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At the time of writing this post, I am in the middle of my 10th year of education. While most would say that change in education is a slow progress, it is very interesting to reflect on the last 10 years and think on how I, personally, have changed as an instructor. The difference is vast. Experience is an extremely effective teacher. I have learned and grown mostly by failing and trying again. The growth I have seen as a professional has also affected me as a person.
While methodology and practices needs to evolve in education, there is also a consistent foundation: relationships. When teachers can build trust and rapport with students, life-changing things can happen in a classroom. It is with this understanding that I made an attempt to document my philosophy of education. Furthermore, because I have committed to embrace a growth mindset, I decided to document my thoughts through writing. I am definitely a person that leans more towards the creative, multimedia, artistic displays of content, so it is a risk for me to attempt to capture these passions in such a straight-forward way. I may not be a skilled writer, but I now know that I am not a skilled writer yet.
Chris Woods
Learning Manifesto
Lamar University
As an educator, it is my joy and responsibility to help students develop the skills required for them to succeed in an ever-changing job market, where they will dedicate themselves to make a positive impact and improve the world around them. When kids are young, many of them aspire to be something. They have dreams of contributing to the world, modeling their visions after the influences they admire. Doctors, builders, teachers, business people are all responses we have heard the younger generation give when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Until the age of ten, I could not decide between the valiant careers of a Ninja Turtle or a Power Ranger.
Whatever their aspirations may be, when students are young, they are naturally curious about the world around them. At some point along their educational career, this passion is lost. The excitement waivers and the wonder disappears, or is it snuffed out? While some might blame this phenomenon on adolescence, I believe that our educational system contributes to the squelching of this fascination with learning.
I believe the purpose of an educator is simple: prepare students for life beyond the classroom. Everything else is a support to this goal. I aim to develop a curiosity for learning and seek to build problem solvers that can persevere when various challenges arise. Sir Ken Robinson (2017) said it best when he explained that “the task of education is not to teach subjects, it is to teach students” (p. 697). Both the teacher and the learner are factors in this process and have a part to play to create an efficient and effective system.
As educators prepare students for careers and life beyond the classroom, we must realize that the 21st-century workplace is an ever-changing one, demanding a very different skill set than that of the past. According to Forbes Media, writer Bernard Marr (2019) details a list of the most vital skills needed for the future workplace. They are creativity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, a growth mindset, decision making, communication skills, leadership, cultural intelligence, technology skills, and adaptability. It is for this reason that there should be further motivation to improve upon our traditional methods of teaching. The National Educational Agency (n.d.) advocates that “our ever-changing workforce creates a critical need for innovation” (p. 6). They have developed the 4C’s of Education (creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking), an instructional framework through which students engage with course content to develop skills. For the learner, education is not about mastering knowledge, but about mastering the learning process.
There are school districts that attempt to develop learners by simply implementing massive technology plans to give students access to technology. Sadly, the implementation sometimes stops there. Teachers either choose not to or are not prepared to help students unlock the possibilities. Kathey Schrock (2018) explains that educators can use technology in one of four ways: substitution, augmentation, modification, or redefinition. I have seen an overuse of technology in the lower enhancement level, where students are just swapping technology for traditional methods and not using the device to reach those higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956). This leads me to believe that digital learning is often viewed as an add-on, not as a component to be fully integrated as a part of effective instruction. Devices are not being used by students to create or innovate, but simply used for “drill and kill” memorization activities. Furthermore, in some cases, districts are purchasing content programs, which place students in front of a device with headphones, and removes the teacher from the learning experience completely. One possible solution to this issue is that school districts must continue to invest in the professional development and equipping of teachers just as much or more than they have invested in the technology. The TPACK model, created and developed by Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler (2009) approaches classroom instruction by treating technological knowledge as a key piece in creating an effective learning environment. Instructional design and student learning are maximized when content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge are fully integrated with one another, not viewed as separate components. Simply handing a teacher an iPad does not create a digital learning environment. It requires continuous growth on the part of the teacher in regards to research-based instructional strategies. Supplying teachers with the framework to move towards a technology-infused learning environment is a systematic and attainable way to move students up the progression of SAMR (2013) and Bloom’s (1956) simultaneously.
Another challenge in the face of this journey towards innovation is the accountability system by which teachers and districts are rated. There is a discrepancy between what modern-day research shows is best for students and how they are assessed. Innovative teaching methods are making their way to educators through professional development conferences, graduate programs, popular books, and especially social media. Some examples are Apple Education’s Innovation in schools, Lamar University’s COVA approach to learning, the 4C’s of Education, and Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset. However, the state of Texas will rate an entire school district based on a standardized test. I believe that our accountability method should do more to reflect our innovative vision for authentic learning. If not, our educators will view these approaches, especially the use of technology, as something extra to do. Rather, digital learning should be viewed as a necessity and a means by which we promote true learning and growth.
By reflecting on these various factors, I have constructed my core beliefs about digital learning for our 21st-century students and teachers.
Teachers are the vehicle of change. We must continue to invest in the teacher as much or more than the technology itself for the technology to be maximized as an effective tool. Sir Ken Robinson (2013) admonishes that “there is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools.”
Digital learning is essential. To adequately prepare students for life beyond the classroom, effective technology integration is a necessity for our educational systems.
It is by these beliefs that I will continue to help students become motivated and engaged learners. This is how the next generation of Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers will develop the skills they need to become successful.
References
Bloom, B.S. (Ed.). Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H., & Krathwohl, D.R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook I: The cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.
Koehler, M. J. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Retrieved October 27, 2019, from https://www.citejournal.org/volume-9/issue-1-09/general/what-is-technological-pedagogicalcontent-knowledge/
Marr, B. (2019, April 29). The 10 vital skills you will need for the future of work. Retrieved October 27, 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/04/29/the-10-vital-skills-you-will-need-for-the-future-of-work/#30ae5cc23f5b
Puentedura, R. R. (2013, May 29). SAMR: Moving from enhancement to transformation [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/archives/000095.html
Robinson, K. (2013). How to escape education's death valley. Retrieved October 26, 2019, from
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley?language=enRobinson, K. (2017). Out of our minds: Learning to be creative. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Schrock, K. (2018, August 21). SAMR and Bloom's. Retrieved October 27, 2019, from
http://schrockguide.net/samr.html
National Education Association. (2019). An educator's guide to the "Four Cs". Retrieved October27, 2019, from http://www.nea.org/tools/52217.htm