Here she talks about personalized, learning which relates to ISTE 5a:

“Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.”

The hosts quotes her “banking theory of education” and she connects them to 20th century education reformers like B. F. Skinner, and the influence that the entrepreneurial mindset and its impact on the classroom.

In my experience with some of these adaptive learning technology, while they may receive their funding from billionaires who also own grocery chains, do an admirable job when it comes to adaptive learning. With Pearson MyMathLab, for istance, I have seen pass rates go from 35% to 70% at my institution.

I think some of what she is referring to in educational reform is the shifting role of the teacher. One of the ISTE standards is Facilitator, and that’s a word that sparks some strong reactions from faculty I’ve worked with who see that role as more passive than “teacher” or “professor.” However, I think that perception is certainly shifting, as more educators enter the workforce who might have experienced a facilitator model first hand in their own education.

She mentions Skinner’s tool allowing students to go at their own pace, answer a question correctly and move on to the next. I think technology can be used in such a way that it does allow students to take ownership of their learning. Similar to the Khan Academy video we watched in week 1 about high school math students. The students progressed at their own pace, with feedback that was immediate and relevant before they proceeded.

ISTE #7 Analyst: I think that this is a more difficult change to make because of standardization (management). Teachers (and I may be generalizing) don’t have a lot of freedom in allowing for “alternate ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology” (ISTE Standards).

Erickson mentions you can look at the website and get excited about it, and the students are siloed into the same economic class. I don’t agree with her argument that class (economic) status overrides what learning can be accomplished with technology, whether in a charter school, public school, etc.

http://www.businessinsider.com/innova-schools-in-peru-offer-great-education-for-cheap-2015-7/

This section was shocking to me that only 30% of student success is related to the function of schools and 70% has to do with other factors such as family life, level of income etc. It seems to me that to gain the skills and knowledge they need (all 7 ISTE standards) is a very tough task to accomplish based on these odds.

She talks about collaborative tools here, which is an area of interest for all of us. ISTE 4C states:

“Use collaborative tools to expand students’ authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally.”

Answering the questions about whether this will be easy or difficult, I’ve found in my institution, this idea has been met enthusiastically, which was a surprise to me. I introduced videoconferencing a semester ago, and this past semester we had a professor from Howard University lecture to one of our classes in a community college in Arkansas. I wouldn’t call it easy to implement exactly, but once you take those barriers away, this type of collaboration is much closer than many of us thought.

I feel as though Erickson should read ISTE 4b: “Collaborate and co-learn with students to discover and use new digital resources.” Emphasis on co-learn…

I think that there are some who think that this is the way to go, particularly with the ongoing ideas about the corporate model in education (students as customers etc.). Unfortunately, those in decision making roles don’t always pay attention to the research that is out there.

I found it difficult to listen to hear view about parents and the fight-back as social justice. Also her comments about students seen only as future workers. Being a parent, my children were able to manage homework, after-school clubs, sports, and family life, and it was hectic. But, their learning didn’t suffer, and they didn’t have time to engage in unhealthy activities. When I look to my senior citizen years (on a beach hopefully), I see the students of today utilizing their 21st Century workplace skills to care for me. If we don’t prepare students for the workplace (even at a young age through collaboration and communication skills) then what are we really preparing them for? Our country’s future does rest on their shoulders just like it does now on ours (as voters, etc.).

We probably do need to think about what the purpose of education is today as distinct from the 50s-60s. I think the ISTE standards recognize the changes that need to be made, not only with the evolution of technologies, but also the roles of educators and students.