Institute Day…  Yep, we had one yesterday.  The majority of teachers dread these days, especially when they have to listen to a speaker for hours on a topic they can’t relate to, have a million other things on their to do list that keeps swirling in their head all day long, or they don’t feel they need to know the information for their particular role in the school.  I have a feeling yesterday was one of those days.   However, I truly believe the topic was important for EVERYONE in education.

I thought a lot about the presentation that I heard yesterday and am weirdly intrigued.  The presentation yesterday on The Next Generation Science Standards shed some light onto what needs to happen in education so we can prepare our children for the future in a world we can’t even imagine.  Something that was said motivated me to share my thoughts about the future of education.   I think about the future of education ALL THE TIME – I picture my perfect, futuristic classroom and try to figure out how I can incorporate as much of my vision into the school day as I can without taking away from the things I have to do.

My perfect futuristic classroom is a place where I have complete control on what I “teach” as long as by the end of the year, the Common Core Standards and the NGSS are mastered.  There wouldn’t be specific blocks of time that I had to “teach” math or language arts during.  I would be more of a facilitator or a coach that would create opportunities for my students to engage in purposeful, meaningful projects that encourage them to use life long skills.  I would provide real world experiences that would connect my students with other classrooms around the world so they can meet people from other cultures and have time for conversations and to collaborate on projects that can benefit others.   I would foster a platform where my students can share their voice, their projects, their innovative thinking to help develop communication skills that will assist them in the work place someday.  I would provide a space where my students could make choices so they can be comfortable, free of distractions, and start learning how/where they work best.  My classroom would have materials that would allow my students to explore, be creative, innovative, and produce products beyond our wildest imaginations.  My classroom would be filled with energy, excitement, and a love for learning.  My classroom would be filled with students who are prepared for our future world.

I have a vision of the types of students I want to create and yet there are so many barriers in place.  I don’t have the freedom to do everything I want and I realize I must take baby steps until everyone else can catch up and get on board.  So my question/problem is, “How do I get everyone on board?”.  I know that with each baby step I take, there is a risk involved.  The presenter yesterday, in so many words, said we are born curious- We are born risk takers- We are born wanting to constantly learn and figure out new things.  Somewhere along the way, our children have had their desire to explore, learn, innovate, and take risks squashed. In a world with a future that is changing quicker than the blink of an eye, why is that we are still so afraid to change ourselves and the way we “teach” our children?  How are we supposed to prepare our students to succeed in this ever so changing world and allow them to explore and want to take risks and become innovators if we aren’t willing to do it ourselves?  I ask that you start becoming a risk taker.  Start reflecting on the world around us, think about how you teach your own child and/or your students.  Are YOU doing everything you can to prepare our children to become successful in this world full of technology and innovation?  If not…take a risk, take a baby step.

I’ll be here for you every step of the way 😉

Now that…Is Positively Techie 🙂