Some exciting things to note from 2010-Jan. 2011- I am now over halfway through the CTER program! The master's degree is getting closer to reality! Woohoo! I am still teaching at Unity East in Philo, IL. However, I have moved from teaching second grade to first grade. The switch to first grade has been fun and challenging. The stress of figuring out the curriculum and "what the heck I am doing" is the not-so-fun part. I look forward to next year when I will feel more comfortable with the grade level as a whole.
It has been a year of many “firsts” for me- new grade level, teaching with autistic students, a new smartboard, and a much bigger class size. This year I have 25 students! (This seems like a lot to me, but I am sure there are others that think this is a perfectly normal class size. Usually our class sizes are 18-19 students/classroom.) I have a good class of 6 and 7 year olds. The most enjoyable thing about first grade is that most of my students are independent, amazingly sweet, and still innocent!
I have to mention that this past month I received a Smartboard for my classroom! There are only 3 in my building and I was lucky enough to get one! (I believe that being in CTER helped make this happen. Some of you are probably thinking that Smartboards have been around quite a while, but my district is a little slow on staying “up-to-date” with technology.) Within a week, I have seen many positive changes in my classroom. First of all, the class is more engaged in the lessons and eager to participate. I can see it in their eyes and their input in discussions that they are getting much more out of the lessons I have been teaching. Second, it is requiring me to get create challenging lessons using a variety of multimedia with the Smartboard everyday!
Alright, this is enough about me and my woes and excitements. Now, to reflect on the readings from week 1 of EPSY 556…
Being a first grade teacher, I use a lot of hands-on experiences and manipulatives to teach the curriculum. However, most of my students use computers, internet, video games, DSIs, and ipods at home. I am amazed at how much they know about using these kinds of technologies when I ask them about it during class. When using my Smartboard, I oftentimes explain shortcuts or other neat things that I think they should or would like to know. More often than not, at least 5 or 6 of my students say they already knew that! When I am not using my Smartboard or in the computer lab with the students, the lack of motivation and focus from my students is disheartening. I know their little bodies can’t sit still for long amounts of time, but at the same time, I know the lack of “visual stimulation” is a factor in their inattentiveness, too.
With my students being so young, I am enthralled at how much their minds absorb! They are fully capable of doing so much more than what I have available for them. Conceivably, the lack of resources and/or visual stimulation that they are so quickly becoming accustomed to at home is holding them back at school. It is frustrating knowing that my school lacks the resources and technology that is prevalent in many students’ home lives. Not to mention the fact that many things students use at home are not permissible in school, even if they are quality tools for learning.
With all this being said, I can see many things changing in education by 2025. With society using web 2.0 tools, I can see handwriting going out the window completely. Everything will be electronic. Students will collaborate, create, discuss, and produce works of learning through these electronic devices. Students around the world will be connected and work together. This will be commonplace. Virtual realities, e-trips, simulations, maybe even teleporting to different places around the globe for on-site learning, will all be a part of one’s learning experience.
The curriculum and how it is taught will need to have a major overhaul, as well. With new vocabulary, e-tools, electronic gadgets, inventions, etc. being added to society daily, the curriculum standards, scope and sequence, along with assessments, will need to be addressed frequently. If this doesn’t happen, then how are students across the nation expected to be ready for society’s ever-changing demands? Will there be a wiki in which all of society's members (or education members) contribute to the goals and standards for our students? More so, will this be an effective way for society and education to work together on realistic standards for students? I would like to think so.
Now, let's consider the infrastructure of our schools today. Many schools are not built or wired to handle the amount of technology that other corporations and organizations already have at their fingertips. However, even if every school was equipped with state-of the-art technology, it would be outdated in a blink of an eye. The problem I see education/schools facing is this: how do they stay updated on the technology/tools that are out there and being used by the masses without going into extreme debt? Will we even need school buildings in 2025?
In 2025, it is very likely that I will not have a classroom. School buildings went by the wayside when they couldn’t compete with technology standards and constant upgrades. Students will attend class through their computers at home. We will have virtual classrooms in which we all interact and collaborate with avatars. Video, internet, search engines, web cams, and so much more, will be at our fingertips without ever leaving home. If we did have to meet face to face, then we would not be limited to a classroom, but free to meet where learning would be best suited.
Instead of teaching a class of 25 students in 2025, teachers are now more of a guide or facilitator of learning. In a way, they are a guidance counselor, offering help and advice when students need it. Teachers will monitor students’ interactions, their work, and oversee group collaborations and projects, but students will ultimately be in charge of their learning. All students will work at his/her own pace. Classmates could be of different ages, but intellectually equal. The confines of a classroom are no longer an issue, either. There is no limit to where students can go or what students are able to do or create.
My hope is that one day; every teacher will have the accessibility, capability, and knowledge to use the technological tools that are prevalent in society and businesses. Also, to use these tools to teach students how to be successful - no matter what their dream may be. My fear is that education will still be years behind society norms. However, I do know that it only takes one to bring about change. In this tech era, it doesn't take long for people to step into the bandwagon.
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