Trends in
Technology:
→
How Learning Experiences Impact 21st Century Skills
Nichole Blass
Bryan Snyder,
Instructor
EEND675B - Fnd of Educ Technology
June 14, 2017
“Name an adult who
can sit still for 90 minutes and listen to somebody drone on. If an adult can’t
learn that way, how in the world can kids learn that way? (Schaffhauser, 2017)
This statement by David Ross, CEO of the Partnership for 21st Century Learning,
is the premise for why the classroom experience is being dramatically altered
in the 21st Century. Education as a form of systematic instruction is not
unique; people throughout time have received formal and informal instruction
whether through oral traditions or hours spent sitting behind a school desk. I
feel, currently, the most influential trend in education is the lesson
experience within the classroom. We will look at a few examples of specific
ways the 21st Century classroom experience is modernizing to meet the needs of
the 21st Century workforce.
History shows that
how populations are educated reflect what is necessary in the workforce and/or
society at that time. In an agrarian society, education was based on the skills
needed to successfully farm and trade. Benjamin Franklin, referring to the
Pennsylvania youth, suggested, “While they are reading natural history, might
not a little gardening, planting, grafting, inoculating be taught and practiced,
and now and then excursions made to the neighboring plantations of the best
farms, their methods observed and reasoned upon for the information of youth,
the improvement of agriculture being useful to all and skill in it no
disparagement to any?” (Davis 1911). Society then moved to an industrial period
that relied heavily on people learning a specific task or set of skills
required in different industries, or preparing the masses to be good, orderly
citizens. The nation was witnessing the “advent of machine production and its
accompanying specialization of occupation” (Koos, 1927). It could be said that
by 1890 “national concerns about international economic competition” (Spring,
1990) and the demands of “advancing technology” (Krug, 1964) began to influence
the design of the blueprints being used to shape the foundations of the newly
emerging model of education.
The economy is
undergoing a significant change again. There is widespread agreement that we
have been and continue to be moving from an industrial to an information
economy. Key aspects of the new economy include: the globalization of the
economy, the demise of the mass-production economy, a privileging of
information technology, an increase in the skills required to be successful,
and an emphasis on the service dimensions of the marketplace (Murphy
2013). The goal is no longer maintenance
of the organizational structure but rather the development of human resources
(Fullan & Ballew, 2002; Tichy & Cardwell, 2004).
With
this change in society and the economy, the kind of education students receive
should be changing also. Long gone are the days of rote memorization, studying
lengthy textbooks, and listening to the teacher spew facts in a classroom
vacuum. With the technology available at their fingertips, whether school
provided or not, students can research facts on their own almost instantly. While textbooks were the main source of
information for students for hundreds of years, first in the form of clay
tablets then progressing to texts on CD-rom, no longer is information itself
power; rather, power is gained from the ability to access the right information
quickly. Electronic media are a commonplace and comfortable part of academic
life for most of today’s students (Bierman 2006).
Research
has shown that "the way people learn is to have “real-life engaging
experiences." Active learning
has gotten a new lease, and under the umbrella of active learning falls
project, challenged, and problem-based learning often utilizing makerspaces to
accomplish the projected outcomes. Ross clarified that this concept of active
learning is a "rebranding" of project-based learning, which, he
added, used to be called "experiential learning." All of these spring
from the idea that students want to do something more than simply listen to the
teacher, and tech can play a role in making that happen. Active learning has to
be relevant to the student and include activities "anchored in the real
world and anchored in significant content, whether it's Common Core or Next Generation
Science Standards”(Schaffhauser, 2017). Active learning and the pedagogical
frameworks that support this trend, like SAMR and the Framework for 21st
Century Learning, guide educators and educational leaders to create and
implement learning experiences that prepare learners for future endeavors in
the workplace both domestically and globally.
