ETT21 #135: Jonathan E. Martin on Building the 21st Century School

EdTechTalk

Another assignment for the week was to listen to a podcast from the EdTechTalk website. I chose a conversation with Jonathan E. Martin on buildling the 21st school.  I chose it because I thought it would be interesting, as it said he would be reflecting on his first year in working as Head of School at a prep school in Tucson, AZ.

One of the questions they asked him was, "What is the definition of 21st century learning?" I was very happy with his answer, because he made it very clear that a 21st century school is not just about technology: technology is a big part of it, but it is not all.  He explained that it is really about making this generation of students able to be creative problem solvers, collaborators, and learning those skills that will really be able to prepare them for today's world.

He also talks about how teachers are embracing the 21st century learning and how he rewards them, putting his "money on the best horses."  For those teachers who really are trying to grow and change the way they teach, he makes sure to urge and encourage their projects on, and invest in those "leading-edge teachers," as he calls them.  For those who are dead set on continuing to teach as they always have, he lets them do so, but continues to try and get them to jump on the wagon.  He also says there's nothing wrong with "direct instruction," but it should be supplemented with projects and challenging problems, and really made to fit with how the students want to learn.

As an education student, I am a little nervous to walk into a classroom as a teacher because I have a feeling I will not recognize the classroom.  It is going to be completely different from what I learned in as a younger student.  I am trying to keep an open mind and learn as much as possible about how these classrooms will ideally look and function in the next few years when I step into the teaching role.  It is encouraging to see teachers who have been in the field for some time and are older than me completely embracing these "new" 21st century classrooms and using to their advantage as well as the students'.