A Vision of Education Today ~ presented in 4 Scenes

The Student (and Teacher) of Tomorrow… Today

SCENE 1:  The 21st Century Learner

>dinner noises<

PARENT (eating dinner): Gee, Student sure finished dinner quick; wonder what's so important upstairs that's worth missing TV for? I'd better go see how he’s doing.

>up steps noises<>door opening<>keyboard typing<

[ goes to other corner, finds Student on the computer, with iPhone, headphones on ]

Parent: Hey, I thought you were up here doing your homework?! What is this, the "mission control" of procrastination?  I see you're on Facebook, MSN, and what are you listening to?

Student: But, I am doing my homework.  We're using Facebook to coordinate the 

different parts of the project; I'm using IM to talk to Brad about our presentation, and I'm listening to Ms. Teacher's Success Criteria for the project again on our class podcast. 

Student is confronted in the"mission control of procrastination"

Parent (momentarily stunned):  ... you mean all this is you doing homework?  

Student: Well... I was also saving the world by playing Evoke in the background too...

Parent: Hey, isn't that the manual for the PVR I asked to you look through so you can program it?  It's right where I left it last week; you haven’t looked at it yet?

Student: Yeah, I figured it out without the manual.  It's recording Glee right now. 

Parent: Well, if you don't need my help, I have to go pick up Sister from practice.

Student:  Oh, she texted a little while ago to remind you that she’s going to be late, but getting a ride home from Friend’s Parent. 

Parent:  Really?  I didn’t hear my phone ring.

Student:  She didn’t call, it was a text message.

Parent:  I’m not sure how to do that on my new phone.  Can you show me later?

Student:  That’s what Sister suggested too.

Parent (sarcastically): Really.  What else did she say?

Student:  She said I should show you again how to access the shared Google calendar, where she updated her practice schedule two days ago. 

Parent:  Okay, so we really need to set a time for me to learn this stuff.  When do you have time?

Student:  You know, you can see my whole schedule… it’s on the (in unison with Parent) shared Google calendar.

Parent:  Okay, I get it, or rather I’ll get it.  Just finish up here, and

make sure your teacher doesn't catch you with any of this stuff at school, she'll probably take it away.

Student:  Who do you think taught me how to use Twitter and Facebook this way?  Look, it's all right here on our class moodle... 

Parent: Noodle?

Student:  Moodle. 

Parent:  She lets you play with this stuff in class?!  How come I didn't know about this?

Student:  You signed the form that allowed me to bring in my laptop and smartphone.  It was a few weeks ago, don't you remember?

Parent:  Yes, well, I sign a lot of things... I think I'd like to have a word with your teacher.

Student: Sure.. she's on Skype right now, do you want video or just audio?

>Skype noise<

Parent: What?!  Skype?!  No I don't want video or audio, I'm going to go and talk to her the old fashioned way, in her classroom, tomorrow after school.  [ Parent walks out ]

>door closing<>Skype message<

Student (over shoulder, to Parent who has left) : ... she says Okay.

SCENE 2:  The 21st Century Classroom

Parent: Ms. Teacher?

Teacher: You must be Student's father, pleased to meet you.

Parent:  Ah, I guess you saw the note I wrote in Student's agenda?

Teacher:  Uh, something like that...

Parent (looking around): Wow, what happened to your classroom?  Your desks are all over the place. Do you want me to help you put them back into rows?

Teacher: (with a chuckle)  No thanks, we've found this arrangement works pretty well, actually.

Parent: With little groups here and there?

Teacher: That's right; usually the students choose who they want to work with, or I suggest a group based on what I know of the student, and how they work.

Parent:  Hey, is that one of those SMARTboards I've been hearing about?  

SMARTboard high-fives his bestfriend, the document camera

Teacher:  Yessir, with its best friend the Document Camera right next to it.

Parent:  Hm.  I guess you don't use it that often.

Teacher:  What makes you say that?

Parent:  Well for what I know they cost, I didn't expect to see it off in the corner like that.  I guess if you used it more often it would be at the front of the room here.

