I couldn’t agree more with Peggy George’s comment shared during Will Richardson’s #etmooc session The Challenges and Opportunities of Modern Learning, which was presented as part of Topic 3: Digital Litearcy (Information, Memes & Attention). Throughout the session, Will compared and contrasted traditional with modern. (NOTE: In lieu of 21st Century Learning, Will prefers the terms contemporary or modern learning.) He began with learning.

Pointing out that most of our schools could not be described using the terms listed under ‘modern learning.’ So, true! Too many of today’s schools from K-16 continue to operate under the traditional learning model even though our students are learning informally, as self-directed learners, using the modern learning model outside of school. Of course, I am well-aware that there are pockets of schools or classrooms where modern learning is being facilitated by educators who not only understand and value modern learning components, but are supported by bold administrators who trust and respect these innovative educators. Is it okay that there are just pockets of modern learning going on?

Think back to your Education 101 course. Do you remember being asked “Who was your favorite teacher? Why?” or “Who was the teacher that influenced you to become an educator?” I loved this question because in my K-12 experience, I had one who stood out from all the others. His name was Mr. Robinson. He was my 10th grade social studies teacher. He was my favorite because he used methods that stem from Will’s modern learning list: self-organized, discovery, and authentic (I could say connected because pre-Internet we were encouraged to use snail mail to connect with resources). He took an interest in us, and he acted as a facilitator. I could go on and on, but my point is, that in my K-12 experience as a student there were only a handful of teachers or units, or lessons, that were innovative and yet today, it might not be that difference for some students. This is unacceptable!

Will went on to ask the participants to differentiate between the definition of a traditional and modern “Teacher.”

Note the distinctions: instructor, authority, transmission vs facilitator, learner, collaborator. Which teacher would your rather have? Which one appears to value the student more?

Next he asked participants to define “School.”

Note the distinctions: curriculum-driven, schedules, building and rows vs interest-based, asynchronous, anytime, anywhere. Will pointed out that in a modern school, the school is a network. He suggested that be need to begin thinking of ourselves as nodes in a network. Imagine if you learned in the ‘modern’ school network. How many times during your education did you look up at the clock during class? Sometimes the second hand moved excruciatingly slow and other times it whizzed by. Why? I wonder what time would feel like in a ‘modern’ school? If you only had a ‘modern’ school experience, would you be able to appreciate it?

Last, Will asked participants to define “Education.”

Distinctions: structured, rigid, required knowledge, tests, diploma vs interactive, accessible, student created content, life-long, continuous, ongoing. There is a stark difference noted here. The end result of the traditional seems to be acquiring per-determined knowledge, testing and diplomas, whereas in the ‘modern’ model, the end result seems to be continuous, ongoing, life-long learning or recognition of the fact that learning never stops, and it is our job to help students become learners first and connected life-long learners as the culminating goal.

Will stated that though this is an amazing time to be a learner, it is a difficult and disruptive (new buzz word) time for education. Then, he asked my favorite question to ponder these days, What is the purpose of school? He stated that we need to be designers of our own learning. Will said that the reality is that modern learning will replace traditional learning. The question is will modern learning replace traditional schools? I think I need to read Why School? by Will Richardson to gain some more insight.

Questions swimming around in my head:

1. How does ‘modern’ learning fit in with the purpose of education or purpose of school?

2. How do we overcome the major roadblocks to reform: tradition, parental expectations, and policy/politics–local, state, and federal?

3. Which should come first, change in K-12 or change in higher education? Who drives who?

Such an exciting time, and as Peggy George said,

“old school to bold school–great thing to try to visualize.”