I Realize...

I realize that the world kids are being raised in is so very different than the one I was.  I also realize that their knowledge and capacity to grasp technological gadgets and gizmos is far greater than mine.  I believe their brains are wired differently.  Most have been looking at moving images and digital images from the time they were born.  Yet, so many of our classrooms are the same as the ones that I started teaching in more than 25 years ago.  Sure they are equipped with smart boards vs.chalkboards.  And there is a document camera where the overhead used to be.  Yet I think most of us have only begun to scratch the surface of the potential of the tools that we have.

For me, digging in to Glogster yesterday really helped me see that kids need to be able to present information in a way that makes sense to them.  They should be able to access what they know to share what they've learned in powerful and more meaningful ways.  There must be a huge disconnect between the digital world of their homes and the lack of digital focus at school.

This makes me realize that rather than leading them on a journey of discovery, many of us may be stifling their learning.  For me, I plan to get out of their way and start listening to what they know.  I plan to stop assuming that my students, who come from lower SES homes, don't know how (or shouldn't have the opportunity) to access the wealth of resources that are available via the Internet.

It makes me realize it's time to step up the game and help them access, process, and communicate knowledge and learning in new and relevant ways.  It's time for a change.