ISTE: PBL, Standardized Tests and MIT

What a privilege it was to attend the 5 day ISTE conference in San Diego this June. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of what I experienced and learned.

The majority of attendees were from the USA and it was quite an experience to see the range of practice in that country. At the opening keynote, a teacher from a small community in Hawaii  sat next to me. On the other side was a superintendent from Arkansas.

The teacher works in a school with 4 computer labs. These computers have only 1 purpose - they are used for standardized testing. Students write a bubble test every four weeks - that is the extent of tech integration and learning in that community. I asked if parents are upset about this low-level use of technology and students' learning time. She replied that no one really questions it because that is all they know. She had come to ISTE to begin learning about what else is happening in education. I can't imagine how overwhelming it must have been for her to see the educational revolution that's taking place outside her community.

The superintendent on the other hand is part of a district that has moved to a 1  to 1 tablet and  project-based learning model of education. Parents pay a $50 insurance fee for the device and the community response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive. 

We also spoke with a teacher from a community in California that has collapsed economically. She said that they are lucky if the lights are turned on each day. 

What I saw over the five days was the future of education. A few things struck me:

1. What a pity that this event takes place during the last week of June when Canadian teachers are still in school.

2. Why are only consultants and administrators being sent from our boards? As someone who is conversant with the changes taking place in education, I have to say that it was the live opportunity to experience and learn that has been most enriching.  So often those who have direct impact on learners, classroom practice and the capacity to move schools forward are the last to be given opportunities to attend these kinds of events. Imagine how quickly schools would begin to adopt more relevant practices if each school committed to sending 1 teacher per year to this conference? 

3. The conference gave me a peak into the future of learning.  Tools are being devised that allow individualized and personalized learning. I will write a separate post on this.

4. Project-based learning is the new driver in education. It was astounding to see the global shift to this approach to learning and the incredible projects and initiatives that are underway. Again, I will be writing more about this. 

5. This is a gem to be shared and should be rapidly adopted by all higher-ed institutions to create bridges and learning networks. If your students are experiencing difficulty understanding a concept, you can contact MIT and their students - as part of their programs - will create demonstration videos to help explain the concept. I'll be sharing details for this in a later post.