21st Century Learning, student-centered learning, individualized learning, regardless of what you call it, technology in the classroom—and outside of it—is a hot topic. In fact, it’s a hard topic to ignore.
Lecture classrooms, or one-size-fits-all learning environments, are increasingly becoming less favored. “In regular, face-to-face classrooms, it’s very difficult to create an individual experience for each student unless you can make the learning independent but also interactive,” says Jeff Snyder, a former social studies teacher who is now an Assistant Principal with Jefferson County, KY, public schools’ eSchool, an online school with more than 6,000 students. “Technology allows students to go in their own direction, which is really difficult to do in a classroom with 30 different kids at 30 different levels in 50 minutes.”
Online learning sites, as well as online schools, are springing up all over the place. Skype has recently launched a dedicated network for teachers; Scitable an online, science-based social-networking site now has more than 500 groups; and American Idol finalist Thia Megia is boosting Web traffic for K12, an online public and private school system. These are just mentioning a few. There are hundreds of online learning opportunities for students of all ages—K-99.
What’s so great about integrating traditional learning with online education tools? To recap what Jeff Snyder said above, online learning allows students to create an experience tailored just for them. Students are learning at their own pace at home through many of their activities—video games that change dynamically when certain choices are made, through the creation of Netflix quos and virtual music libraries, with apps on their smart phones, etc. Transitioning from an environment where they control the tempo and have hands-on experience to a traditional lecture-based setting is increasingly a concern for many. Classrooms should be as exciting and engaging as their activities outside.
