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If my mother would have asked my teachers how she could support their efforts in the classroom I am positive they would have told her to keep me at home. I made my teachers earn their money, and I even inspired some of them to look into early retirement. Surely, they would think it a cruel joke that I am now a passionate teacher myself. I have matured as time has gone by. My attitude about school has developed as well. Now, when I, as a teacher, am asked how parents can best support my classroom efforts there is no sarcasm in my response; Ensure that your child is in class every day.
Duh! That seems obvious, or does it? When I was a student, collecting make-up work from days missed was satisfactory. Complete it by tomorrow, and turn it into the teacher. As long as it was on time I would get full credit. I mastered the three Rs just like everyone else. That was in a 20th-Century classroom. In a 21st-Century classroom, the three Rs aren't all that students miss. Equally important, are the 4 Cs.
Collaboration, communication, creation, and critical thinking are elements of a new millenium classroom that cannot be replicated with make-up work. They are social skills, and education has become social. The learner is no longer isolated with his or her work as I was in my schooling. With the rise in social networking, Web 2.0 technology, collaborative platforms, and problem-based learning, being present in the classroom is imperative to a successful learning experience. Information that is consolidated into stand alone textbooks or worksheets is insufficient. Authentic education has now become crowdsourced. When the whole of the crowd is not present, the quality of learning is diminished.
I once read a quote that stated that "All of us is smarter than any of us." Being a student is no longer about learning for you. It is now about learning with a community. While my teachers never actually encouraged my mother to keep me at home, they could have. In a 20th-Century classroom individual students were disposable. Now, they are invaluable.
Duh! That seems obvious, or does it? When I was a student, collecting make-up work from days missed was satisfactory. Complete it by tomorrow, and turn it into the teacher. As long as it was on time I would get full credit. I mastered the three Rs just like everyone else. That was in a 20th-Century classroom. In a 21st-Century classroom, the three Rs aren't all that students miss. Equally important, are the 4 Cs.
Collaboration, communication, creation, and critical thinking are elements of a new millenium classroom that cannot be replicated with make-up work. They are social skills, and education has become social. The learner is no longer isolated with his or her work as I was in my schooling. With the rise in social networking, Web 2.0 technology, collaborative platforms, and problem-based learning, being present in the classroom is imperative to a successful learning experience. Information that is consolidated into stand alone textbooks or worksheets is insufficient. Authentic education has now become crowdsourced. When the whole of the crowd is not present, the quality of learning is diminished.
I once read a quote that stated that "All of us is smarter than any of us." Being a student is no longer about learning for you. It is now about learning with a community. While my teachers never actually encouraged my mother to keep me at home, they could have. In a 20th-Century classroom individual students were disposable. Now, they are invaluable.
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