Defining 21st Century Education

Cam Godfrey

Bowling Green State University

EDTL 2300- 104W

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As technology progresses and takes on a bigger and more profound role in the classroom,

we, as future educators, must be adaptable to the innovations that are coming at the field of

education fast. According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, teachers must implement the 4 C’s,

“critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity” and “only technology literate,

innovative teachers can provide these” (Lever-Duffy and McDonald, 2015, p. 11). I intend to

integrate these 4 C’s into the classroom in a multitude of manners, taking inspiration from

classes I’ve taken and observed.

In addressing the role of technology in a classroom, I’d be remiss not to mention my

inspiration for becoming a teacher, my 7th grade social studies teacher, Garth Holman. In a prior

assignment for Introduction to Educational Technology, I described how he met the Facilitator

standard ISTE NETs-T standard, “​educators facilitate learning with technology to support

student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students” (ISTE). I wrote, “[Holman] facilitated

learning by providing a platform for us to explore the content with open-ended prompts. While

he facilitated a lot of the work and helped us out in a big way, he was able to provide an

opportunity for more advanced students to flourish while guiding the students who needed more

help and those who were less interested in the subject. This way, he was able to meet the needs

of all of the learners,” (Godfrey, 2017). In response to his facilitation, I was able to meet the

NETs-S standard of “Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in

choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the

learning sciences” (ISTE), through a ​blog ​where I assumed the role of a knight in the middle

ages, and various ​projects​ I was able to make using Prezi, iMovie, and other technological

resources. As I wrote, “this helped me get a better understanding of the class content while
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peaking my interest in the various technological resources that could make me a better learner,”

(Godfrey, 2017a).

Like Holman, I intend to use technology in the classroom to make learning accessible and

exciting. Taking inspiration from his effective balance of guided and independent learning, I

intend to integrate technology into my classroom in a way that effectively delivers content and at

the same time, guides students in their intellectual and social growth. By incorporating the full

range of cognitive skills outlined in Bloom’s Taxonomy (Evaluation, Synthesis, Analysis,

Application, Comprehension, and Knowledge) paired with creative outlets such as those that

helped me learn in Holman’s 7th grade class, I can engage students with an array of different

talents and intelligences.

Another experience that has had great influence on the way I intend to use technology in

the classroom is my internship at a local alternative school for teens who, for any reason, cannot

meet or have not met the demands of traditional schooling. The structure of their class can be

best described as a blended delivery system, which “combines elements of both face-to-face

instruction and online learning” (Lever-Duffy and McDonald, 2015, p. 237). The students, a

handful of middle- to high-schoolers, are all enrolled in Pearson Connexus online school, and

they work independently unless they need help. This structure often appears more akin to

tutoring than instruction, as the direction is as-needed and not compulsory, but they have the

added element of social interaction and a stable environment which is very beneficial to students.

This environment, in contrast with my upbringing in a traditionally formatted suburban public

school, provides much more room for students to go at their own pace. However, it comes with

consequences, as the online school limits the opportunities for creativity that are made possible
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by a face-to-face approach. What makes this alternative school special, though, is the community

that they have created, with supportive teachers and a stable, positive learning environment that

cannot be imitated online.

My experiences interning in this classroom have guided my thinking when it comes to the

role of technology in the classroom. As I wrote in an assignment for Intro to Education, which

detailed the extent to which I’ve experienced conceptual change with respect to education in the

past semester, “technology must be understood and integrated responsibly and only when

justifiable, instead of regarded as the end-all be-all in an effective classroom,” (Godfrey, 2017b).

Similarly, in a tweet, I wrote, “[Education] in the 21st century requires an ongoing understanding

of students (like always). [Technology] is a tool for 21st century [education], not the definition”

(Godfreycameronm, 2017). This is an important distinction that must be made when

incorporating technology in the classroom. All too often I see SmartBoards doing the same work

of a plain white wall because teachers don’t know how to use them effectively. That is to say, we

often incorporate technology for technology’s sake, instead of being thoughtful and considering

the amazing things technology has to offer us. The true role of technology in education is to

foster creativity and critical thinking and to make content more accessible to students of all

ability levels, interests, and cognitive styles.

Keeping the role of education in mind, I intend to implement the ISTE standards by

keeping up with the technological innovations that can enhance my classroom as well as keeping

in tune with the interests of my students in order to appeal to the way they want to learn (learner,

collaborator); teaching students to leave a positive “digital footprint” and to be responsible and

safe online (citizen); creating a classroom culture that inspires creativity, student autonomy, and
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independent thinking while guiding students where they need to be guided (designer, facilitator);

all while being an effective leader and ensuring that the true basis of my class is not simply

technology, but ​community​ and the ​values​ that can be fortified through technology.
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REFERENCES

1. Godfrey, C. (2017a) [Meeting ISTE standards] Unpublished manuscript.

2. Godfrey, C. (2017b) [Social class ​dismissed: ​What is the root of academic success?]

Unpublished manuscript.

3. godfreycameronm. (2017, September 8). Ed in the 21st century requires an ongoing

understanding of students (like always) Tech is a tool for 21st century ed, not the
definition [Twitter post] Retrieved from
https://twitter.com/godfreycameronm/status/906053981029453826

4. 4. ISTE. (n.d.). ISTE Standards for Educators. Retrieved November 30, 2017, from
https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

5. Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. (2015). ​Teaching and Learning with Technology​ (5th
ed.). Pearson.