I have been visiting several schools lately and there is quite a lot of talk regarding the 21st Century bandwagon. Some of the teachers I have talked to say it Math Makes Sense all over again. A new philosophy, or catch phrase. Everyone wants us to get on board, with a top down mandate. But what about training? What is best for our students? Have their learning styles and needs been considered? What about budgets and the need for technology to let this all fly? I have had the privilege of talking to a School Trustee in Peace River South school district. Their SD has joined the 21st Train, but they seem to be doing it right! They are sending their trustees, and staff down to the states for training, to actually see this philosophy and practice in use. I think if our school districts are planning to go this route steps need to be taken before a Choice Learning Commons school can effectively start.
In the articles I summarized each one talked about how steps need to be taken to introduce these systems to our students. The Personal Learning Environment needs to be catered to each students. We (teachers and teacher librarians) need to know how to do this before we can teach our students. Our students deserve instruction. Even in the article by Koechlin, C. & Loertscher, D. V. (2011), no where does it show us the steps to get to that end result. We see can see Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' on the wall, but what steps did he take to create such a masterpiece?
Our students deserve the best in education, but is our government providing us with all the tools we need to give our future what they deserve?
Yes, always be wary of the latest bandwagon. Maybe Van Gogh is not the best example as he seemed to burn with an inner fire that he had very little control over. This comes from a huge Van Gogh fan...have gone many places to look at originals!
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