NAIS 20/20 Challenge

NAIS 20/20 CHALLENGE

There is a lot of controversy about whether the time is here to fully integrate technology in education, there are discussions about the different implications and there is a lot of research being done. Slowly, but surely, teachers are experimenting with different programs, applications, BYOD, etc.

But there is no doubt about one thing; the time has come for global cooperation in education. The world has become a smaller place and communication infrastructure is available to everyone.

People who are involved in education have certain common characteristics; one of them is the enthusiasm for sharing, and sharing has become a lot easier, there is really no excuse for us as teachers to not be up to date with what’s being done in other parts of the world, and to make sure our students are getting the absolute best opportunities and resources.

The National Association of Independent Schools is providing a wonderful platform for collaboration in the solution of 20 problems that affect all of us in every country.

Teachers and students in all levels of basic education find in this challenge presented by NAIS an amazing opportunity to show their ideas, and to explore the experiences from classroom in different corners of the globe.

Being a part of this challenge will give students the chance to achieve all the aspects of authentic learning, according to educatorstechnology.com

1-Real-world

2- Ill-defined problem
3- Sustained investigation

4-Multiple sources and perspectives
5-Collaboration
6-Reflection (metacognition
7-Interdisciplinary perspective
8-Integrated assessment

9- Polished products

10-Multiple interpretations and outcomes

In my opinion this list covers all that we as teachers try to convey to our students.

So, go ahead, accept the challenge, embrace cooperation, and help your students become world citizens!

Digital Citizenship

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

What are some common digital citizenship issues in collaborative projects?

Using an educational network for connected teaching and learning can be scary, the issues shown on the video are only some of what makes networking so complicated. Digital Citizenship issues are bound to create controversy and complications.

Luckily for us teachers this is not new and is has been discussed and analyzed by experts, there are standards that must be followed in order to be able to use and promote technology in education.

The ISTE Standards for Digital Citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:

• advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
• exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
• demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
• exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

With this in mind, there are certain areas of awareness that must be taken into account before embarking into a digital project:

They are all interrelated and equally important, students must be able to use tools efficiently, present your self properly, interact and behave socially, respect diversity, have a good understanding of geographical differences. All of these must be taken into account simultaneously and it doesn’t necessarily come naturally to students, it has to be learned.

There are many effective ways to teach it one great example is The Digital Citizenship Project created by Claire Amos to teach students about how to interact on line, it is worth reading.

Each of the areas of awareness have to be approached with caution for safety and legal reasons, it is important to be familiar with the concepts related to the following issues:

And that isn’t all, etiquette and respect is something that teachers and students must be reminded of when working in such projects, that is probably one of the hardest things for students to abide by, since they feel protected when interaction is not direct.

We as teachers need to be 100% committed to digital citizenship, because we know well that students learn from example. Also, potential problems must be foreseen and the community must be prepared to deal with promptly.

This YouTube video shows how Omaha is trying to make teenagers aware of the importance of Digital Citizenship.

Assignment PA3d 

To Reward or not to Reward...

To Reward or not to Reward…

How can you, as a teacher leader, remodel the actual educational system based on rewards, to promote creative abilities of your 21st Century students? 

I am not sure if I agree whether the actual educational system is based on rewards, I have been teaching for ten years and I am convinced that it is a teacher’s personal style what determines whether to reward. I also feel that the students’ age is an important factor. What I think that we as educators want to see in our students as we evolve is a change in the concept of reward. Being challenged should become a reward in itself, and the prospect of acquiring knowledge, a motivator.

Still, there is a lot that we can do as teacher leaders to promote the transition into what should be the 21^st century educational system. We can start by setting goals for our class and make sure we have a system to monitor results, some kind of feedback. Whenever we try different strategies it is important that we first believe in them ourselves, enthusiasm is contagious. There is no one who can be enthusiastic about routine, so it is important to take risks and try new Things. Rewards can come in many different forms, offering creative spaces in class is rewarding for everyone, we should all try the 20% time in ourclassrooms, like AJ Juliani mentions in Edudemic. I think that caring for each student personally, and using differentiation in our planning is rewarding. Students want to feel that what they are learning has a purpose, which is where PBL comes in; being able to solve a problem is also a great reward. Showing our interest in learning makes students feel like they can also teach us something, and that is priceless Everything we do in class has to be reflected upon and discussed by teachers and students. And let’s change what’s important to students!
 #PA3a