Everybody is a Genius: The New Story

Everybody is a Genius: The New Story

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” –Albert Einstein

In previous weeks I have looked at topics such as the growth mindset and inquiry-based learning. These topics are very interesting to myself and I see them as necessary in today’s classroom. Connecting these two ideas is "The New Story". It is said that a story is never static; it always has one foot in the past and the other in anticipation of the future. According to Canadian change theorist Michael Fullan (2013), there are three interconnected Big Ideas in the new story: technology, the new pedagogy, and the teacher as an agent of change. Through this new story, my hope as a prospective educator is to combine both traditional and constructivist models with current technologies and innovations to meet the needs of the twenty-first-century learner.

In the twenty-first-century classroom, technology plays a big role and is ever-present. Technology provides tools to engage and enhance students learning. Thousands of educational apps offer interactive ways to learn through gaming and social networking. What technology really brings is the chance for a personalized education, and with this, the role of the teacher is shifting. No longer is the teacher the expert. Rather than transmit knowledge, teachers have the ability to facilitate learning through the responsible use of technology (Drake, 2014, p. 24). I had the chance to use iPads and SMART Boards in my high school experience and I found that just by using technology it most definitely changed the classroom climate. Students who normally were quiet in class were more involved because they could draw the problem, or look up an answer to a question they had. I feel that every classroom should be equipped with such technology to better student learning. Rather than banning technology in our classroom, something common while I was coming up through the school system, we should embrace how technology can aid in learning. Below is a video of how helpful technology can be when implemented properly in the classroom to aid both students and teachers.

                                                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK8InwlWkYg

The New Story also calls on a new pedagogy. In the twenty-first-century classroom, instruction which is constructivist in nature, and often project-based, is about deep learning. I see this new pedagogy as a way that allows teachers to choose instructional methods and assessment strategies that best fit the needs of the students. To me, this is the biggest difference in comparing the new and old stories. In the twenty-first-century classroom, educators are responsible for tailoring education to the needs of each individual student. Not every student needs to learn the exact same thing, as Karl Lindgren-Streicher mentions in his TedX talk below. We need to promote curiosity and creativity, which can be accomplished with the new pedagogy. 

In connecting technology in the classroom with a new pedagogy, Hattie (2012) states there are four criteria to maximize learning: it must be engaging, efficient, ubiquitous, and steeped in real-world problems. There are many reasons to use technology in the classroom, which Eutopia touches on here. As I wrote about last week, we have to involve our students in their education for them to get the most out of their learning. By implementing technology in the new pedagogy, our students will be involved and take control of their learning.

             Lastly, Fullan (2013) also mentions that teachers must act as change agents, who much like a chemical catalyst, increase the learning of both the students and him or herself. When looking at teachers as change agents, it is most important that the teacher is able to assess his or her impact on the learning of students. Without this reflection, teachers may not promote students finding meaning in their education. Below Karl Lindgren-Streicher speaks to teachers acting as agents of change. 

           

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5n3Zo5T8BY

           I agree with Mr. Lindgren-Streicher in one major theme of education. It doesn't need to be a zero sum game. Education shouldn't be about having winners and losers. As teachers we need to promote learning by providing meaning. 

           In essence, the new story is the sum of my blog to this point. By implementing technology, the new pedagogy, and being agents of change, by ingraining the growth mindset into our students, by changing evaluation, and by allowing students to be involved in real world problems via inquiry/project-based education, we can change education. It is not an easy feat, but by taking one of these ideas and implementing it into our classroom, we can change education. We can provide students with a meaningful education that they enjoy. In the twenty-first-century classroom, we have the opportunity to stop telling our students that they are fish and to climb the tree. We can provide methods and strategies to those students for them to be successful, and it might be different than the other students, but that is what makes this job so fun!

Until next time, 

Mr. Tiessen

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21^st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON:Oxford University Press.

Fullan, M. (2013). Stratosphere. Toronto, ON:Pearson.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY:Routledge.

http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction   (Eutopia)