School in the Cloud

 

I want to start this blog with my history of technology in my education journey. Let’s start beginning middle school era. My teacher’s did not assign us homework through technology, everything was hand written on a white blue line paper. I remember writing 5 pages and my hand crippling. It was not until my freshman year of high school I was introduced to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. During this time I began to build my skills in technology and digital media. Building my skills in technology and utilizing information online awakened a new skill for me, there was more flexibility, creativity and connection with my school work. I enjoyed using creating slides through PowerPoint, adding images, music and color. This made learning interactive, fun and playful.

When I started working in Providence Public schools I noticed students were given Chromebook for their learning. This was interesting to see how the students were engaged, at the elementary level students would play learning games, middle and high school level they would use it for their assignments, testing and would take it home to continue to work. All of this to me was thrilling. But I began to wonder will this affect their ability to writing, becoming critical thinkers and being socially active into our community.

In the Sugata Mitra, A school in the Cloud Ted Talk made me wonder of how I think of about utilizing technology into young people’s learning. Sugata begins telling a story about the history of learning without technology, he states, “schools as we know them are obsolete”. By this he does not mean that that school system is broken it is outdated. Education and learning is changing, as new inventions are being introduced and the youth is being influenced by them. As educators we must adjust to the new changes.

Sugata brings up encouragement is key. Where teachers use encouragement for students to learn. There was a method he tried, called “the grandmother method”. He had a 22 year old accountant that knew nothing about science, to use encouragement words, phrases, and questions while they are playing. This method was fostered in Britain where the Granny Cloud was created. This opportunity opened a door, “look at learning as the product of educational self-organization. If you allow the educational process to self-organize then learning emerges. It’s not about making learning happen it’s about letting it happen.” (Sugata Mitra) This created the idea called Self Organized Learning Environment (SOLE).

Link to the Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_build_a_school_in_the_cloud

Last semester, I went to observe a 5^th grade bilingual classroom. The class population was fairly small but a large population were students who emigrated from Portugal. There interaction with the Chromebook and internet was freshly learned. The day I went to observe the teacher has the students do independent work. She simply put a question on the board, “How are stars formed and where do they come from?” Her instructions were to answer the question. They opened their Chromebook and began to work. Some worked in groups and taught each other how to search information on the web and some worked independently. She would often walk around and compliment and encourage the students work.

As I observed I would see their creativity and their eagerness to find the answer and form a project out of it. The technology and online resource opened a pathway where students can become confident in learning. As an educator online production is important, this is what helps them become future workers in the community.