The Nuts & Bolts of 21st Century Teaching

This article has left me inspired and very excited. I feel that blogger Shelley Wright's project is just a glimpse of the possibilities in 21st century learning. Shelley Wright stated that when she teaches in a more traditional classroom, her students "wait to be rescued." While teachers like to feel in control of the learning environment of their students, we have to realize that our students will learn best if we let go and allow them to experience the information for themselves. I loved Wright's introduction of the Inquiry method. It is a great example of how teachers can still teach, but also allow the students to take charge of their own learning. 

I also feel that the Inquiry method is truly preparing students for life outside of the classroom. In life, the solutions to problems are not always black and white. Typically, there are numerous ways to approach a problem and complete a task. This type of project helps students to develop those skills which they can take with them and apply outside of the classroom. 

Also, a project like this makes the information real for the students. Students will internalize the content at deeper levels if they are asked to reproduce something using the knowledge they have gained. 

I also loved how the teacher stated that she wanted to be a co-learner rather than a lecturer. I think it is important for teachers to be able to do this in their classroom. When teachers act as co-learners, they can still point out what students need to know and guide them if they are stuck, but they can also sit back and let the group create their own experience. 

Even though I love this teaching approach, I still think it should be mixed with a teacher-directed approach. Perhaps it's because I have never witnessed this type of teaching from the beginning of a project to the end, but part of me wonders if having such little teacher direction might lead to the students becoming off task and not completing the objectives of the project. I guess it would depend on the age of the students you are teaching. I can see this being a wonderful approach with a middle or high school class, but with elementary students, I still feel they need a lot of scaffolding and guidance before being set loose to complete a project.