Teacher:  That setup gets used pretty much all day every day; I just don't like technology to be the focus of the room, it works much better as a focused learning centre for small groups.  The students really respond to it better that way.  They are actually the ones who decided what classroom set-up worked best for them. We also work together to set our classroom learning targets. 

Parent:  Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.  Last night Student told me that you're using Facebook and Twitter and some kind of poodle...

Teacher: Moodle?

Parent: ...moodle for schoolwork, and that it's okay to bring in cell phones to school.

Teacher:  That's right, we use them to give feedback, research of course, record questions and observations, they keep their group updated on progress, not to mention that from anywhere they can use their handheld devices to access the class moodle...

Parent:  doodle?

Teacher:  ...moodle, which has a calendar of due dates, discussion forums...

Parent: But I don't see a laptop or a smartphone on all the desks here. 

Teacher:  Well, students can bring in their own laptops or mobile devices for starters, and connect to the internet for free if they use our board's network.  

Parent:  There's no way every student can be expected to bring in something like that, some families don't even have a computer at home!

Teacher:  True enough sir; Those students can check out an iPod Touch or a netbook from the library for the day, or use one of the desktops we have in the classroom, or just share with a friend. And a few of our identified  students are provided with laptops, then our TRT...

Parent:  TRT?

Teacher:  Technology Resource Teacher helps to show those students and I how best to use it to meet their learning needs.

Parent:  Who pays for all that equipment in the school?

Teacher:  Well, a lot of it was purchased through the board's Cost Sharing program using money from the parent council.  For most technology purchases, the board kicks in up to 

half the cost, to encourage schools to buy hardware that'll help students learn. 

Parent:   Bake sales and pizza days pay for all this technology?

Teacher:  Well, not entirely.  Since most of what I do is posted on the moodle...Parent:  zoodle?

Teacher:  ...moodle, we save a lot of money on photocopy paper and textbooks, which, according to our Blueprints plan, we can then put towards technology.

Parent:  Your IT department must not like that, having to support all those different kinds of devices.

Teacher:  Actually, IT fully supports our move towards this kind of computing.  Since students are responsible for supporting their own hardware and software, it's no extra computers for them to look after.  Of course, the moodle server is getting a lot of attention these days.

Parent:  Right, the noodle server...  But how can you do anything as a class if everyone doesn't have the same set of programs on their computers?

Teacher:  It does change the way we deliver assignments, from relying on a standard 

image to more cloud-based computing with Web 2.0 tools.

Parent:  You mean like... okay, what do you mean?

Teacher:  Cloud computing just means collaborating and storing documents and even using applications through the internet, not running on each computer.  That way, the computers just have to be able to access the internet in order to accomplish the same things.   

Parent:  That does sound simpler.  So you have to solve all your tech problems yourself?

Teacher:  No, we do have a TST...

Parent:  TST?

Teacher:  Technology Service Technician who comes to our school once a week to take care of any problems with our board technology.  It's a good service model that works well.

Parent:  Really?  I wish I could say the same about the IT department at my office.

Teacher:  Yeah, we're really lucky to have such a great relationship with our IT department.  In fact, a year or two ago they switched the support model to one that they 

thought might be more efficient, but when we gave them feedback that we preferred the weekly visits better, they changed it right back. 

Parent:  Wow, that does sound like a great relationship.  And for you to be teaching with all this, you must have some kind of advanced technology background I guess.

Teacher:  Not at all.  our TLT...

Parent: TLT?

Teacher: ...Technology Lead Teacher gave the whole staff a few workshops on how to do some of it, but I also called in our CRT...

Parent:  CRT?

Teacher:  ... Computer Resource Teacher for the rest.  These are classroom teachers on special assignment, who travel from school to school helping teachers learn about integrating technology into their Literacy Program.  He himself even taught the class a few times so I could observe him and my students.

Parent:  Like a travelling salesman, eh?

Teacher:  Mm, more like a travelling preacher.  See, it's not any one particular product 

he's selling, it's more like the whole approach to teaching he helped me to change.  He also suggested I go see a Learning Lab, which I did.

Parent:  And what would that be?

