My name is Erin Nakano. I am a
teacher at Lanai High & Elementary School in Lanai City, HI. I have been teaching English
Language Arts to grades 6-8 since the 2009-2010 school year.
My philosophy of 21st
Century Education is comprised of several different distinct, yet essential
components. One of the biggest ideas that stand out to me is the notion that no
matter what subject you teach, in order to reach the 21st Century
learner, your lessons need to be engaging. Second, providing the opportunity
for students to “create” is an integral step toward 21st Century
education. Finally, an emphasis on integration is key to success both inside
and outside the classroom, and a life-long lesson that will only be of benefit
in the student’s future.
Engagement can take on numerous
and varied forms. We learned in the “Teaching in the 21st Century”
YouTube video that lessons must be relevant, challenging, and engaging.
Students will respond in greater capacity to curriculum that is engaging versus
merely entertaining. In the Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants article,
Prensky emphasizes the importance of changing the methodology of teaching by
going at a faster pace, as well as changing the content by integrating the use
of technology with content area curriculum. He suggests presenting both “Legacy”
and “Future” content in a game-like format in order to engage the Digital
Native otherwise known as the 21st Century learner. Engaging lesson
delivery is one essential way for students to respond, which fits nicely with
the opportunities teachers can provide to “create.”
In the hierarchy of Bloom’s
Taxonomy, we find more complex thinking skills such as the ability to create
and experience inquiry-based learning. According to the compilation of thoughts
from the ASB Unplugged Conference by Kevin Roberts, education is making a shift
from the teaching facts to the teaching of skills. Among the many resources students
are privy to in the 21st century, tools we are learning about in the
EDCS 480 course such as blogging, posting, commenting, linking, bookmarking,
etc. can extend the realm of “creation” of student work. Creation of
e-portfolios and online web pages also promote achievement and higher order
thinking skills in our 21st Century student learners. However, one
cannot hope to have successful opportunities for student creation without
integration. (To see how my class CREATED their own mural during the Lanai Summer Project click here.)
Integration on many levels,
including student groups, subject areas, and the world beyond the classroom is
the key component to success states Rob Riordan in the “21st CenturySkill Culture at High Tech High” video. Building a common culture of learning
and collaboration is of utmost importance to teaching in the 21st
century. It is evident in the productive relationships between peers, as well
as students and teachers in a positive learning environment. I believe this
interaction is really the foundation upon where all learning is built. When
students learn to collaborate effectively with each other and with their
teachers, anything can be accomplished. The sense of purpose and success is
ultimately the result of integration of all realms: students, subject areas,
and the world beyond. (Click here to see an example of an integrated project in my leadership class.)
In conclusion, I believe in order
to be a successful educator in the 21st century, there is a need to
adopt new skills and adapt to exciting environments in order to accommodate the
faster-paced, more technology savvy students of today. Planning engaging lessons, promoting
opportunities for student creation, and integrating content, students, and the
world beyond are all must-haves for the tool belt of a competently mindful 21st
century educator. By no means is this the limit of our newly acquired knowledge. However, it is definitely a running start, as we focus on the most important question
posed by Kevin Roberts, “What does it mean to teach?”
