resources such as this. Oh Bandwidth God, please make this possible for our district.
I am excited to watch the transcending of our new science programs on our teachers, students and school communities. High school, “it’s your turn.” I am excited to send a small team of our high school teachers to a wonderful PD opp this summer through BSCS - called, Inquiry in the Secondary Classroom. I look foward to having this team become the leaders to continue our pursuit into this new era.
I attended a wonderful presentaion today by John Kuglin on 21st Century Learning at our district’s leadership council. Two of the main goals were to help understand vision of technology for our classrooms and also gain excitement towards advocating this technological movement within our schools and have our community respond favorably towards helping make it happen.
John gave a wonderful overview of the advancement of technology and how quickly it is changing. We are at a crossroads in our educational system to help meet the needs of our digital native students who are part of a youth media culture. From Marc Prensky’s paper he states, “Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” We need to begin to think outside of the box. Let’s rething the way the system has been operating for quite some time. We may have learned a certain way, but we need to realize we now need to teach differently and utilize our resources more wisely. It it essential that our district find a way to access the resources all around us and no longer think of a textbook as our only means to deliver material. 2 million minutes our students spend in high school. That is a considerable amount of time to allow them to develop the skills to compete globally.
Yes, it will require money to bring the needed technology(i.e., bandwidth, interactive whiteboards, projectors, instructional laptops, one to one intitiatives, doc cameras, etc) into our classrooms so that is why we need to understand the need and be a strong voice to have all people see the need for our students. Right now the money may not be there, so what can we doin the meantime? How about beginning to take the time to get familiar with some of the Web 2.0 applications?
Let’s transform our classrooms and breakdown the walls so that our students and each one of us can access opportunites and experiences from all over the world. As Thom Hartman says, “Tag, Your IT!”
I am very concerned about a small group of AP Environmental Science students (3) who have taken an aggressive stand opposing my teaching of climate change. I already teach it from the perspective of “here’s the data, figure it out” but they think that I made the data up. I showed them where it came from (NASA and NOAA) and they think it is a conspiracy by the left wing to infiltrate and brainwash the American public.
Normally, I would let it go but these kids are being disruptive and belligerent to the point that I have had to refer them to the administration.
I feel like there are two things I need to do here:
1) diffuse the situation so that we can move forward
2) create a packet of peer reviewed literature that is understandable for hs students
This first videoshared with me by Bud in technology on his blog was posted on youtube and gives a glimpse at our students view of education today. This second videois a follow-up to the first video and shows the challenges and changes that need to take place from the educator’s world.
Real challenges we all face. I attended a technology conference in Nashville two weeks back and one main point among many that hit me straight on is the fact that we are the digital immigrants teaching to the digital natives. I believe we each need to be aware of this reality and understand that we need to lead and challenge ourselves to understand this technology and find ways to integrate it into our instruction. Our students need to be interactive in their learning.
One final addition, if you have not seen it shift happens.
