The Digital Age: Columnist Discusses IT Solutions for the 21st Century
We all know the future will be greatly impacted by the development of new digital tools. But have we considered what the digital world is alread doing to the students that enter our classrooms? We must develop new strategies that will appeal to the learning preferences and communication needs of our digital learners.
I recently retired as the chief information officer for the Durango School district, in Durango, Colo. During the 14 years I spent there, I witnessed many changes with information technology and had a first-hand look at old vs. new techniques for classrooms instruction, construction and management.
My world changed dramatically after I retired last January. My phone started ringing with invitations to speak at conferences and provide professional staff development to educational leaders and teachers. My emphasis is 21st century skills and how we need to change our classroom environments to prepare our students for the global work force.
Over the last six months, it has become evident to me that most schools are teaching with too much paper. Administrators are inundated with test scores, state standards, No Child Left behind and other assessments required at the local, state and national level. Many districts teach to the test by spending hours training the students to get better test scores. We need to move into the 21st Century classroom and become agents of change.
A 21st century classroom should incorporate the digital tools our students use every day. A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that:
- 59 percent of all American teenagers engage in at least one form of online content creation
- 35 percent of all teen girls blog
- 20 percent of boys blog
- 54 percent of girls post photos online compared with 40 percent of online boys
- 39 percent of online teens share their artistic creations online, such as artwork, photos, stories or videos
- 33 percent create or work on Web pages or blogs for others, including groups they belong to, friends or school assignments
- 28 percent have created their own online journal or blog, up from 19 percent in 2004
- 27 percent maintain a own personal Web page
- 26 percent revise content they find online into their own creations
My research indicates that more than 78 percent of schools block students from creating content, blogs, wikis, photos sites and other Web 2.0 tools. I understand the need to meet the e-rate requirement and provide filtering content, but most districts block the very things that kids are doing every day when they leave our classrooms.
As we begin the new school year, my goal is to move you out of your comfort zone and assist you in developing new skills that will provide you with a clear understanding of various strategies that can be used to optimize learning by the digital generation in the new digital landscape.
In the next few months I will answer questions and provide information on the digital tools and technology that are shaping modern classrooms:
- Ways educators can meet the demands and challenges of 21st century learning.
- How digital tools can provide 21st century skills that involve: writing, speaking, visual, technical and personal development skills.
- The use of technology to develop proficiency in 21st century skills and support innovative teaching and learning.
- Techniques to enable students to easily go beyond the narrow confines of the safe knowledge base of their academic discipline to apply themselves to whatever they encounter in the post-education world.
Howie DiBlasi is an IT consultant who speaks regularly about 21st century schools and teaching techniques throughout the United States. Send questions, comments and ideas to school@emlenpub.com