Much like my previous post on technology in the classroom, this post will deal heavily with technology, but not entirely.
Before we can discuss best practices for 21st Century Learners, we first have to establish what that term - 21st Century Learners - means. In educational circles, the term 21st century learners refers to students who have heavy access to and use of technology and also to students who are not just consumers, but also producers of media and information. Of course, the term gets much more nuanced than that, but this is the overall gist. In other words, if you are currently a teacher, 21st century learners are in your classroom.
That term may easier to define than the term "best practices." While this is certainly a well-worn term in education, this is also a common phrase in the business world, used to encourage the automation of a practice that produces the "best" results, across wide-ranging variances. (Vesley, p. 101) Educators are very used to relying on one another and other experts in the education field to learn what is working in schools that are receiving desirable results through their instruction. Over time, some of these strategies that seemed to be particularly high-yielding across wide-ranging variances became known as "best practices" in education.
However, as Greene relates in his 2012 article, it is incredibly hard to measure what is actually a "best practice in the field of education. While a company may be able to more accurately pinpoint what ad campaigns do well in certain demographics and populations, teachers know that educating students just doesn't work that way. In fact, Greene said it best: "[i]f imitation were the path to excellence, art museums would be filled with paint-by-number works." Students are as varied as the visions of artists and even within a single classroom, what works with one student may not work with another. Best practices can provide a good starting point or place of reference when a teacher is searching for strategies, but an excellent teacher always knows that the best practice is the one that helps students learn, regardless of whether or not is formally identified as an educational "best practice."
Resources
Before we can discuss best practices for 21st Century Learners, we first have to establish what that term - 21st Century Learners - means. In educational circles, the term 21st century learners refers to students who have heavy access to and use of technology and also to students who are not just consumers, but also producers of media and information. Of course, the term gets much more nuanced than that, but this is the overall gist. In other words, if you are currently a teacher, 21st century learners are in your classroom.
That term may easier to define than the term "best practices." While this is certainly a well-worn term in education, this is also a common phrase in the business world, used to encourage the automation of a practice that produces the "best" results, across wide-ranging variances. (Vesley, p. 101) Educators are very used to relying on one another and other experts in the education field to learn what is working in schools that are receiving desirable results through their instruction. Over time, some of these strategies that seemed to be particularly high-yielding across wide-ranging variances became known as "best practices" in education.
However, as Greene relates in his 2012 article, it is incredibly hard to measure what is actually a "best practice in the field of education. While a company may be able to more accurately pinpoint what ad campaigns do well in certain demographics and populations, teachers know that educating students just doesn't work that way. In fact, Greene said it best: "[i]f imitation were the path to excellence, art museums would be filled with paint-by-number works." Students are as varied as the visions of artists and even within a single classroom, what works with one student may not work with another. Best practices can provide a good starting point or place of reference when a teacher is searching for strategies, but an excellent teacher always knows that the best practice is the one that helps students learn, regardless of whether or not is formally identified as an educational "best practice."
How does this tie in with 21st Century Learners? This buzzword is one that shouldn't cause teachers any more stress than the notion of best practices. Students in this century will learn by varying means, just as they always have, but dangling technology in front of their face is not a surefire way to help them learn, just because it is commonplace in their lives. The best practice for a teacher of 21st Century Learners is to work hard to get to know your students, analyze their abilities, and find ways to help them understand your content. There is no buzzword to encapsulate the magic that takes place in classroom led by a teacher who cares, no matter which century we are in.
Word Count: 547
Resources
Greene, J. P. (2012). Best Practices Are the Worst. Education Next,12(3), 72-73. Retrieved from http://educationnext.org/best-practices-are-the-worst/
Vesely, A. (2011). Theory and Methodology of Best Practice Research: A Critical Review of the Current State. Central European Journal of Public Policy,5(2), 98-117.
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