New Day New Plan

As we have our discussions about pushing students to reach their fullest potential we need to remember who these students are. It is our job to teach them, not the students we might have had ten years ago. Remember these students are truly digital natives. We need to use the tools we have and we must remember the world they will be working in when they graduate. It is our job to lay that foundation so the middle and high schools they attend can build on that solid foundation. I have been reading a book about Schooling by design and the author made an analogy that spoke to me. He talked about teaching like athletic and performing arts coaches do. They prepare their students for the demands of the game not isolated drills. How often are our students put into the game? Do you teach all of the required skills in isolation or do you create the game situation for them?

The students we are teaching need all of these puzzle pieces if we are going to prepare them for success. They need to learn to work in groups and to collaborate with their peers. They need to utilize software, hardware and other technologies that we have all over this building. The key piece to this puzzle is you. Each student sitting in this school is counting on you. They need you to push them and to push yourself. I know I am asking a lot of you with Moodle, my blog, Mimios, Prometheam Boards and all the other technologies we have, but that is what our students need. If we use these tools and we teach our students to collaborate, think critically and creatively we will be giving them the skills they need and deserve. This will allow them to take the isolated skills we teach and transfer them into other situations. Until our students can do this the puzzle will not be complete. Do what you need to do, so you can be the puzzle piece that will complete the puzzle so every student we serve will be prepared for success in the 21st century and in the "flat" world they will be living in.