Teacher:  A learning lab is a strong literacy teacher who integrates technology in a way that addresses the varied aspects of literacy.  Their classrooms get a little boost of hardware, and in return they allow teachers from other schools and their own school to book time to come in and observe a Literacy Block, and answer questions

afterwards.

Parent is schooled in the ways of 21C learning

Parent: Sounds like a lot of extra time for you to learn all those acronyms much less all that stuff.

Teacher:  To some extent, yes, but a lot of it is online.  Youtube can actually be quite helpful for finding tutorials, and the CRTs put a lot of training materials in a training moodle...

Parent:  Moodle?

Teacher:  ...moodle, which we can access any time it suits us. And that doesn't even begin to cover what ABEL has to offer.

Parent:  Wow, with all those supports in place, it seems like the board really wants you to teach this technology stuff.

Teacher:  Not really.

Parent:  What do you mean?

Teacher:  The board doesn't want us to teach technology... the board wants us to teach our students.

SCENE 3:  21st Century Concerns

Principal:  Mr. Teacher?

Teacher:  Yes Principal?

Principal:  I wonder if you have a moment to talk?

Teacher:  Certainly, come on in.

Principal:  I just wanted to talk to you about a couple of things I noticed on my last walkthrough...

Teacher:  Sure thing, what's on your mind?

Principal:  I just wanted to bring to your attention that I saw some kids playing with video games at the back of your class the other day and then again this morning.

Teacher:  Oh, which game were they playing?

Principal:  I'm not sure, I didn't stop to ask them... does it matter?   

Teacher:  Well sure it matters.. I've introduced them to a few different ones, and...

Principal:  You've introduced them to a few different video games?

Teacher:  That's right, we're looking at some in our Media Literacy lessons, and another one as part of a World Issues ISU for a couple of students.

Principal:  I hardly think playing games can be considered “Appropriate Use of technology”.

Teacher:  These kids aren't just playing Pac Man, they're collaborating with students from around the world to work on real life issues like food shortages and social justice...

Principal:  But I saw the students using banned devices in the school, in your classroom, during the Literacy block.

Teacher:  Everyone's parents signed the extra permission form that you and I created, so what do you mean by  "banned" devices? 

Principal:  Yes, we created an additional permission waiver, but that was for laptops or cell phones, but I saw a student with a Nintendo DS and a Playstation Portable!

Teacher:  The form allows for any handheld device, not just laptops or cell phones.  Those "game machines" are also capable of connecting to the board's network.

Principal:  So they're playing games on the board's network?

Teacher:  No, it's more likely that they were using those devices to connect to the 

internet or at the very least each other, and with my permission, doing the work that I assigned them.

Principal:  You assigned them to work on a game machine?

Teacher:  No, I assigned them to work collaboratively to obtain the learning targets up there on the wall; they chose to work with that tool.  

Principal:  By themselves at the back of the class?  Is that such a good idea?

Teacher:  They chose that space because it's away from the rest of the class; their IEPs call it "environmental accommodations".

Principal:  Those students I saw at the back of the room are identified students?  

Teacher:  That's right.  And when they use their "game machines" to access the assignments on the class moodle...

Principal:  Doodle?

Teacher:  ...moodle, they work at their own pace, in the way that they choose, in the place that they're most comfortable. 

Principal:  But what about the fact that they can use those same devices to play games, 

or send instant messages to each other?  They could even be cyber-bullying each other on those things!

Teacher:  That's true, but we've had extensive discussions about it in class and with parents, and we deal with it if it comes up.

Principal:  That's it?

Teacher:  What would you prefer?  

Principal:  Well, at the very least I think that students should be banned from using technology if they use it inappropriately.

Teacher:  I see.  So if a student uses a learning tool for something that I didn't explicitly allow, we should take away that tool?

Principal:  That's about right, yes.

Teacher:  What will I do with them all?

Principal:  All what?

Teacher:  All the pencils, notebooks, pens, markers, rulers, metre sticks, pencil cases and all the other learning tools I take away?

Principal:  No no, I just mean the computers and cell phones.

Teacher:  So, bullying, doesn't count if it's written on a piece of paper?  And hangman isn't a game if it's played with a pencil?  Also, how do we go about banning the little bits of paper they write notes on and pass in class? 

