Why School?By: Angela Minneci

“Old School”

The “story” of school has gone basically unrevised for 150 years

The new question: why do we need school?

The skills needed to succeed in the future job market have changed drastically due to advancing technology

Relevance

95% of 12-18 year olds go online regularly.

77% have cell phones, 76% use social networking

The ability to connect,share, collaborate and publish exists at our fingertips School-aged children areat the forefront of this technological revolution

Higher Education & Work Options for college and future employment are

undergoing dramatic shifts There are now hundreds of free, open online

college courses Employment is shifting- by 2020, it’s estimated

that half of all US employees will be independent/freelancers.

21st Century Literacies

A recent policy paper released by the National Council of Teachers of English states that 21st century readers and writers need to:

- Develop proficiency with the tools of technology- Design/share information for global communities- Manage and analyze multiple streams of information- Create, critique and analyze multimedia texts

Schools are falling behind in addressing these literacies

They are focused on “teaching to the test” using an increasingly irrelevant curriculum

Two Visions of Change

• Written by business men

& policymakers• Compete against other

countries• Learning is quantifiable• Common Core curriculum

• Discovery• Progressive thinking• Learning: asking

questions, collaborating with others, authentic

• Schools are nodes in a network expanding far beyond local walls

“New” School

Prepare kids for old-school expectations and new-world realities

Educators rethink classrooms in light of our technological abundance

Develop professional practice addressing traditional outcomes and “new-world”

Readdress assessment Advocate for change

Rethinking Assessment

Remove questions that can be answered with a simple Google search

Questions should inspire critical thinking and measure the students ability to use the Web as well as discern good from bad information

Performance-based assessment speaks more to what students know and can do than contrived, multiple-choice scantrons.

Rethinking Teaching

Unlearn and relearn; rethink & develop educational practices

Six places to begin:

Share something Discover the curriculum Talk to strangers Be a master learner Do real work for real audiences Transfer the power

Rethinking Teaching

Share somethingBlogs, videos, websites and other digital forms can be used for teachers to connect with other teachers and spread the wealth of knowledge.

Discover the curriculumStudents engage in inquiry, ask complex questions, and plan their own path to finding answers. Teachers guide students as they pursue their own interests.

Rethinking Teaching

Talk to StrangersSo much learning can be done online from experts such as scientists, journalists, authors, historians and more. Students should learn safe internet practices, as well.

Be a Master LearnerEffectively and efficiently maneuver through vast quantities of information and find what is meaningful and relevant. Teach students to be the skills to be lifelong learners.

Rethinking Teaching

Do real work for real audiencesAuthentic, real-world projects are valuable to the student and the community. Technology can enhance this idea as students create podcasts, videos and post work online to be shared.

Transfer the PowerTeachers guide students as they take responsibility over their own learning and problem- solving. Students learn about their own interests and passions.

Advocate

Learn and advocate for modern, connected learning

More resources:- A New Culture of Learning- Douglas Thomas- The Global Achievement Gap- Tony Wagner- Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology-

Allan Collins/Richard Halverson