Back to the Basics: Reading, Righting and Rithmetic (forget about spelling)! How many times have you heard this? Well I say "Hogwash!" No more 3Rs. Now we must have 6Cs!
What are the 6Cs?
1. Clouds In 1979 several Canadians predicted, in Guttenberg II that by 2000 we would have "all information in all places at all times. We didn't quite make it, but we are very close. In 1979 information was generally thought to be text. Now we understand information to be pictures, graphics, motion pictures, motion graphics and sounds. A lot more than text! In 1995 I predicted that we would have all information on silver discs. Was I wrong! It's going to be (already a lot of it is) in the CLOUDS. And now we really are close to all information being everywhere all the time, accessible by computer, tablet or iPhone in all its forms! It's in the Clouds!
2. ClassSPACE We teachers talk about ClassROOMS. But it is time to change that focus. Instead of ClassRooms, we must move toward ClassSpace. Every classroom can be connected to other classrooms wherever they may exist in the world. It is important to make those connections, to break apart the rooms and to create new spaces in which we interconnect classes, teachers, cultures, political conditions - all of it in ClassSPACE. The technology exists and some teachers arre already hard at work at this process. For one example, take a look at the interactions between Mr. Jarrod Lamshed, 5th grade teacher in Adelaide, Australia and Mr. McClung, 5th grade teacher in Noel, Missouri. Click for Part 1 and Part 2 of the class "visits" using technology.
3. Collaboration First, an admission. I did not assign a single collaborative effort in EDM310 this semester. That will change next semester. I have all sorts of ideas. In addition to the collaborative work with Mr. Chamberlain's @mrchamberlain team of teachers, I have already discussed a collaborative effort with Dr. John McCullough @cubprof, Professor of Educational Technology at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania. After ruminating on what I wanted to say here, I am also going to seek to have our students collaborate on one or more joint projects. The future of work demands that students be prepared to collaborate. Schools have resisted collaboration by students, preferring to judge each individual by evaluating his or her own work. The independent ear is fast disappearing. Tomorrow we will all HAVE to collaborate, and not just with those sitting next to us. Google, Apple and others are providing us with tools (many of which are free) that make collaboration easy and also provide ways t easily determine the contributes to the joint products made by each individual student.
4.Change If you want to really understand change, try teaching a course addressing the technological tools available and useful to teachers. They CONSTANTLY change. And our world is changing just as fast, primarily because globalization affects everything. How do we teach students to change? My initial reaction is that we must model the behavior we would instill. In other words, we must change ourselves.
5. Creativity If there is one response to change that is absolutely necessary, I would think it is creativity. How can we teach students to e creative? I do not have an answer, but I do think that we should encourage experimentation, avoid penalties for not knowing as long as there is a determined effort to find out. We must also do things. Create is a major part of creativity. So I return once again to a project based curriculum. And we must be inspired by things outside our current realm of thinking and living. That's why it is so important to see our classrooms as classes without walls. Note: Since I wrote this @jlamshed has pointed out a great speech by Sir Ken Robinson which I urge you to watch!
6.Curiosity It seems to me that we must figure out better ways of maintaining the curiosity demonstrated by young kids as they grow older. I think schools do much to stifle that curiosity by seeking "right answers" rather than "interesting questions." So I have added the stimulation of CURIOSITY to my list of things to do as a teacher.
A bit about me...
I am a Professor of Professional Studies at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I am responsible for the design and development of the technology instruction taken by juniors and seniors in the College of Education. I have been teaching for over 40 years. In 1972 I became Dean of the College of Professional and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts/Boston and served in that capacity until 1979 when I was named Vice President of the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning. I came to "South" in 1988 to develop a program in multimedia.
I am a Professor of Professional Studies at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I am responsible for the design and development of the technology instruction taken by juniors and seniors in the College of Education. I have been teaching for over 40 years. In 1972 I became Dean of the College of Professional and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts/Boston and served in that capacity until 1979 when I was named Vice President of the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning. I came to "South" in 1988 to develop a program in multimedia.
Last Edited on April 22, 2009
