Learning Manifesto:

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From as early as I can remember, I recall being fascinated with nearly EVERYTHING. I was the one to ask questions (lots of them) and sought out to understand and learn something from nearly every person I encountered. It is the quest and the thrill of acquiring something new that has kept me motivated throughout my academic and professional journey. As an educator, I try to remind myself how exciting and scary learning can be and place the emphasis of learning, rather than just teaching at the center of my environment. Learning at the center of education can prepare students for life outside of just books and help design more coherent transitions into the outside world. Real world skills are what are needed for students, and those skills are acquired through an openness to learn and evolve as a person.

 

To build such an atmosphere requires a shift in the framework for what education is required to look like. For quite some time now, the educational system used within the United States is structured in a manner that does not always allow for flexibility or autonomy to one’s acquisition of knowledge. Instead, it resembles places where teachers, administrators and other support staff are stumped as to how to fix that disconnect. This is where digital learning, when done with purpose, can be a benefit. Creating a learner’s centered classroom requires more than just technology sprinkled on top of the current curriculum, but instead a design that makes content relevant and accessible in many capacities for the students. For example, the concept of the “$1,000 pencil,” emerges from the practice of simply replacing one method of delivery for another, without an increase in authentic engagement. This method, seen more and more as districts push for 1:1 classrooms, doesn’t give way to thoughtful or purposeful implementation (November, 2013). In fact, when technology is added into the classroom in this manner, without pacing, choice of content, or flexibility in the time to complete assignments used for consideration of the learning design, it seems to offer little benefits for learners. 

 

This is what truly fascinates me about learning, the fact that with the right tools and strategies implemented, it really can be customized to fit the needs of the individual. Subsequently, the shifts that are being seen in education can be attributed in part to the natural consequences of growing digital access that is more readily and easily acquired than ever before. As a result, the shifts in digital learning are helping to develop and evolve curriculum, learning design and assessment in independent, public, and private schools globally (Fullen & Langworthy, 2014). In James Gee’s book, The Anti-Education Era: Creating smarter students through digital learning, he points out that despite the number of resources provided to humans today, such as technology, digital media, and social media, are beneficial when use purposefully, but technology alone is not capable of making a person any ‘smarter’ (2013). What stands out to me about Gee’s work is his attention and love for learning in every aspect of life, whether that be politics, discussions on evolution or the emerging conflicts of education. It boils down to a few key matters; if our system is to produce 21st century leaders and lifelong learners, then it must be designed to engage them in a way that builds up the most needed skills. What a great time to be a part of this field! With the right mindset, the possibilities and path to learning can be endless, however it is necessary for a clear plan for implementation to be established for maximum success.

 

Access to the internet and other digital resources are at our fingertips, so let's use it to our advantage! My belief is with the right implementation and the end result in mind, technology can drastically transform education within my school. My hope is that by shifting the mindset on a department level first, the effects will spread far beyond just the Entrepreneurship department and be adapted to a school wide implementation of how students track their learning. The goal: to give the ownership of learning back to the students through the use of authentic and engaging technology. 

 

Resources:

 

Fullan, Michael and Langworthy, Maria (2014) A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep learning. Technical Report.  Pearson.

 

Gee, J. P. (2013). The anti-education era: Creating smarter students through digital learning. Google Books. Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved September 13, 2021.

 

November, A. (2013, February 10). Why schools must move beyond one-to-one computing. November Learning. https://novemberlearning.com/article/why-schools-must-move-beyond-one-to-one-computing/ 

 

Free stock photos acquired from www.pixabay.com and www.unsplash.com.

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Video created using Photos app (Microsoft product) and Screencast-o-matic.