Blog 1: "Everybody wants the same old thing."

I entered this class unsure of what to expect.  With a title like “Foundations of Curriculum and Assessment”, I wasn’t entirely sure what this course was going to be about.  I was pleasantly surprised however.  To my delight many familiar faces showed up not too long after I did and as the lecture began, our topic of study became much clearer.  Both the text and in lecture, the shift between traditional and constructivist approaches to curriculum, was discussed.  This was a familiar tune, but the conclusion that we, as future teachers, could take the best of both worlds to form a better learning environment in the 21^st century was a nice outlook begin the course with. 

Previous education courses have also stressed the need for educators to reach out to students and tap into what motivates them to learn.  Making use of social media is a good place to start.  The text discusses the use of technology “as tools to engage students and enhance learning” (p. 24).  When I was in elementary and high school, much to my chagrin, the technology was always decades behind.  Using it to its full potential to have students become involved and invested in their learning is exciting – it is ridiculously cool that students from Toronto could have a Skype conversation with students in Africa!  I would have loved to participate in something like this when I was younger.  Fifty years ago, a live two-way conversation between two classes on opposite parts of the world with audio and visual capabilities would be very far-fetched. 

The idea of technology revolutionizing the classroom (and its extensive use in this course) is both exciting and a little frightening.  I am technologically literate in many respects, but at the same time somewhat unfamiliar with most of the social media that was brought up in class, such as Twitter.  Despite the vast opportunities enabled by the use of modern technology, the text also discusses how some teachers resist to adapting new technologies.  They argue that it makes for an uncomfortable situation when their students have a better grasp of the technology than they do.  Fair enough, but this provides the educator with a great opportunity to get the students involved in their learning.  Helping the teacher will make students feel useful and engaged and ultimately foster a better learning environment.

You might be wondering about the Calvin and Hobbes comic.  I included it because it was the first thing that went through my mind when I heard that we were writing blogs.  I don’t like to share much about myself (as blogs often do).  I am often opposed to change when I am comfortable with what I have and know.  In some ways, there is a temptation to be like the stagnant teachers mentioned above.  I am happy that this course will challenge that attitude because I know that I will adapt to meet the students in a place where they are engaged – even if I’ve never posted a Tweet before.  Watterson’s clever punch line is that “Everybody wants the same old thing.”  I’m glad that this course doesn’t and enthusiastic at the prospect of challenging my future students with an approach that is fresh, relevant, and engaging.