Blog Post #13

“Back in the Future” Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby is an elementary teacher, who teaches 4th, 5th, and 6th grade with all of the same students from his 4th grade year. This video is a reflection on his 4th grade class, produced by TEDx Denver. This video relates to how students should be learning in the 21st century. From Smart Boards, laptops, Wiki’s, blog sites, and other social media connections Mr. Crosby’s 4th grade students are active learners. They are not just taking notes and then a practice skills test, no his students are actually reflecting what they learn through their blog pages. They share their thoughts and ideas globally with other students. His students do many projects; one of the main projects he discusses that his students have previously done was High Hope. It included a balloon with cameras for taking pictures, science components, and all of his students along with others written High Hopes for the project. Later, the students put themselves in a position if they where the balloon, no longer human, what would the experience be like and post it on their blogs. This whole idea helps the students to become creative while learning, and the blogging makes them feel important in the world. Brain Crosby makes sure his students are learning in the 21st century, with the new technology available and the audience of social media.

Another thing I found that I was absolutely amazed by was the part in his video about the home schooled girl name, Salest. Mr. Crosby was told by the school principle he would be getting a new student in his class, but he would never see her in his classroom. The reason why she could not participate in the class room is because, the poor girl had Leukemia, and if she went to class her illness would have gotten worse. Well Mr. Crosby was not going to accept the fact one of his students would be left out, so he made it his priority to include Salest in his classroom. He did this through video, Skype perhaps, to help her feel welcomed by everyone in the class. This is what makes a great teacher to not only show you care for your students, but you also care for their well being in an educational environment.

To tell you the truth I really wish Mr. Crosby would have taught my 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes for science. I must say those were the hardest years of my life to actually have to focus on school itself, and not just because my mother made me go to it every week. I think he is doing a great job with his students, plus they are enjoying themselves in a learning environment. He really does take it up a notch with the project High Hope, and I wonder if he had any other big main projects through other years with his students? I think some teachers need to go back and think of change. Obviously Mr. Crosby has and change is good!

“A Vision of Students Today” Michael Wesch & 200 Kansas State University Students

Michael Wesch, along with other students, made a video comparing learning of the past to the 21st century. It is just a clip of student’s reaction on how much the education system has changed, in addition to their personal opinions on how they learn as of today.

At first I thought the video was showing just students wanting something new in the class, like technology. I finally noticed that even technology did not satisfy the students. In order to learn in the 21st century, it is not just students who need to be involved in the up-to-date technology, the professors as well need to make lesson plans relative to the source. Students will not care to be creative with the new source, if the teacher is not ready for the change. The video also shows how much time they spend reading, writing, and studying in college. Most of the students, who are in the big lecture halls, do not even pick up their textbooks, or focus in on the class discussion. They are very bored in their classroom, you can tell by the look on their faces. Technology is really the only source to keep the classrooms alive, to make a change for the 21st century. All students should become active learners, not just younger grades. This is a challenge between old vs. new sources; I think the new sources of today have outrun the old, and the only thing keeping students from moving forward is the educators. Both students and the teacher need to be on the same page with the rest of the world.