BP2_2009101_Anti-Teaching

"As most of us know from our own experience, the best learning almost always occurs in the absence of a teacher, for it is then that learners are free to pursue with great passion the questions that are meaningful and relevant to their own lives" (Wesch, M.). I pulled this quote from Michael Wesch's article on Anti-Teaching: Confronting the Crisis of Significance, because it summarizes the current goal in education. Personally, going through college courses and even using CMS tools like Blackboard, I did not feel like I received a meaningful education toward life. Only through expanding my personal knowledge after college have I really come to appreciate learning. I believe this comes from my own paced learning and personal interests.

I also watched the YouTube video "A Vision of Students today," that Wesch described in the article. Seeing all the students completely bored out of their minds in a lecture class, holding up papers or notes on their laptops stating what they are actually doing in class, which was anything but the assigned reading or paying attention, it was made more apparent as to how educational systems need to increase knowledge and awareness of the students' personal learning. As Wesch stated, students need to find what is relevant to them to want to answer those unanswered questions in life.

Through learning about Multiple Intelligences and Brain-Based Learning, I have found a new understanding of how everyone really does learn differently. A teacher cannot sit down and write a personalized lesson plan for all 100 students. This is where CMS helps to manage the course and student participation. PLEs and Web 2.0 help students expand on learning themselves as well as collaborating with peers.

However, I don't think the technological tools are enough to suffice all learning. A structure must be kept in line to ensure quality experience is taking place. Even a CMS and PLE can get unorganized. Monitored progress by the teacher should still allow for personal exploration with a more structured approach.

What I have experienced in my school district is that they want to create a virtual learning environment that is the same across the board. I do concur that the CMS should be the same for the district, but that teachers may be allowed to add Web 2.0 tools as they wish, many of which are blocked right now by the district. Virtual communication for students is also blocked. More accessibility is a must and I think districts are afraid of developing too much freedom that it is so far from the traditional learning techniques. For 21st century schools, a new structured design must take into effect that teachers are learning how to teach in the 21st century. Once accommodations for the teachers have been made, it is easier to facilitate and monitor the learning of the student. So many times, I have heard my students actually understand the concept after they have taken the test or completed the project. I think many teachers go through this. Using technology and monitoring their progress virtually allows for more insight into what students are actually accomplishing outside the classroom, and that is "learning beyond the test."