Blog Post #2

What Will Teaching in the 21st Century be Like?

Photo credit: Pinterest

Mr. Dancealot
The central message of this video is that not all courses should be taught in the same fashion. A dance class should be more of a hands on course, where as in the video the course was set up in a lecture hall setting. At the end of the video, the instructor announces that the final will be held in the ballroom. Shouldn't the students have majority of their class sessions in the ballroom as well? After all it is a dance class. What I think the author is trying to portray is that you can not expect students to learn a skill without having the proper instruction or setting. The video displays how awkward the class is set up. First off the students can not see the teacher perform the dance steps. Secondly, the students are bored out of their minds. I do agree with the conclusion of this video. Teachers should make use of using technology properly and should allow students to perform tasks that they are suppose to learn how to do.

Teaching in the 21st Century
Outline: What does Roberts think it means to teach in the 21st century?
1. Teachers should not just teach students facts, data, etc.
2. Students no longer rely on just the teacher as a way to gain knowledge.
3. An unlimited amount of resources are now available for student learning.
4. Teachers should teach students how to learn by using these resources properly.
5. Entertainment vs. Engagement

I think Roberts is onto something. Technology has advanced tremendously over the years. Why not include using this technology to our advantage as educators? If students will gain knowledge from using all the resources available to them, then I absolutely agree with Roberts argument.Of course I believe it will be an educator's responsibility to teach students how to use these resources to their advantage. Educators should use these resources to engage students in learning, as Roberts says. If these resources were used solely just to engage students, then resources should not become a nuisance or hassle to deal with inside the classroom.


Teaching students how to use resources will affect me as an educator because it will add to my  responsibilities. Not only will I have to teach students the content they are required to learn, but I will also have to teach students how to learn from the resources that are offered to them. I believe it will be a challenge at first, but once students adjust to using resources the challenge will not as likely occur all the time. The rest of the world is advancing by using these technological resources, why leave education behind?

The Networked Student
This video did bring about a good point as to why students who are dependent on resources need a teacher to learn. The video also answered the question well. Students still need a teacher to guide them in the right direction when using resources. Teachers are also helpful in providing which resources are considered credible and which resources to stay away from. I believe if a teacher can teach students how to successfully use resources to learn that it will benefit the student in the long run. There will always be questions asked by students when searching through resources. Teachers should still be available to help them through this journey.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Davis' video really highlighted the advantages of students using technology in the classroom as an aide to gain knowledge. The fact that the classroom shown in the video was able to interact with other classrooms across the world really increased my value of technology used in the classroom. My favorite part about the video is where the instructor mentions that her students are able to teach her new things as well. I find it very important that educators also learn from their students and adjust to students' needs. As long as students are gaining knowledge from using technology, why should it even be debated? Using only pencil and paper, in my opinion, can limit a student's capacity to gain knowledge. Adding technology to the classroom can excite students to learn new things and can cause students to collaborate with one another more than ever before.

Who's Winning the Learning Race? 
Watching this video brought a lot of new ideas about technology to my attention. I had no idea that elementary students were so up to par with technology. Watching these young elementary students use laptops really blew my mind. It has never been brought to my attention that some of these young elementary students may know more about technology than myself. I have to argue that the younger generation, such as the elementary level students, may actually be winning the "Learning Race". By the time these younger students reach the undergraduate and graduate level in college there is no telling what these students will be capable of, technologically wise. I support the idea of students learning how to use technology as soon as possible. The younger these children start developing technological skills the better off they will be for the future.

Flipping the Classroom
Before watching this video, I have never ben introduced to this new method of "flipping the classroom". I believe flipping the class room would be beneficial towards both the students and the teacher as well. Personally, as a student I do tend to lose focus on the teacher during instruction. It would be beneficial to students to have instruction on video, that way they could replay the video if needed. Being a step ahead is always a good step. Flipping the classroom would allow students to already be one step ahead and prepared for class in advance. Like the vides mentions, if students already have an idea of what is going on a day ahead of time then students will have more class time available to collaborate. Teachers would benefit from this method because they will gain more time in class to interact with students, instead of just standing in the front of the classroom giving instructions. I am completely for this idea and I hope to use this method in my future classroom.

Bringing the Locker Room into the Classroom
A main reason why I want to teach is so that I can also become a cheer coach. Allowing students to work as a "team" is always rewarding and beneficial in my opinion. Teachers should allow students to collaborate with their own thoughts and ideas to gain knowledge. I think it is a great idea for coaches and teachers to intermingle and share different methods with one another. It is always a positive attribute if a person is open to new ideas. We all have something to offer one another when it comes to learning something new. Coaching in the classroom will give students a better feel of what they are actually capable of achieving by putting them outside their comfort zones.