There’s an age-old challenge to teaching. We are products of the past, but we have to train students to deal with the future. These days, that means understanding and using technology. In an increasingly connected world, students can’t afford to be ignorant about both the opportunities and dangers those connections represent.
Unfortunately, our experience with these technologies tends to be negative. After the tenth time telling a student to stop playing Angry Birds or to check Facebook after class, we may sour on the whole thing. But there’s another way forward. These are teachers who, in big ways or small, are transforming the way students understand the digital revolution.
1. Salmar Khan: building classrooms without walls
No list like this would be complete without the founder of Khan Academy. What started as a tutoring tool for Khan’s cousins has turned into one of the foremost sources of massive online open courses (MOOCs) on the web. Students have a wealth of subjects at their disposal. In the beginning Khan produced all lectures and course material himself; now he partners with prestigious institutions like Stanford Medical School to provide specialised content.
Khan doesn’t believe his website can replace traditional classrooms. One of his goals is to turn Khan Academy into a tool that teachers can use to supplement their instruction. A teacher might deliver lectures to the entire class, then give out specialised assignments based on individual students’ skill level. In this way, Khan hopes, teachers can connect with students who otherwise might get lost in the crowd.
2. Joel Levin: finding value in play
Joel Levin, a teacher in New York City, is out to shatter the belief that video games are nothing but an expensive waste of time. In 2010, Levin introduced his second-grade students to the popular game Minecraft, in which players build huge virtual worlds using resources found in the game’s universe. In Levin’s hands, the game is a medium for lessons about teamwork, leadership and Internet safety. Students are divided into teams and given assignments to collect a certain resource or build a structure. They must then work out among themselves the best way to reach the goal.
Levin was so satisfied with the experiment that he brought the concept to a local high school the next year, starting an after-school club. The club members say that playing the game has helped them discover capabilities for personal interaction that they didn’t know they had. So video games, far from shutting kids off from the world, might be training the next generation of leaders.
3. Henry Ha: turning the tables on tradition
For Hong Kong math teacher Henry Ha, the Internet is a way to conserve classroom time, not waste it. Ha recently began experimenting with a “flipped classroom” model. Students watch video lectures on YouTube to learn important concepts. Then when they come to class, they discuss the material and ask questions.
Ha says one advantage of the new approach is that it gives struggling students more time to master the concepts. While a classroom lecture is only given once, a YouTube video can be watched over and over. And if the student still has problems, the new format allows plenty of time to figure it out in class.
Ha isn’t sure all teachers in Hong Kong are ready for this new style of teaching. But he and other pioneers are providing a valuable example for the future.
4. Nao: giving students a first-hand look
Our last entry on this list is a little unorthodox. It doesn’t have a teaching certificate or even a high school diploma. But in its own way, Nao the robot provides a valuable learning experience about the possibilities of technology. The robot, built by a French company, is designed to help students in a variety of fields. Computer students can get hands-on experience designing robotics programmes, of course. But the company says Nao can be used to teach many fields, including neurology, chemistry and physics.
Unfortunately, the high price tag – US$21,000 per unit – will likely keep Nao out of most classrooms for a while. Students who do get their hands on it, though, will have a great chance to explore the possibilities of technology for themselves. And that’s worth more than any lecture.
