21 st Century Teaching for 21 st Century Students Brad Fountain Discovery Education

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” - Alvin Toffler

How to Build a Student for the 21 st Century, TIME Magazine, December 18, 2006

Who are 21 st Century Learners?

Are They REALLY That Different?

R U havN trouble rEDN DIS? iz it frustrating u? DIS iz d way kds TLK. CreslE. it iz EZ 4 dem. dey luv it! dey luv it mo wen U spk thR lEst a ltl bit.

Who are 21 st Century Learners? Top Five Gifts for Teenagers Portable Game Device Cell Phone Computer Video Game Console MP3 Player/iPods Source: Starkman, Neal (2007).Leave Me Alone.... T.H.E. Journal

Are They REALLY That Different? 21 st Century Student’s Brain –Neuroplasticity –Hypertext Minds –Environmental Impact –Thinking Patterns –ADD or Disengaged Marc Prensky – Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 2

Are you ready for my little girl? Name Alex Age 3 1/2 About Alex Alex has never been satisfied with simply watching characters on TV. She craves interaction with her world. As a result of growing up in a digital world her brain is wired differently.

The long rise of IQs: “genes have profited from…strong feedback loops between performance and environment” “enhanced problem solving skills have become necessary to fully enjoy enjoy our leisure activity” “unexpected and massive gains” Nov. 2007, James Flynn, Scientific American

A research-based synthesis consisting of 30 years of educational research indicates: Brown, Ann L, Cocking, Rodney R & Bransford, John D. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington: National Academies Press, How People Learn

What Are 21 st Century Students Missing? Critical Thinking –Reflection –Evaluation –Linear Processing –Personal Communication –Meaningful Persistence –Formal processes

So What Does this Mean for Teachers and Schools?

“If you are not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original. By the time students become adults they have lost that capacity. And national education systems are where mistakes are the worst things you can make. The result is we are educating people out of their creative capacities.” - Sir Ken Robinson

New Definitions for Schools 21 st CenturySchool.com

New Definition for Students In the past a student was a young person who went to school, spent a specified amount of time in certain courses, received passing grades and graduated. Today we must see learners in a new context: –Interest –Curiosity –flexibility –More Resourceful 21 st CenturySchool.com

Aliteracy Poem Mrs. Thompson's second graders are amazing! The principal says they can comprehend anything-- Even a medical textbook. Mrs. Thompson's second graders are incredible! The superintendent says their oral reading is completely seamless-- Like the gentle flow of an eternal spring. Mrs. Thompson's second graders are fantastic! The PTA president says they finished the reading workbook and the phonics workbook before the end of the Third Quarter. Mrs. Thompson's second graders worry me. You see, I'm the aide who works in Mrs. Thompson's classroom, And I know something that others don't. Mrs. Thompson's second graders don't like to read. Poetry for Literacy Teachers from "Life's Literacy Lessons" by Steven L. Layne. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. 2001

Being Literate Today Means…

Hitwise, Phil Butler, profy.com Search Engines moving toward video Hitwise, Phil Butler, profy.com YouTube other sites

Other Cultures Korea –Little time reading newspapers or watching TV. Life moves at the speed of the net and being connected is the only way to remain current Japan –Laptops are viewed as dinosauric technology. The cell phone provides the privacy and instant connectivity individuals crave

What will the future hold? Future Forces Affecting Education

Putting it into practice.

Where do I Start? Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0

Tools of the Trade Online Collaborations –BlogsBlogs –WikisWikis –Google Docs/SpreadsheetsGoogle Docs/Spreadsheets –Skype –TwitterTwitter

Tools of the Trade Digital Storytelling –VoicethreadVoicethread –Photostory 3Photostory 3 –Movie Maker 2Movie Maker 2 –Adobe Premiere Elements/iMovieAdobe Premiere Elements/iMovie –AudacityAudacity –Freeplay Music

Tools of the Trade SpellingCity Blabberize Swivel Slideshare NewsMap Kerpoof Surveys

What does it look like? Cross-Curricular Projects on the Web –Johnny Appleseed ProjectJohnny Appleseed Project –Journey NorthJourney North Classroom Blogs –Mr. C’s Class BlogMr. C’s Class Blog –The Secret Life of BeesThe Secret Life of Bees Classroom Podcasts –Room 208Room 208 –RadioWillowwebRadioWillowweb

What does it look like? Google Earth –Grapes of Wrath Google Earth LittripGrapes of Wrath Google Earth Littrip –Coral Reef TemperaturesCoral Reef Temperatures –Tree Coverage PercentageTree Coverage Percentage Wikis –Vicki DavisVicki Davis –Tim FrederickTim Frederick Technospud

How can I help my school? Professional Development Needs Assessment MILE Guide How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20 th CenturyHow to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20 th Century enGauge Visions 2020 Building the Perfect School

Some good reads… Blogs –2 Cents Worth – David Warlick –Teach42 – Steve Dembo –The Strength of Weak Ties – David Jakes –Moving at the Speed of Creativity – Wes Fryer –Weblogg-ed – Will Richardson –Dangerously Irrelevant – Scott McLeod –Beth’s Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom – Beth Knittle Books –Tested – Linda Perlstein –Don’t Bother Me Mom—I’m Learning! – Marc Prensky –A Whole New Mind – Daniel Pink –The World is Flat – Thomas Friedman –What Video Games Have to Teach us About Literacy and Learning – James Paul Gee

What Will You Do to Make A Difference? Brad Fountain