“If we teach today’s students as we did yesterday, we rob them
of tomorrow”
(John Dewey as cited
in Digital Media 2011)
The first time I heard this quote was in one of my Master’s
of Education classes Technology in the
Curriculum. What struck me the most was the truth behind it. If we take a
look around our society today, the significance of 21st century
technology is evident in almost every aspect of our daily lives. From the time
people wake up in the morning to the time they go to bed at night, technology
has an impact on both productivity and social activity. People are able to
communicate to each other instantly through text messages, emails, Skype and
social networking sites. Businesses are able to market and sell products to
people all over the world through online websites and advertisements. It amazes
me each day how much society has truly changed in such a short period of time.
However, what I think has not changed, are our schools.
Ironically, schools
were initially developed as institutions aimed at preparing students for the
future. However, somewhere between the creation of the traditional school and
the beginning of the 21st century, schools have forgotten this goal.
How are schools preparing students for a world of endless possibilities when
they are taught problems must be solved a certain way, or when they are taught
to think of things as being right or wrong? The standardized tests we are
imposing on our students are teaching them to think in a way that is conducive
to yesterday learning.
According to Tanner (2013), in the early years of the
testing industry test makers sought to align standardized tests to the
curriculum being taught in schools. As society allowed standardized testing to become the
chief representation of student learning, a turn around occurred in which schools
began aligning the curriculum to the test. Today, in a world where creativity
and innovation are butting heads with conformity and standardization, schools
and teachers are struggling to determine how to prepare students for the world of
tomorrow. On one hand, grades and class rank, both products of standardized tests, are highly valued as determinants for entry into Universities and Colleges
around the world. On the other hand, the characteristics businesses and employers look for in
their respective employees are innovation, creativity, collaboration, and problem
solving. At the end of the day, who wins? Conformity or innovation?
“In looking to the future, rather than insisting on a choice
of either/or, we should consider shifting to both/and” (Drake, 2010, p. 4). According
to Drake (2010), we need to recognize what was good from the “old method”
(standardization) and carry that forward. Perhaps there is no winner or loser,
no need for a battle between conformity and innovation. I think the answer lies in an integration
of the two practices. The old method or standardized testing was first implemented in schools to specifically assess students' literacy and numeracy skills. These subjects were viewed as the “basics for
a successful life” (Drake, 2010, p. 4). In the 21st century,
literacy can, and should still be considered a basic skill for life. However, the criteria of
what it means to be literate must be re-visited. Being literate in today's digital world not only involves traditional literacy skills, but being able to interpret new media as a critical
consumer of knowledge. Literacy in the 21st century means asking questions regarding authorship and credibility when
it comes to information presented online. Any one can create a
website on a topic of their choosing in a matter of minutes. Credentials are no longer a necessity for
being an expert. Thus, it is very important today’s students learn to approach knowledge from a critical perspective.
In the article What does it mean to be Well-Educated? Alfie Kohn (2003) discusses how most teachers can instantly name students who are intelligent thinkers, but who do not perform well on standardized tests. As well, there will always be students for whom standardized tests seem to overestimate their intellectual abilities. This is why one mode of testing is not sufficient. (see http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/welleducated.htm). In the Growing Success document developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education, three different types of assessment are emphasized (visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/success.html). In particular, assessment for learning is a way in which teachers can monitor their students learning and provide them with feedback throughout the learning process. In addition, it is recommended that different assessment types such as journal entries, question-answer cards, interviews, portfolios, graphic organizers, and drawings are used to ensure all students are tested in a way in which they perform best. Using such methods of assessment along with standardized tests provide a much clearer picture of a student’s strengths, abilities, and areas of weakness compared to standardized testing alone.
In the article What does it mean to be Well-Educated? Alfie Kohn (2003) discusses how most teachers can instantly name students who are intelligent thinkers, but who do not perform well on standardized tests. As well, there will always be students for whom standardized tests seem to overestimate their intellectual abilities. This is why one mode of testing is not sufficient. (see http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/welleducated.htm). In the Growing Success document developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education, three different types of assessment are emphasized (visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/success.html). In particular, assessment for learning is a way in which teachers can monitor their students learning and provide them with feedback throughout the learning process. In addition, it is recommended that different assessment types such as journal entries, question-answer cards, interviews, portfolios, graphic organizers, and drawings are used to ensure all students are tested in a way in which they perform best. Using such methods of assessment along with standardized tests provide a much clearer picture of a student’s strengths, abilities, and areas of weakness compared to standardized testing alone.
When it comes to preparing today’s students for the world of
tomorrow no teacher is able to predict what the future is going to look like.
However, what schools can do is incorporate what worked well in the past with
the skills needed for learning in the 21st century. In doing so, we
will teach our students not to forget the past, but embrace triumphs and
initiate change where it is needed. That, I believe is the key to learning in
the 21st century.
If you are wondering what 21st century learning looks like, check out this amazing video of what some schools are doing. http://www.pbs.org/programs/digital-media/
References:
Drake, S. M.
(2010). Enhancing Canadian teacher education using a story framework. The
Canadian Journal for the
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1(2),
1-13.
Kohn, A. (2003).
What does it mean to be well-educated.
Retrieved from
Ontario Ministry
of Education. (2010). Growing success:
Assessment, evaluation and reporting
PBS. (2011). Digital media: New learners of the 21st
century. Retrieved from
Tanner. (2013). The end of schooling as we
know it. Journal of Curriculum Studies,
45(1), 4-15.
