NHS Instructional Technology

“Did You Know?” is a thought provoking video that explores the global shift that is affecting the world we live in. You can’t turn a corner anymore without hearing references to “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman, “globalization,” and Web 2.0. All anyone seems to agree on is that we are educating students today for jobs that don’t even exist yet; so how do we prepare them for a world we can only begin to envision? Are we giving them the skills they will need to function successfully in the 21st century? What skills will they need? Even the definition of “literacy” has changed in today’s world. It used to be enough to be able to read and write text. Literacy for our students and future generations will certainly involve so much more than that: using all forms of media (text, audio, images, video) to communicate and collaborate, to create a compelling message to broad audiences. If that’s true, how can we help our students develop those skills while they are in school? Does it mean that school itself will be forced to change – reflecting the understanding that education is less about a place, and more about a process that can happen anytime and anywhere.

If we accept the fact that our students spend a significant amount of time on social networking sites, such as MySpace, or texting friends – is it our duty to make sure that they know how to use these tools safely, constructively, without malice, and that they can communicate their ideas in an articulate way? If so, would it make sense to set up and moderate a blogging site where students would be expected to share their ideas, make constructive comments on other’s posts, and communicate with experts to seek additional information? Are we willing to allow and support the use of these tools in OUR school?

Just a thought…. please feel free to add your own comments.