A Vision of 21st Century Learning

Our enrichment classes started out the year by pondering questions associated with how they learn, engagement, and purposeful learning.

Students watched two incredibly insightful movies, “The Networked Learner” and “Pay Attention” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M_336pDWoM), which were created to make educators, teachers, students, and those concerned about elevating our students to success THINK! Our society has expectations that students be able to analyze, evaluate, critic, gather and manipulate data, and most importantly create to further the pursuit of knowledge or the cause. Content is easily accessible- in fact it is practically in our pockets (Iphones, data phone, IPODS, etc.).

After watching both videos, students were asked to reflect upon these questions:
• How do you learn?
• What are your passions?
• What does it mean to be a student today?

Students used an Etherpad document (collaborative spaces that allows multiple users to contribute to one document) to record their reflections and ideas on these questions. The conversation was opened up and topics such as advocacy, responsibility, strengths, weaknesses, and choice were built into passion and engaged learning.

Fifth and sixth graders were asked at the end of the discussion to identify a topic for their personal learning answering the question:
What am I going to do this year in enrichment that is going to make a difference in my life, and in the life of others and serve my passions?


Here are some of valuable collaborative ideas that were developed in regards to how we learn
( these are student's raw ideas in note taking form :)

Taken from the Etherpad...

What are your passions?

• programing,math,robotics,health,computerized work,WRITING!!!!!!!!!!!!Homework,inveting
• I like to try to invent the things i think would save energy (electrisity,human)life easier healthier.
• I would like to study the brain i think it is awesome
  designing things is something we could do I liked that last year.
• Some of my passions are math, science, I also liked the Design Kids project last year. I also like history. It would be cool to do a history project. I would also like to do another mueseum. I also like programming. I could look more in depth to numbers by coming up with difficult algebra eqations. By going on discussion boards and discovering mathematicians ideas. See if I like or not.
• I like math.
• Some of my passions are math and animals.I dream to become a vet. I also like the design kids project and the oreo stacking project. Turning off computers was really fun and I got to run around the school.
• I love computers so anything with computers is fun for me. I like to learn on the computer and doing something like outside or hands-on instead of sitting in a desk. If I watch someone treating an animal it could inspire me to want to help and become a vet.
• My passions are animals( like veterinary type) and math. I also like writing.

How do you learn?

• I like to learn by actually doing something hands-on.
• How do you like to learn? like to learn by looking on the web getting info and then trying to make something that would help.
• Computers,lectures,hands on,discovering on my own,research,read,notetaking,fun ways like my 5th grade game
• I learn by going hands on and going out there and experimenting. I like to do brainproblems. But I'm bad at computers.
• We should find things that are bad and making stuff that would make stuff better
  I'm all for hands on.
• I would like to study the brain by listening to doctors and watch a brain surgeon go to work
• I like to learn by doing physical activities, on the computer, visually, I also like doing hands on problems. Maybe a little bit of research, just a little. Short Lectures, sometimes being showed to.
• I also like playing games while learning.Demonstrating things also works if the explanation is thorough. I also like to research and get to know the topic more.
• I like to just take somehing mess with it and make it better I like to learn by actually doing something hands-on. Demonstrating things also works if the explanation is thorough. I also like to research and get to know the topic more.
• I like to just take somehing mess with it and make it better

Stay Tuned to see how the Fifth and Sixth Graders embrace the opportunity to empower each other to make a difference! More to come. Feel free to post ideas or comments that contribute to our conversation and discoveries.