What exactly is a 21st Century Learner? What do they look like? What type of knowledge, do and/or can they possess? Can you identify one just by looking at them? Is there certain information or techniques that should be used in order to help them advance to a higher level of knowledge?As I viewed the presentation that Dr. Lowell showed in the blog: http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2008/03/05/21st-century-learners/; it really demonstrates that 21st century learners come from a wide range of individuals and how and/or what they learn is different for each. No truer words were spoken than “learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom”. As educators, this fact is sometimes forgotten and is creating (in my opinion) a failure in the educational system. The constructivist theory believes that learning is enhanced based on current knowledge and through current knowledge, it allows individuals to build and develop future knowledge. I have to agree with those particular concepts because how one learns is really based on the environment in which one exist. I know that those in charge of developing an “educational system” really wouldn’t want to agree with these concepts because those that are “in charge” of creating the laws, assessments, etc. demonstrate through “core content” that all children should be learning the same concepts at the same pace (at least that’s the way it is in Kentucky). WAKE UP! Anyone who is in the classroom knows that children and/or adults learn based on their prior knowledge base. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that some individuals can’t learn; what I am saying is that individuals learn at their own pace and based on their own interest. I understand that those in the educational system are probably right in that students need to be introduced to basic concepts for the purpose of building upon their knowledge base but does it really matter how the students obtain the necessary information. So many educators feel that if they are not the one up in front of the classroom spitting out the “necessary information” then students will never “learn” the concepts they need to know. I used to be one of those educators because I was a product of a college that taught those going into teaching all the ways to be a good educator so your students would be prepared for state assessment and accountability! There are many flaws that exist in education and the more I “learn”, the more I can identify problems. One of the biggest problem is that those “in charge” can’t get past the “old school” of education and realize that learning doesn’t just happen in a classroom but can be a global event if they would open the flood gates to the sea of information that exist beyond the four concrete walls that children are “trapped in” each and every day.
