BP23_01032011_Do New Things in New Ways

Regarding technology in the classroom in the 21st century, there are only three options:

1. To use new technologies to implement old assessments, projects, or assignments.
2. To use old technologies to implement new assessments, projects, or assignments.
3. To use new technologies to implement new assessments, projects, or assignments.

The recommended course of action is the last one, to implement new technologies in a new situation that reflects the learning styles and technology savvy of 21st century learners.

Consider these examples:

1. Mr. Barnes uses end-of-chapter review questions, quizzes, and tests to assess his students' understanding of historical periods in the United States. He has recently converted all of his questions, quizzes, and tests to online versions, using Moodle and GoogleDocs. His classroom is now virtually paper-free.
2. Mrs. Lammers has embraced project based learning, but her A.P. Statistics students still submit their work by pencil and paper, because Mrs. Lammers fears her students might cheat if given the chance to collaborate online.
3. Ms. Samil uses real-time data from NASA for her students' statistics project. The project findings are recorded using GoogleDocs spreadsheets, and the conclusions are presented in a Prezi, complete with photos of students participating in the project, taken on smartphones and uploaded to their student drive on the school server.

• Mr. Barnes is the classic example of using new tools to do old things. The learning activities have not changed; the pencil has been replaced by the keyboard. Has this changed the level of thinking in the classroom? While some students may be engaged by the opportunity to use the computers, the level of thinking required remains level.
• Many teachers fear that collaboration will become cheating. Mrs. Lammers thinks that requiring students to submit work with old tools (pencils, paper projects, etc.) will prevent that. The drawback here is that while the real world application done in Mrs. Lammers class is noteworthy, no publication is possible outside the classroom walls, and the document will fall victim to the recycling bin and disappear forever before long.
• Ms. Samil uses project based learning with a real world application and allows students to use tools they have grown up with. Ms. Samil is neither a GoogleDoc expert, nor a Prezi user, but knows her students can help each other figure out these tools where questions arise. Because both GoogleDocs and Prezi applications are shareable, these documents can be saved for student portfolios, published to the web, or retained for use later in college or in the student's personal life.