“If we use all of our time and effort to return to a normal that wasn’t working to begin with, we will miss an opportunity to create the sustainable change that is so desperately needed in education.”
~Andi McNair
Since I began my teaching career in 1991, I have loved technology! I loved incorporating new and innovative tools and techniques that would enhance my students’ learning and achievement. I, the teacher, used technology to deliver information and content to my students in an engaging way. I was always the first on campus to incorporate the newest technology tools. I was the first on campus to use the AverKeys component to connect my computer to a TV monitor so that my students could view my computer screen. I was the first to receive a projector and scanner which I used to create beautiful lessons and present them to my students. I used Microsoft’s interactive technology to connect an interactive Barney toy where my students could interact with a video and make it seem as if they were talking to the characters on the show. I was the first to use a Palm Pilot for assessments and the first to use an interactive whiteboard with my classes. All of these devices were used to present digital information to my students but rarely did my students use the devices to create or produce anything themselves. I soon began to realize the importance of allowing my students to use technology to create and not just to consume the information. So incorporating technology into the curriculum and creating interactive opportunities for my students to learn and create became my focus for many years. So much has changed since then. Technology has evolved and it is no longer necessary to deliver content and information in the same manner as before. We are currently in an information revolution. This generation of students no longer needs information and content to be delivered to them anymore; they have access to it in their pockets. Their needs have changed, but our educational system has not. These students have the need to experience meaningful and relevant information that pertains to them right here and now, not something that they might need for later. They need to be able to connect to the content in a personal and relevant way, not have meaningless information delivered to them without a purpose. This generation also has a much shorter attention span and feels the constant need to have multiple senses stimulated in order to engage and learn. “It’s not so much that they are tech savvy as they are tech dependent” (Clark, 2020, 4). As teachers, we can embrace the information revolution and our students’ needs and allow them to use these technologies to become inquirers and problem-solvers. Our students now need to be ready for a highly digital and connected future. They need to be connected to, and be able to make an impact on the world. My goal as an educator now, in this day and age, has changed from when I began teaching. I intend to use disruptive innovation to bring forth the changes needed to amplify teaching and enhance student learning in my district, and to build classrooms where curiosity is center stage for our students. I can envision the kind of classrooms that use technology as a tool to enable our students to develop multiple skills, explore and fall in love with problem-solving, making meaningful decisions and become self-motivated, life-long learners. My hope is to engage my students in meaningful learning opportunities with the intent to inspire each and every one of them to discover and pursue their own passions in life.
How am I going to make this a reality for my students?
“Teaching the same way we did 10 years ago is like giving a kid a cassette tape and asking them to find a way to play it!”
~Andi McNair
(McNair, n.d.)
Today’s students are not different learners but the way that they learn is making a dramatic shift. Students born after 1995 are known as Generation Z kids (Clark, 2020, 4). Gen Z learners enjoy collaborating, connecting and sharing with others. They enjoy hands – on learning experiences and learn best from bite-sized chunks of information (Clark, 2020, 4). Learning should look like it is customized for each student. It should be unique for each individual student, not one size fits all (Tucker et al., 2016). As an educator, I believe that we should design experiences that leave impressions on our students, not just create activities for them to do throughout the day (McNair, n.d.). Using the CSLE+COVA approach to create these rich learning experiences would leave a HUGE impression on our students.
“Shifting your mindset from just doing something to designing an experience that leaves an impression is HUGE!” ~Andi McNair
(McNair, n.d.)
Blended learning in the classroom can enhance student learning by creating experiences that leave those impressions. “When well implemented, blended learning environments create the possibility for every student to experience the learning that they need. This is a possibility not a guarantee. Teachers can now personalize instruction and empower students in ways that were unthinkable before” (Tucker et al., 2016).
The benefits of blended learning in the classroom are numerous, yet the focus should be on enhancing student learning and not on the technology itself, as I had done in the past. By implementing the blended learning model, students will engage in authentic learning experiences where they are provided with the technology to empower and engage in a learning community that will enhance creation, collaboration, inquiry, investigation and communication (Harapnuik, 2016). Research has noted that if technology tools are implemented in the context of a blended learning environment where the learning is relevant to the students and connected to the real world, these innovative tools can work effectively (OECD, 2015; Harapnuik, 2020). Instead of using technology to consume information, educators need to create opportunities for students to use technology to make thinking visible (Clark, 2020, 67). Technology allows students to demonstrate their thinking in authentic and rich ways (Clark, 2020, 66). I believe that using meaningful technology to engage and empower learners to make connections and deepen understanding is key in enhancing our students’ experiences in the classroom and beyond. Harapnuik stated that when students are given the opportunity to take control of their learning experiences they learn to make meaningful connections and gain life-changing knowledge that will inspire them beyond the classroom (2017). Allowing learners to choose their learning outcomes and select authentic projects that inspire their passions will help them grow and keep them motivated and engaged in their learning (Harapnuik, 2017). Creating nurturing environments and supporting the learner’s natural curiosity will have a powerful impact and motivate them to become lifelong learners . The impact of giving learners choice, ownership, and voice in authentic learning environments can engage and inspire them to dive deeper into their own learning and grow their learner’s mindset. Providing them with these opportunities will open up limitless possibilities for truly authentic learning (Harapnuik, 2017). One might think that creating these kinds of experiences for our students can be risky, especially with the pressure of having to prepare them for standardized tests. According to research, providing learners with choice, ownership, and voice in an authentic learning environment learners have the opportunity to become more student-centric and as a result, more productive in their educational careers (Harapnuik, 2017).
“Taking risks in the classroom shows our students that we care more about their learning experiences than our fear of failure.” ~Andi McNair
(McNair, n.d.)
Disruptive innovation can be a catalyst for change in education because it can transform the current factory model system into a more student-centered learning environment where students can learn at their own pace, have a choice in their own path, ownership, voice and authentic learning opportunities that can be personalized for each student. I believe that every student deserves the opportunity to experience new learning, to pursue their passions, to learn by doing and to have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. I believe that by creating opportunities where students can use digital technology to solve problems that they are experiencing and even make a change in the world, students can experience authentic and meaningful learning everywhere and all of the time.
“In committing to teaching differently than we taught yesterday’s students, we are committing to preparing them for tomorrow” ~Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik
(Harapnuik, 2021)
References
Clark, H. (2020). The Chromebook Infused Classroom. ElevateBooksEdu.
Harapnuik, D. (2016, September 6). Why Good Ideas Too Often Go Bad. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6548
Harapnuik, D. (2017, June 5). Why authentic learning converts into lifelong learning. It’s About Learning Creating Significant Learning Environments. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6921
Harapnuik, D. (2017, June 12). Do you care enough to let them take ownership of their learning? It’s About Learning Creating Significant Learning Environments. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6946
Harapnuik, D. (2017, December 19). Computers in schools – not working…yet. It’s About Learning Creating Significant Learning Environments. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=7258
Harapnuik, D. (2020, July 16). How to avoid edtech quickfix traps. It’s About Learning Creating Significant Learning Environments. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8362
Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). What to Expect from the ADL. It’s About Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8524
McNair, A. (n.d.). Designing Meaningful Learning Experiences for Gifted Learners. TAGT On Demand. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://tagtondemand.com/product/designing-meaningful-learning-experiences-for-gifted-learners/
OECD. (2015, September 14). Students, computers and learning: Making the connection. OECD iLibrary. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264239555-en
Tucker, C. R., Wycoft, T., & Green, J. T. (2016). Blended learning in action (First ed.). Corwin. October 13, 2016
“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”
~John Dewey
Owning Your Learning 
