Before an overflow crowd of Roanoke County educators, administrators and high school students that spilled over into another room, where the proceedings were broadcast on closed circuit TV, “Think Tank 2: Innovation Ready” pondered how technology can be used to enhance the teaching of traditional subjects in the future. It was also focused on how technology can be used to help better prepare county students for the real world of good jobs in a competitive global market.
Despite being moderated by a representative from Cisco – one of the school system’s technology partners – it wasn’t about the latest bells and whistles – Think Tank 2 was more focused on using technology to get students excited about learning. Right now said one former county student, appearing via Skype, there is a “fundamental disconnect” between students and educators. Being educated in school said one Northside student, who claims he learns more away from school, “should start to become a personal thing.”
Teacher Meg Swecker said she was “fascinated by the idea of using gaming in the classroom,” claiming it shows students how to solve problems more efficiently. “[There is] more opportunity for gaming and learning,” said Swecker.
She also believes there may be some budding entrepreneurs who can take advantage of mobile technologies to start their own businesses, as they “approach real world problems and solve [them].”
Moderator Richard Shumaker threw out the question to the panel and onlookers: “How do we create these self-directed thinkers?”
Teacher Ginger Cromer has been working with her students on developing applications for education. “It’s been really exciting,” said Cromer; “we need to push them past what we know.” Cromer said there is an “untapped market” out there for education apps. Students first “have to be empowered” said student Caroline Pugh, “[but] now more than ever it’s easy to start a business.” Teachers must be encouraging, standing behind students even “when they fail,” according to student Daisy Flick.
Ken Nicely, director of secondary education and technology, said that’s the point – using technology to better engage today’s students, already very familiar with mobile phone apps, I Pads and the like. Nicely said there has been a new strategic framework over the past 12 months in the school system, something the former Hidden Valley Middle principal calls a “digital sea change.”
All Roanoke County high school students have laptops and Activ Whiteboards are commonplace throughout K-12 – part of the commitment Nicely said the Roanoke County School Board has made funding-wise over the past decade to technology in the classrooms.
The digital sea change also means focusing on skills like communication, collaboration and critical thinking, and “the role technology plays as a catalyst in helping students develop those skills,” said Nicely. “The focus is on the learning.” That learning must be engaging and purposeful, according to Nicely, “hopefully leading to their development as lifelong learners and skills they’ll use post K-12.”
The mode Roanoke County schools are in isn’t about using new technology for its own sake, but using it in “more creative ways to engage the kids in learning,” he added. It’s a balance of absorbing the lesson content, using technologies and apps like Google Earth, for example, to learn about the geography of a particular country. “Creating powerful lessons to get kids more fully involved in the learning,” said Nicely. “We’re really using technology in ways to transform the learning.”
Another educator, business teacher Jessica Catley, admitted being out of the loop at times on the very latest technologies, but she advocated, “giving students the opportunity to teach us. We’re kind of leaving it up to them.”
Nicely wanted to come away from Think Tank 2 with action items to make the digital learning experience that much better – with the students fully on board. “We’re trying to listen to the voices of our students and our teachers…they are full of ideas.”
By Gene Marrano
