How can college students change the world if they spend all of their college classes starring at their professor, chatting while there is a lecture, using Facebook or tweeting and ignoring the blackboard in front of them. Kansas State Associate Professor Dr. Michael Wesch, has made the point of how students ask questions during college classes: "How many points is this worth?" . Most college classes are not relevant to student lives. Students will sure acquire knowledge through readings and assignments, but how will that information help them change the world. We need to teach our students to be Knowledge-Able. According to Dr. Wesh, students need to learn how to find, sort, analyze, create, and criticize information. Learning comes with experiences, change, and collaboration. We need to start trusting students to be creative, build upon their passions and prepare them to change the world. How have you changed the world today? References Welsh, M. (2014). A Vision of Students Today. YouTube. Retrieved 31 August 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o Wesch, M. (2014). TEDxKC - Michael Wesch - From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-Able. YouTube. Retrieved 30 August 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeaAHv4UTI8#t=80 | How can we teach 1st graders to be Knowledge-Able? Last year, Camarena Elementary hosted their 1st Color-Splash. This run was not only to create a community at our school, but it had a purpose to reach out to others. We helped promote the Non-profit EPInternational that helps donate books, school supplies, scholarships, and uniforms to children in México and South America. This year, I want to give my students the opportunity to create a way to help other children.Many children in México do not have the means to attend school. Hope I can guide my students to create a way we can help EPI and change the world! Follow EPI on twitter on @EduProjectInt |
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"We can't be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion" Margaret Wheatly, author of "Partnering with Confusion and Uncertainty" describes how I feel after reading Why Schools? a book that gives us the perspectives of why students need to learn more than traditional skills and further improve on preparing students for 21st century based on literacy skills adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English.
I feel confused because as an elementary student I was always successful. As a child, I loved school, languages, reading, math and above all learning. In contrast, my younger brother struggled in his classes. I remember my mom taking him to math tutoring sessions. Never I thought of how our parents would compare each other based on school achievement. Why do we constantly judge our sense of intelligence based on school achievement? I never doubted in my mind that both my brother and I would achieve our parents (and our ) goals of becoming college graduates in the United States. We grew up in Tijuana, México and from kindergarten to high school we learned in 1hr on a daily basis a second language. Later, we immersed into US community college experience. As I grew older, I continued my college degree and learned about different aspects of learning styles, and I became aware through my liberal studies program how everyone is a different learned. My brother and I talk about our education experiences and he reaffirms that always thought that I was the "smart" one (as well as my mother) because of our difference in school achievement. I would get frustrated once we would talk about it. It is not school that makes you smarter, It Is the way you solve things for yourself. I am no means smarter than him or anybody else. I think we have to outsmart ourselves. If there is a challenge, we must always look for resources to resolve our own problems to clear all obstacles and reach our goal. Everyone has different abilities and not because you are not good at a certain subject algebra, calculus, etc. you are categorized "not smart" .This is my whole discussion with him to this day. He is an intelligent young man. He graduated last year with a B.A. in Hospitality and Tourism Management. His social skills, perseverance and his willingness to think outside the box makes him a great candidate to the profession he aspired to. He once though following my father's footsteps of becoming an Engineer would lead him to success, what he found that only his true passion would drive him to reach his personal goals. There are many cases like this. What happens to all of those students that feel they are not smart because of a grade that has been given because they learn or work at a slower pace, "too active", "not good at math". They probably hate the idea of school, because their passion is not enlighten in a traditional school setting or they don't even know what their passion is. What have they done as adults to break from this label? How can we as educators lead all of our diverse learners to become independent learners, follow their passions, and change the world. How can I prepare my students with a balance of foundational skills and 21 Century skills to question, research and solve their own problems? These are the suggestions that "Why School?" author Will Richardson shares with educators and students to engage in 21 Century Skills include: 1. Share everything (or at least something Ideas, articles, quotes, website, resources 2. Discover the curriculum Ask questions, research and learn 3.Talk to Strangers Connect with other educators, professionals in specific fields, authors, etc. 4. Be a Master Learner Always be willing to learn, keep updated, and open up to new ideas. 5. Do real work for a real audience Create a blogpost, twitter, and share it with real people 6.Transfer the power Engage others in ideas, think, collaborate |
AuthorDual Language Educator Archives
December 2014
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