Philosophy on Education
Everyone is a learner. 21st century tools allow learning to happen almost anywhere. The modern definition of teaching is changing. Teachers are becoming facilitators of learning where they can support the development of self learning. Professor Sugata Mitra, a leading education technologist, once said, "Teachers are not supposed to be repositories of information which they dish out. That is from an age when there were no other repositories of information, other than books or teachers, neither of which were portable. A lot of my big task is retraining these teachers." The way education is delivered is fundamentally changing as a result of the technology available to learners.
As an education technology specialist/coach/integrator it is my responsibility to support how Teachers can move towards a modern education system. I want to inspire Teachers by finding fun ways that students can communicate, collaborate and create. However to do this the fundamental skills need to be taught effectively. Delivering supportive professional development that can underpin transdisciplinary project based learning is essential to ensure effective application of these skills.
It is my responsibility to ensure the understanding of success is achieved by failure. Learners need to be given the opportunity to self learn so they can personalise their skills and talents towards identifying where their place will be in the global society that is ever changing. They need to be able to see and understand the progress they are making. They need to be able to reflect on this progress and identify their own areas of improvement. They need to be able to share their learning progress with others across the world and receive feedback from their peers and experts in the field of study. Using technology in this process is essential as modern applications allow, with ease, for learners to achieve this.
It is my belief that to achieve any of the above, leadership is needed that understands how technology affects the way young people learn, communicate, collaborate and create. Technology is embedded into the psyche of young people. It is with them day in and day out. This must be embraced. As modern day educators we must see the opportunity of technology as a challenge that will ensure that the next generation can lead and bring cultures together rather than push them apart.
Dr. Ruben Puentedura, the creator of the SAMR model, talks about how technology can be a tool to help redefine learning and how we approach it as educators. To redefine we have to accept that there is something to redefine. Digital natives are doing it all the time, so let’s guide them towards using technology safely as responsible digital citizens that can really make a difference and change the world.
Richard Poth
