As a new semester begins, my posts on the blog shall continue. The
courses may have changed, but I am still on the path to becoming a teacher at
Brock U! As my fellow peers and I are beginning the last semester before we
head to Teacher’s Ed., the reality is beginning to set in…we are beginning to
ask ourselves and the people around us, “Can I do this?” “What kind of teacher
will I be?” “Will my students like me? Hate me? Will the older teachers like
me, too!? Will I even get a job?” With so many thoughts running through our
heads at this time, it is important to continue the development of our
individual teaching philosophies, and prepare for future practices. In today’s
technological world in the 21st Century, it should be quite evident
that incorporating 21st Century Learning Skills to our future
classroom must be done without hesitation. But, how can these skills be
incorporated into schools when the Ontario Curriculum and its Provincial Education
System seem to be 2 steps behind many of the other Provincial Education Systems (Watch this promo video
by the New Brunswick Department of Education)?
A question we all must delve into further…
During my
searches on Pinterest for an assignment I came across a certain image with a
number of different ways a teacher could incorporate 21st Century
learning into the classroom (see picture below post). As I read the list of
ideas, there are so many of them that I am now fortunate to have been a part of
in one of my Education courses. One idea was: Post a Question of the Week on
your class blog; my course has one-upped this idea, as my peers and I are all
writing a Blog ourselves, as we reflect on the course material and education surrounding
us. Another idea was: Let your students drive the learning; well my professor gave
my peers and I the opportunity to “drive our learning”, as we helped
‘negotiate’ the curriculum for the course, and helped provide what we would do,
how we would learn, and what it all would be worth (because marks still
count…). This is only 2 of the many points highlighted on this image that my
course has incorporated into our learning and our classroom. I guess this
advertisement for becoming a 21st Century teacher, and having a 21st
Century classroom will not be as difficult after all!
Through
social media, teacher and classroom blogs, pictures and documents found on
Pinterest and such, are all examples how technology in the 21st
Century can provide anyone and everyone around the world the tools, tips, ideas
and methods to become apart of the ever-growing 21st Century global
classroom phenomenon.
Leaving
point: As my first teachable is Health & Physical Education, incorporating
21st Century Learning may take a little more work as the “classroom”
is the gymnasium and outdoors. Throughout this semester I hope to find ways on
how 21st Century Learning can still be achieved through health and
physical activity, and I will share this progress throughout my blog posts,
along with the variety of other thoughts, reflections, and opinions I garnish throughout
the next 3 months.
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| Found on Pinterest.com |
