Day 1: EDPD 604

Discussions from the day...

Predictions from the Past:

It may seem futile to predict the change that may be seen in technology in the next day, let alone the next 20 years. Nevertheless, some have tried. In the poorly constructed outline below, our group of teachers have shown some of the accuracies (and inaccuracies) mentioned by author Ronald S. Brandt.

Education in a New Era

Tomorrow: New Architectures for Distributed Collaboration

1. Summary

2. This article was written in right around 2000

3. The author emphasizes that any educated guess that we may make about future technologies and classroom integration of those technologies may prove foolish

4. “IBM could not envision the United States ever needing more than five computers”

5. Pervasive Connectivity

6. Collaborative Systems

7. Narrowing Digital Divide

8. Technology Supports Data Collection on Student Understanding

9. Any tools will support more timely and frequent assessments

10. Assessments should be provided through preset or standardized methods

11. Many teacher-developed tests lack the measurement qualities needed for assessment

12. Formative Assessment programs will collect data which can digitally be applied to created assessment

13. Technology will lessen the time required for creating assessments

14. Teachers will have more time available to work with students in other ways

15. Accuracy of Predictions

16. Relatively accurate

17. Technology seems to be moving slowly towards its ideally predicted usage

18. Further Discussion

19. Advantages to digital methods for collecting Formative Assessment are not yet saving time for teachers

21 Trends for the 21st Century...a few points:

What Guideline for 21st Century Learning Environments Can We Establish from Our Readings?

Environments should:

1. Be flexible (i.e. teachers, learners, and physical space)

2. Be easily accessible (i.e. digital resources & assessment access for parents and students, spacious physical space for all learners)

3. Be comfortable for learners (i.e. minimal environmental distractions, calm atmosphere)

4. Allow for collaboration (i.e. global/digital citizenship skills)

5. Encourage broad & critical thinking skills (i.e. teach through Big Idea, Interdisciplinary Learning)

6. Provide personal choice (i.e. time, media, location, work habits, standing or sitting)

Innovative Learning Environments:

Case study from Instituto Escuela Jacint Verdaguer (Sant Sanduní d’Anoia, Catalonia, Spain):

• Alternative lesson or styles for teaching responsibility and self-control, through yoga, music, etc.

• The learning space is wide open, with access to diverse technologies

• Teachers raise questions, instead of providing answers (inquiry-based learning)

Case study from European Elementary School Dr. Leopold Zechner, Goldschlagstrasse, Vienna, Austria):

• Parent and community involvement is key

• Teachers/schools collaborate with colleagues from other countries when forming curriculum

• Students are able to work independently in flexible grouping

#Technology #Education #21stCenturyLearning