The New Technology method transforms classrooms from lecture-and-textbook models into active, inquiry-based learning centers.  Students conduct research to tackle real issues and answer complicated questions.  They meet state standards and benchmarks by getting out of their seats and completing practical tasks.  According to the article, students in active, project-based classrooms perform better in class and on standardized tests.  They own the information because they had to discover it themselves through guided activities.

An excellent video from the New Technology Foundation website documents a math teacher at New Technology High School in Napa, California who starts her teaching units by looking at the state standards and then brainstorming how she can create real-world, hands-on applications for her students.  It would be a seriously fun math class where students get out of their seats, conduct experiements and work collaboratively.  Quite different from the textbook-and-lecture math classes I received in high school, from which most of the information sits in a dusty region of my brain known as the medulla iforgotta.

Changing Paradigms

The previous NETS-T standards maintained a focus on teacher-driven textual knowledge.  I am delighted to see that the updated NETS-T standards reflect a strong emphasis on the teacher as a co-learner and a knowledge facilitator.  Rather than merely delivering content knowledge to students, teachers are now expected to guide their students through a creative learning process that involves collaboration, innovation, problem solving and authentic learning experiences.  This is a significant step forward in re-defining the role of the teacher in 21st century society.  NETS-T 2008 is now on the right track.

NETS-T 2008 consists of five major performance indicators:

• Learning and creativity
• Assessment
• Digital Age skills
• Digital citizenship
• Professional development

For more information on NETS-T 2008, I invite you to read Dave Nagel’s article The Future of Instruction: Teacher as ‘Co-Learner’ in The Journal.

In an Edutopia article called Turning the Tables: Students Teach Teachers by Sara Armstrong, students in Olympia, Washington provide structured technology professional development workshops for their teachers. The program is a huge success. The teachers learn some excellent software skills, while the students feel empowered and appreciated for their knowledge. I can’t imagine such a professional development program would cost anything to the school district. It’s a win/win situation. I would love to see more school districts tapping into this excellent resource. Please share some success stories here if you have worked in a school district with a similar program.

Are the days of the textbook numbered? Digital and online educational resources surely have a lot of advantages over traditional textbooks. They are limitless in number. They can be instantly updated. They can allow for interactivity and collaboration. They don’t deteriorate or get lost. They provide numerous viewpoints on topics. Textbooks seem pretty archaic when compared to digital resources.

The only real problem I see in eliminating textbooks is that of equity. When course material is provided digitally, all students require a computer and internet access. Arizona is making efforts to overcome this financial burden. I wonder if more states are doing so.

Assuming we can provide access for our students (no small feat, I know), are there any other significant arguments against the proposal of migrating from printed course materials to online resources?

“In an increasingly global, technological economy, they [policy and business leaders] say, it isn’t enough to be academically strong. Young people must also be able to work comfortably with people from other cultures, solve problems creatively, write and speak well, think in a multidisciplinary way, and evaluate information critically.”

Schools are adopting applied learning outcomes, such as interpersonal skills and oral communication , to which students are assessed in all curricular areas, including mathematics and science.  The article discusses an algebra class at Sacramento New Technology High School, where instead of solving problems out of textbooks, students study and solve problems of real-world issues.  Students in this project-based class are evaluated on citizenship and ethics as well as their math skills.  Combining subjects, such as geography and English, have allowed students at this school to study multidisciplinary topics in greater depth.

It is refreshing to see pioneer schools taking a proactive role in preparing their students for life in the 21st century.  I believe ’soft skills’ are even more important than academic skills because they are the skills of life, and they are the skills we must use everyday.