Modern Candy: Sugary Snacks Make for Sweet Instruction

I am working towards getting more familiar with 21st century learning and finding ways to work it into my classroom instruction. For those unaware, 21st century learning refers to what is considered modern learning. Instead of focusing on what are seen as the traditional aspects of rote memorization and the regurgitation of facts, it focuses on collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and the implementation of technology in an attempt to weave real world skills and scenarios into classroom learning. As a math teacher, the main piece of technology that all my students try to utilize is the calculator on their phone. While they aren’t wrong when they say that they’ll be able to use it to help them in the real world, I believe that relying too much on technology weakens our skills and our ability to problem solve. It makes me think of the Disney movie Wall-E (2008), where we get to see what happens to human-kind once it makes the decision to let robots and machines take over nearly 100% of daily life. Without having the need to do things for themselves, the passengers aboard the starship became willingly ignorant and complacent. Once it came time for them to act for themselves and unable to depend on the technology they had grown accustomed to, they had a hard time functioning on their own since they had not practiced or refined their independent skills.

Technology is a tool, not an answer. An independent individual is at their strongest when they do not need digital assistance to function but can tactfully wield it in a way that enhances their skills rather than hiding their flaws. I try to reflect this in my lesson plan for practicing converting numbers between fractions, decimals, and percents. I want my students to show they can perform without being plugged in, but also guide them to showcase their technological literacy at appropriate times. This lesson will allow students to practice converting between these forms using M&M’s to collect their data. The students then participate in a collaborative activity using Google Slides, with a discussion about what they’ve observed, finding real life connections. I wanted to keep their focus on learning the skill, but still being able to enrich and apply their learning in a creative way to help cement their understanding. This also gives them hands-on experience with the different tools and resources available in Google Slides, such as the graphing and chart feature.

As I get more educated on the concepts of 21st century learning, I hope that implementing them into my lessons will be more subtle, natural, and feel less forced. It can be hard to find a balance when all you seem to know are the extreme examples. I do, however, think that my past students would have absolutely loved to do more projects like this. Being able to convert between fractions, decimals, and percents is such a critical skill in my classroom that it can make or break assignments. It is integral to everything else we do throughout the year and I could definitely afford to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to this concept if it has the potential to have my students set those foundations to have a successful year.

I also think the discussion aspect is a crucial part of extending their learning. Bransford et al. (2000) suggests that giving students chances to receive feedback on their learning and opportunities to revise their thinking is an effective method to cement their thinking. By allowing them to collaborate in groups and following up with a full class discussion, they have the time and the environment to cultivate their grasp on the content and practice without fear of being wrong. It shifts the focus from accuracy to growth, where they can feel the accomplishment of leaving knowing more than when they arrived instead of judging their knowledge on a letter grade. Ultimately, my goal as a teacher is for my students to understand what I am teaching them, not for them to recite verbatim facts that have no meaning to them.

References:

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,

experience, and school. National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368.

Stanton, A. (Director). (2008). Wall-E [Film]. Disney Pixar.

Stanton, A. (Director). (2008). Wall-E [Screenshot]. Disney Pixar

Wix. Graphic Design [Photograph]. Wix. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_b2ba6a3a16a9493880773e1d5593a430~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1110,h_740,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/nsplsh_b2ba6a3a16a9493880773e1d5593a430~mv2.jpg