Google dictionary states change is “an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another”. According to Heraclitus (540 BC - 480 BC), great philosopher of ancient Greece, “Nothing endures but change.” Our lives have changed and are continuing to change as a result of available technology. Lives are changing......and that is the essence of what educators are entrusted with....changing lives through learning.
I would describe myself as a “real pragmatist” (a hybrid of a realist and a pragmatist). I closely identify with the following tenets within the realist school of thought.
- I favor a concentration on the essentials of reading, writing, arithmetic, and character development.
- I believe in a back to basics and accountability in education.
- I feel education should include moral and character development.
I also find great merit in the ideas expressed under the of pragmatism school of thought.
- School should be the place where other environments that the child encounters - family, civic, work and others – are coordinated into a meaningful whole.
- The concept of experimentation is basic to this philosophy. Life does not stand still, and there is a constant need for improvement.
While it would seem that a back to basics approach and a dogma that espouses experimentation would be in conflict with one another, I do not believe that is the case. The field of education should be ever evolving as new information becomes available regarding how students best learn. New equipment (i.e., technology), should be utilized to enhance “the basics”.
In the 21st century, I envision technology playing a substantial role in education, specifically through the diversity of instruction. I envision e-courses becoming the norm in secondary level classes, giving students a variety of learning experiences and course offerings. Through the implementation of e-learning, students will be able to experience a world beyond the four walls of the classroom and establish learning communities with no boundaries.
I believe educators will find notable value in establishing their own learning organizations through the use of technology. Tools such as Skype make it easy to bridge distances and collaborate with colleagues from around the planet. A quote by Ryunosuke Satoro sums up the untapped potential educators posses by banding together to solve common problems. “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
The role of the 21st century educator is filed with certain uncertainty. Karl Fisch espouses, “We are currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that don't yet exist... in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet.” If one accepts this quote has merit, then it would seem that a successful 21st century teacher would be one that embraces and implements technology that enhances curriculum. In order to accomplish this goal, teachers must accept that they are to become what they claim they want their students to be--lifelong learners. Mentor and facilitator will define the role of 21st teachers.
If teachers are called upon to change their roles, administrators should become supportive catalysts. School budgets must include not only funds for new equipment, but also a reserve for training teachers how to integrate the equipment with the classroom setting. Training such as this will not be accomplished all at once; it must be on-going and often.
I am convinced that students in the 21st century will need to become acclimated to their new role as “master of their domain”. At present, students are set into motion about their paths as students. While paths diverge at some points, the road inevitably leads back to the same place. With the implementation of e-course and global learning communities, students will have opportunities to veer from the beaten educational road in ways previously unknown. The privilege of diversity will bring with it greater student responsibility for the attainment of a successful education. Teachers will be present, but their role will evolve from the “sage on the stage” to student guide. This will be a paradigm shift for students and teachers alike.
As students change their methods of responding to and interacting with new knowledge through the use of technology, student assessment must undoubtably change. While standardized testing will most likely not disappear like a genie in a bottle, I imagine a 21st century accountability scenario where a test is not the only measure of a successful student, teacher, school, and district. My expectancy is a merge of standardized testing and the e-portfolio, yielding a more complete portrait of a student and his/her abilities.
American author, poet, and naturalist Henry David Thoreau states, “Things do not change; we change.”
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