Time for Change

"The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new" -Socrates

Many educators are accustom to the "old story" of education that had a traditional approach to teaching which was based upon the transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. There was limited social interaction, standardized testing, and it was grounded in the principles that sought to make factory work more efficient. Today's "new story" does not seek to dismiss the old but rather identify and build upon its positive aspects to create a new approach that works for the 21st century learner.

Old Story	New Story
-grounded in the purpose of efficient factory work -teacher is expert -mind is viewed as a blank slate -teacher transmits knowledge into empty vessel -curriculum was delivered in one method for all students	-holistic curriculum teaches the whole child (mind, body & spirit) -constructivist teaching -project based leaning -metacognition -curriculum can be modified to fit needs of the learner

(Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014)

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Throughout many placements that I have attended in my four years at Brock University I have come to see that many educators today are still stuck in the traditionalist way of teaching. I understand that it is difficult to change your ideas of education if that is how you were taught as a students, but you are not the student anymore. We as educators must be able to teach to the needs and desire of the students in the 21st century. Michael Fullan (2013), believes there are three key features to creating a new story:

Technology

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Many front runner educators use technology to enhance their student's learning and allow for a deeper assessment. Since the internet and social media have such a strong presence in the lives of our students today it is only logical to somehow find a way to incorporate into our curriculum. Media studies is currently a strand in the Ontario English Curriculum that explores the impact and influence of mass media and pop culture. It is therefore important to use the common equipment that students use to access this sort of information outside of the classroom and bring it into the learning environment. But how are we to monitor the students who may abuse their use of technology within the classroom? And how can I be an effective teacher if my students are more technologically inclined than I am?

New Pedagogy

The new pedagogy revolves around 21st century skills that include four main characteristics;

1. Irresistibly engaging 
2. Elegantly efficient
3. Technologically ubiquitous
4. Steeped in real-world problems  

This form of deep learning in the classroom requires students to learn 21st century skills such as communication, creativity and collaborative teamwork. According to Johnson et al., challenge-based learning (CBL) is a new teaching model that incorporates problem based learning, project based learning, and contextual teaching. As a future teacher I question how I will be able to develop deep thinking learners and if all these teaching models are appropriate in my physical education setting.

Teacher as Activator

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It is not enough for an educator to incorporate technology and new pedagogy, they must also be the agent of change to help students find their purpose and passion within the educational learning environment. I have heard many educators say "teachers teach students, not subject" and I finally understand what that means. Although the teacher must be an expert on their subject, they must also be able to facilitate both surface and deep learning, give constructive feedback, monitor leaning and attend to the BE. One way to be an activator is to go beyond the walls of the classroom and share your knowledge and methods with other teachers as well. 

As future educators it is important to share our new story of education and to be the change!

References

Drake, S., Kolohon. W., & Reid, J. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging in the 21st       Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Fullan, M. (2013). Stratosphere. Toronto, ON: Pearson.

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Smyth, J., & Varon, R. (2009). Challenged-based learning: An approach for our time. Austin, TX: The New Media Consorium.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2007). The Ontario curriculum grades 9&10: English. Retrieved from https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/english910currb.pdf