The Partnership
for 21st Century Skills identified three types of skills needed for success in
the workplace: learning skills, literacy skills, and life skills. Learning skills are presented as the 4C’s:
Creativity, Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking (P21). According
to contributors to Thoughtful Learning,
“To hold information-age jobs, students need to think deeply about issues,
solve problems creatively, work in teams, communicate clearly in many media,
learn ever-changing technologies, and deal with a flood of information. The
rapid changes in our world require students to be flexible, to take the
initiative and lead when necessary, and to produce something new and useful”
(2016).
Teachers’ roles
are necessary to create and present their students with the active lesson
experiences that include opportunities to develop the skills mentioned. A great example of this kind of
lesson experience is through the use of a makerspace (Schaffhauser, 2017). A
makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate
public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses
high tech to no tech tools. For example, they may include 3D printers, laser
cutters, sewing machines, robot kits, cardboard, Legos and art supplies. It’s
more of the maker mindset of creating something out of nothing and exploring
your own interests that’s at the core of a makerspace. These spaces are also helping to prepare
those who need the critical 21st Century skills in the fields of science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM).
They provide hands on learning, help with critical thinking skills and
even boost self-confidence. Some of the skills that are learned in a makerspace
pertain to electronics, 3d printing, 3D modeling, coding, robotics and even
woodworking (2017).
One of the challenges educators
face when preparing experiential lessons is space to conduct the lesson. Is the classroom an acceptable location to
accomplish the goals set forth in the lesson? Does the space have the required
resources available? Depending on the size of the classroom and number of
students/desks, it may be too small of a space to have multiple activities simultaneously.
One solution is to only use a small area of the room or a rolling cart that can
be moved from room to room. Many schools
utilize the Media Center to house their makerspaces allowing the whole school
access the different activities and resources.
Another challenge is expense. Funding for even the basic necessities of
education can prove to be a challenge. Additional resources to create a
meaningful makerspace can quickly become expensive. Though costs of technology
is reducing, things like 3D printers and CAD-CAM machines are very
expensive. Even extra art materials or
Legos add additional costs to budgets. Grants and donations are a feasible
option to overcome the potential cost barrier.
A few grants available for these active learning endeavors include NEA Foundation Student Achievement Grants ,
ING Unsung Heroes Program, and
AIAA Foundation
Classroom Grant Program.
How students learn
has a decided impact on what they learn. Teaching and learning environments
matter. Many students learn more when schoolwork is connected to their
interests, to real-world problems, and to the worlds of work and college. Experiences
outside the classroom, variation in the school day, and the ability to use
technology and other hands-on tools engage students in learning—and help them
discover new interests and passions. Instructional strategies that foster
higher-order thinking and personalize learning to meet students’ specific needs
are critical as well (Bray,
Green, & Kay, 2010). We are currently at a very unique period in
time as the transformation from an industrial to information economy is
happening in front of our eyes. As the landscape of society changes
economically, politically, and socially, education must adapt to provide future
generations opportunities to be successful within that landscape. Active
learning opportunities, particularly through the use of a makerspace, allows
teachers and students to incorporate collaboration, critical thinking,
creativity, and communication which have been identified as the learning skills
necessary to be successful in college and the workplace (2016).
Works Cited
Bierman, P., Massey, C., & Manduca, C. (2006).
Reconsidering the textbook. Eos,
Transactions American Geophysical Union, 87(31), 306-306.
Bray, J. B., Green, K. A., & Kay, K. (2010,
October). Up to the Challenge: The Role
of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career
Readiness (Rep.). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from Partnership for 21st
Century Skills website: http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/CTE_Oct2010.pdf
Fullan, M., & Ballew, A. C. (2001).
Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass.
Koos, L. (1927). The American secondary school. Boston: Ginn.
Krug, E. A. (1964). The shaping of the American high school. New York: Harper &
Row.
Murphy, J. (2013) Schooling in the Post-Industrial World: The North Star for Leadership,
Vanderbilt University
Spring, J.
(1990). The American school 1642-1990: Varieties of historical interpretation
of the foundations and developments of American education (2nd ed.). New York:
Longman.
Tichy, N.
M., & Cardwell, N. (2004). The cycle
of leadership: How great leaders teach their companies to win. New York, NY:
Harper Business
