In a system that aims to help youth…. Doesn’t it make a ton of sense for them to have a say in it?

When we examine knowledge as power – knowledge in any domain, how do we decide who gets to draw the line between being knowledgeable and not knowledgeable? 

In a system that aims to educate, guide, prepare, stimulate, inspire and help youth…. Doesn’t it make a ton of sense for them to have a say in it?

Today’s blog is tricky, mainly because I’ve been so pro technology in the learning and work space if it was going to benefit students. But I feel like such a tart because what’s going to benefit students more than the voice of these students and the students themselves?

The basis of today’s rant are two different sources; 1) The standards of Digital Pedagogy and 2) The Independent Project. 

So with regard to the article; it addresses how Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) literacy standards that are being implemented are standards that are limited, and therefore limiting – are limiting to students and limiting to teachers.

In any instance there are going to be students that do better than others in different facets of the curriculum. Some kids are good at Maths (not me), some were good at Art (nope not me either) but when it comes to something like the Internet and Communicating and Technology as a whole, I never want any student feeling disadvantaged or not good enough because they don’t have access to these resources.

I never want any aspect of my teaching for a learner to be limited or restricted, incomplete, inadequate, narrow, boundless – none of those things. That is NOT a vibe at all. But how exactly would I address and approach avoiding this?

I did this additional reading and these two writers Pete Rorabaugh and Jesse Stommel explained that, “Teaching is a practice. Good teaching is an engaged, reflective, and generous practice. Pedagogy is not just talking and thinking about teaching. We need to be able to work collaboratively”

And this is essentially where the two sources on which this blog is based linked for me.

So! The second part on which today’s blog is based is The Independent Project video.

"It's ridiculous to think that kids can be trusted to learn on their own." 

What if we enabled students with the opportunity to design and regulate their own education? What if instead of doing education TO students, we allowed them to use resources within their reach to bring about learning. We need to engage with this, and encourage students to drive their own learning, why? Because they can! This video not only proves it, it validates it, and it authenticates it.

Some educators might be concerned that teaching lessons around more real-world subject matter would take time away from traditional topics like calculus or Shakespeare. Teaching Calculus and Shakespeare and 100 year old literature is great and in no way am I depreciating that, but merely teaching and teaching at learners as if they are mere vessels for knowledge does NOT by itself lead to achieving curriculum objectives.

I want to teach using the Internet, I want to use my students as resources for learning of my own because I want to change, improve, and add a new dimension to my teaching.

I have to ask myself; if I had the opportunity to design a school from the ground up right now, how might classes be different from classes in existing schools today?

If I got to design my own school, the classes that students would take, would now be based on two main components: what students are interested in, and what students will need for their lives after graduating from high school, because it is proven that when a child is enjoying the class, taking something from class other than just homework, that they are more likely to absorb the information. If there is a particular subject or teaching style that a student likes, THAT is information to act on.

"There are good teachers and bad teachers. The good ones work around the curriculum, the bad ones rely on it.” 

:)