Free-range Students

Do we have education systems in place that allow students to use technology effectively in constructivist framework? For the most part, no.

We have technology and many know how to use it but its use is very limited. One or two computer labs per school does not allow for students to seek out information and construct meaning on a regular basis. The laptop initiative in some middle school classes is a start. Each student is assigned a laptop and all work is done on it but are middle school kids ready to filter through pages of information, select relevant material and build meaning. They are if it is something that interests them but the motivation to look up the life and times of Galileo would not be there for many kids.

We are not ready to simply say "here's the curriculum, go to it". There are a select few students who are "free-range" and are successful learners on their own. Most, however, are not and they would starve if we set them out on their own. Not because they can't eat, because they aren't motivated to eat. That is where teachers in the Digital Age meet their biggest challenge - motivating kids to learn on their own and become life-long learners.

Multiple Intelligences

My journey into the Digital Age of learning is from two separate paths; as a high school classroom teacher and as a graduate student in Education Technology. The first step is to investigate different learning theories.

We will start with Multiple Intelligence Theory devised by Howard Gardner, a Harvard educational psychologist. Gardner proposed that we have several intelligences that depend on our cognitive strengths and weaknesses. His original 7 intelligences is now 9. See a list of them here.

We all have a predisposition as to how we learn best. Do we have a knack for music or does language come easily? To discover your multiple intelligences inventory take the short test here.
I scored higher in bodily/kinesthetic and math categories but, for the most part, I was well-balanced. This may explain my indecision when it came to choosing a major and a career.

Kinesthetic intelligence is likely a common one for people to have. It involves learning by doing and tends to be constructive by nature. Most would agree that it is an effective way to learn but how do we incorporate it into our classrooms?

The best way to reach as many students as possible is to use various methods of content delivery. We do not have time to hit all the intelligences on each concept but we do need to step out of our comfort zones and try new techniques. Technology can help simplify this task but it is not the answer to all educational issues.

As teachers, we are action researchers. We try new things, think about how effective they were and revise our game plan for next time. It's no longer acceptable to be static in teaching. We need to be dynamic entering this new age of technology.