21rst Century Learning

Our grade 8 and 9 students are going to present some of their learning to our board of trustees. When I asked them if they'd like to take a road trip and show off and be taken out for lunch, they all yelled, "Boston Pizza!" You have to understand they come from a little town with two tiny restaurants. They are hungry for Boston Pizza!

Then, a lone voice asked, "What's the catch, Mrs. V?"

I told them that they would have to show our board of trustees what 21rst century learning looks like. They all had that confused look on their faces, until I explained, "you know, problem-solving and working together to solve problems."

Another asked, "Can we use the SmartBoard?" I said, "Sure."

Am I looking at this from the perspective of a 20th century teacher? These students all know that problem-solving is a skill they need to have to survive. They know that working together can make the problem easier to solve. And, it's much more fun, using a computer to do it. They also know that us 20th century people (like the board of trustees must also be) are still fascinated by the SmartBoard.

I could almost hear them say, "Piece of cake!"

Over the next two weeks, we'll be watching to see how this all unfolds. :-)