Can educational beliefs from one hundred years ago still be relevant in today’s technology driven world? A voice from the past calls for classroom technology (2013) sets out to prove that yes, indeed they can. The article begins by informing the reader of the laws and policies that were currently in place in regards to internet use in public schools. These laws limited students and teachers access to information found on the internet. Information that the author believes is the very foundation for teaching 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, self-discovery, collaboration, and presentation. The article goes on to argue the case for equitable access by stating the expectations set forth by administrators as well as by listing the skills employers will be looking for in future employees. The author asks the question, how can key stakeholders create a school environment that will promote the knowledge of 21st century skills while at the same time ensuring student safety and the integrity of the information systems?
In the article, the author makes reference to the ideas promoted by John Dewey over one hundred years ago regarding the necessity for change in the way schools are educating their students. One of Dewey’s core belief statements was that students of the time had very little chance to use what they were learning in the classroom in the outside world. He believed that education was a gift and that students should be taught how to extend that gift. Although this message was shared over a century ago, the author shares how it was applicable to the way current school policies are employing technology education. By limiting access to the very resources that will promote the desired learning outcomes, schools are creating a barrier to learning that will diminish the relevance of education in public school classrooms
With digital literacy being a significant skill of the 21st century workplace, the author informs that we can no longer think of our schools as traditional educational providers of the core subjects, but rather proving grounds for 21st century citizens. Just as Dewey professed that schools must create “a child’s habitat”, where students desire to learn is aroused through direct use of knowledge, so must the classrooms of today promote relevancy to everything that goes on inside to prepare students for their future outside.
It is encouraging to see how far our schools have come in the area of technology integration in the short two and a half years since the article was published. Teachers and students now have access to sites that had previously been blocked from use at school. The use of sites such as YouTube is prevalent in schools as well as the use of various social media sites including Twitter.
Agreeing with Dewey’s philosophy that some of the most significant skills we should teach our students is relevancy and future application, I intend to incorporate tools that will enhance collaboration and critical thinking. By creating assignments where students have to work as a group, I will introduce some of the tools within the Google suite of options; docs, sheets, slides, and forms. By being able to work together on the same documents at the same time, collaboration will be promoted and strengthened.
Wikis are another tool that I intend to utilize in the effort to promote collaboration among my students. With the possibilities for using wikis only limited by one’s imagination and time, I feel it can be a great resource to encourage students to utilize when creating a research project or a class presentation.
Will John Dewey’s beliefs about education still ring true in another one hundred years? Only time will tell. And although technology is ever-changing, be it the industrial age or the information age, relevancy in education should continue to be a high priority in preparing students for life outside of school.
Source:
Kilfoye, C. (2013). A voice from the past calls for classroom technology. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 53-56
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