Marc Prensky fires up the reader with his enthusiasm for embracing technology in the classroom. When I finished the article I felt like I've had enough summer vacation, I need to get back into the classroom and turn on the lights!
He challenges us to move away from boring practices of lectures and busy work and connect students with children all over the world. Get rid of the the old basal readers, the cursive handwriting books, and the old text books. Encourage the kids to learn using the technology they use throughout the rest of the day to learn. Teach them in a way that is going to prepare them for life in the 21st century.
I like the four important practices Prensky provides at the end of the article on how to accomplish these daunting tasks. He starts off with making sure students have the opportunity in school to learn and practice using technology. Make sure there is an acceptable use policy in place students know about and then the teacher becomes the facilitator.
Next, ask kids how they want to be taught and then connect them to their world. Finally, Prensky says that preparing students for the test is not preparing them for the future. 21st century skills, critical thinking, and problem solving are the lights that need to stay on to prepare students for the future!
No comments:
Post a Comment