Lets take a "Proactive Approach" in education!
Let’s support our digital natives and enhance their skills! Let’s just do it! Dr. Scott McLeod states in his blog on Dangerously Irrelevant, Technology, Leadership, and the future of schools.[embed]https://youtu.be/GyIl4y_MRbU[/embed]Although, I agree, I’m afraid. I am like many other teachers that like to first a have a plan, present it to others, and then try to implement it while making changes along the way. When talking to McLeod he stated, “We’re beyond this, we need to implement now! Fail fast and reform.” Yes, I know we are moving toward changing school structures, altering school curriculum, and reforming pedagogy but it breaks my heart to see teachers struggling with the how. Currently schools classrooms are operating in isolation, “one classroom, one teacher, one class, and one subject at a time, is being increasingly questioned (e.g. Dumont, Istance & Benavides 2010; Facer 2011; Säljö 201). The learning requirements of the 21stcentury, such as critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and communication, creativity, and the application of new literacy and media skills are challenging or even impossible to promote in an educational environment that is restricted to a specific space and time and that is purely teacher-led and controlled (Lemke 2004; Trilling & Fadel 2009). Development efforts in education have addressed the importance of extending traditional space-time configurations of schooling, and connecting school learning with students’ whole learning lives, activities, tools, and identities situated within and across formal and informal settings, including virtual spaces. (Brown & Renshaw 2006; Facer 2011; Madge, Meek, Wellens & Hooley 2009; McLeod & Yates 2006). In an article by Sulonen and Sulonen they divide the school into parts not by classrooms but by sections see visual below:The whole idea of combining subjects, eradicating mandated assessments, and creating spaces for learning is very exciting and being proactive is the key. I will not be afraid to think of school as a Chronotype- Each learning context is nested by multiple worlds occupied by the same people, but in different roles, striving for different purposes simultaneously (Shulman 1986). I’m excited about the change but ready to move on!