I thought that both of these videos were really interesting, and they both helped give me a good idea about what techniques I need to be incorporating into my instruction in order to best prepare my students for the future. One of the more powerful signs that a student held up read, "If we learn by doing, what are we doing sitting here?" I think that this brought up a great point: that traditional teaching methods might not work for a lot of students. As teachers, especially science teachers, we need to allow our students to explore the information we present them with at a depth that they cannot reach through lecture alone. I think that different experiments, online activities, etc. are great ways to accomplish this, and are both techniques I plan on using in my classroom as part of becoming an agent of change.
The interesting part of the question is whether or not it is our responsibility as teachers to act as an agent of change in the classroom. To an extent, I believe that it is, as our job as teachers is to prepare our students for the future, which, as we can imagine, will basically be run by the advent of new technology. As much as I would love to meet my students' expectations of preparing them for the technology-filled future that they will face, it's pretty much impossible for teachers today to do so as much as students would like. This is because teachers today are not just pressured to meet the expectations of their students, but also of their students' parents (who are often old fashioned in the ways of education), and the administration (with the advent of NCLB and other laws). Basically what I'm saying is that everybody expects something different from teachers, and it's impossible to please everybody. Clearly I believe that the students are the most important, and it is our responsibility to please them and do what's best for them, but if you can't find a way to please the parents and the administration at the same time, you won't have students to help because you will be out of a job.
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It's very true that you can't please all the people all the time. A teacher has to walk the line between teaching students with technology, and also providing older methods of teaching so that parents don't become disconnected with their children's educational experience.
By the time we're teachers, parents might be a lot more adept in following blogs, and finding genuine information on the internet, and using basic computer applications. Unfortunately, there will be a ton of new applications out there that kids will inevitably learn to use faster than their parents. It's our job to keep track of new technologies and to make sure that parents have at least a basic understanding of the technologies their kids are using.
I think you bring up a great point about how to define our responsibility as teachers. On one hand, we are supposed to be preparing these kids for the future and should be able to give them all of the resources to do so. But on the other hand, we are restricted by education standards, legislation, and, like you said, parents. With all of these restrictions, it's tough to find a balance in the classroom of keeping up with how technology is shaping the latest education practices and following the traditional educational curriculum. I can only hope that school districts are adjusting to these fast paced changes because I truly believe that children are becoming digital learners, and it IS our responsibility as teachers to embrace that change.
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