A School In the Cloud

How does this Ted Talk make you think about your role with young people in an online environment?

    I agree with Mitra that the bureaucratic way that schools are structured is outdated and is not conducive to creativity or life as we know it in the 21st century. Deep inquiry-based deep dives into content can not happen easily if one feels pressure to cover material and to teach sub-skills so that our students can do well on mandated standardized tests. Mitra feels that students need to learn how to read and once that ability is fully in place students then need to learn how to read critically, analyze information, and engage in problem-solving, as those skills are going to be most wanted in the job markets of the future. Mitra believes that if you give students the tech tools that they need that they will rise to the occasion and learn how to use them. His computer in the wall experiments has shown this. However, I do feel that student motivation is still a driving force in learning. 

    As teachers, we have the power to create learning environments and create educational challenges for students that focus on higher-level thinking skills, but if the student is not motivated to try or does not have a growth mindset then learning new and difficult things can be challenging for these students. The solution is that they need more encouragement and opportunity. Thinking back to an earlier post where I contemplated about why I did not want to continue exploring with a computer coding program on the Apple IIe that my father brought home from work each weekend, I think that the problem was one that many second language learners face, I did not have anyone else besides my dad, to encourage me to practice my "new language" with.  To learn a new language more effectively you need social constructs and others who know the language or are in the process of learning too, to practice with.  I am an only child and no one my age in my neighborhood or at school had access to a computer at home. I needed more encouragement and opportunity. My father was not into coding as he was more intrigued by how a classroom computer could motivate reluctant learners. I was encouraged to "test drive" games and reading comprehension and math software. 

    Mitra does advocate for encouragement and feels that it is a necessary component for learning. The "grandmother effect" that he speaks of does encourage a growth mindset, increases motivation, and makes student efforts feel valued. Students need a cheerleader. Towards the end of the school this year, my school piloted Go Guardian. Go Guardian, allows teachers to see the screens, and the tabs the students are on, from a distance if students are using their school-issued Chromebooks. Once I was able to see what the students were doing on-line from a distance during independent work times, I was able to act like I usually did in the classroom during independent work time, observe, track progress in realtime, comment, give encouragement. Therefore I felt that I was doing a better job once I could "grandmother" my students more effectively again. 

     I value much of what Mitra says and I feel that although progress moves slowly in the field of education, in my opinion, the technology that we have today will drive his agenda forward despite what traditionalists in education or school boards value and view as evidence of student learning outcomes.