From the Flintstones to the Jetsons: Creating a Blended 21st C. Classroom
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube—and the list goes on and on and on… Did you ever wonder what in the world people ever did without all of these social media sites in their lives? If you’re one of these individuals, then be sure to check out the graphic shown below, which explains the “old school” ways of locating and sharing information.
Heck, if you’re a veteran educator (OK, old person) like me, you’ve probably utilized all of these “technologies” in your day—and some of us fossils probably still do! The scariest and most amusing thing for me is always the moment when I realize that many of my students have no clue what some of these vintage “technologies” are! If you don’t believe me, just ask them what a flash cube is! The response is always “Whaaat?” And to think I was so excited one year at Christmas when Santa put a bunch of these in my stocking—ha, ha!
So, what does all of this have to do with an edtech blog? Well, besides the obvious tech-related humor, my point in sharing this particular cartoon is this: The ways in which today’s students learn and communicate information is entirely different from what many of us experienced in the traditional school setting. That said, it’s important for educators to create a classroom that fosters the acquisition and/or honing of 21st Century skills through the use of real-world tools. Of course, I’m not suggesting that all other instructional strategies be abandoned. However, like it or not, there’s a place for technology in every classroom. When used properly, tools and applications will help students acquire and/or hone the skill set they need to thrive in a complex, high tech, knowledge-based society.
Not sure how to incorporate tools into your classroom—or how to develop a technology-rich lesson, project or activity? Then stay tuned for my upcoming post on setting integration goals for 2014!
Until then… It’s time to put that old-fashioned Rolodex away!
A shout out to artist John Atkinson for creating and sharing this awesome cartoon! Like what you see? Then be sure to check out the Wrong Hands blog for additional comics.