Principal:  That's completely different, because.... because.... 

(Teacher is nodding slowly, Principal begins to nod slowly as well)

Teacher:  Talk to the kids, they already know.

Principal:  I look forward to your TPA. 

SCENE 4:  21st Century Citizenship

SUPERINTENDENT:  Hi there, I'm Ms. Superintendent here to visit with Mr. Principal... Oh, he's with a parent?  Sure, I'll wait right here, Thank you.  (sits down, next to Student, who is using handheld device)

SUPERINTENDENT:  And what's your name?

Student:  Student.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Nice to meet you Student, my name is...

Student:  I know who you are.

SUPERINTENDENT:  I see... And what's that you're playing?

Student:  I'm looking you up online. 

SUPERINTENDENT:  I beg your pardon?

Student:  Nothing serious, just a Google advanced search with domain and language filtering.  Don't worry, there's nothing really bad coming up.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Well, I...

Student:  Looks like you're not really taking control of your online identity, though. 

SUPERINTENDENT:  That's not true at all; I take extraordinary measures to make sure I don't put anything on the internet about me.

Student:  (with a look)  not putting stuff up about yourself really isn't the same as taking control of your online identity you know.

Superintendent gets eyes opened by Student

SUPERINTENDENT:  Whatever do you mean?  

Student:  My teacher taught us that if you don't put up anything about yourself online, it's like you're letting other people describe you to the world by whatever they happen to put up about you.

SUPERINTENDENT:  But, I can't control what other people might post about me, and neither can you.

Student (pointing/winking): Exactly.  

SUPERINTENDENT (thinks for a moment):  Is the whole school managing their online identity like you are?

Student:  Oh no, for sure not.  My little sister in grade 2 is waaaay too young to be building her online identity.  That just wouldn't be safe. 

SUPERINTENDENT:  That’s good to hear.   

Student:  That's why her class uses a moodle...

SUPERINTENDENT:  Strudel?

Student:  ...moodle is sooo important to her class.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Right... (nods for a little while)... and why would that be?

Student:  Because it lets her go online and learn from her teacher about how to act online and what's okay to put online, but it's all controlled by the teacher, and nobody else can see it.   

SUPERINTENDENT:  So her online identity isn't really online?

Student:  Not really.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Really?

Student:  Not really.

SUPERINTENDENT (after a pause):  So, how do you manage your online identity?

Student:  Well, for starters, my Twitter account all has to do with projects from school, and my blog has some of the social justice causes I support...as a matter of fact we are communicating with a classroom in Haiti using Twitter

SUPERINTENDENT:  Social justice?  Twitter?

Student:  You do know about Twitter don't you?

SUPERINTENDENT:  I keep hearing about it, and I've been meaning to look into it, but I really don't care to know when Ashton Kutcher is doing his laundry.

Student:  Neither do I, but you really should look into it.  Sir Ken says we should all make time to explore out-of-the-box ideas.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Sir Ken?  Ken Robinson?

Student:  That's the guy.

SUPERINTENDENT:  You read Sir Ken Robinson?!

Student:  Sure do.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Fascinating!  I myself have just read his latest book from 2009.  Have you read his latest?  Have you read "The Element"?

Student:  I've read his latest, but it's not "The Element" from

2009.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Really?  He's written something more recent than that?

Student:  Sure... his last Tweet was about an hour ago.

>Tweet noise<

Student:  Yeah.. like my friend Brandon here Tweeted and wants to know if you paid for your out-of-province conferences last year with your board salary, or if it's paid for separately.

SUPERINTENDENT:  What?!  My salary?!  How does he...?

Student (holding up mobile device): It's all right here online... your salary, expenses...a matter of public record, you know.

SUPERINTENDENT (flustered):  Well, I...

>Tweet noise<

Student:  Oh, sorry... my teacher Tweeted that we should stop asking you about your salary.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Very well then... why are you here anyway?

Student:  Oh, I was just bringing the attendance folder here, but when I saw you I looked you up and tweeted to my class.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Shouldn't you be getting back to class? Your teacher will be wondering where you are...

Student (holding up handheld device):  He knows.

SUPERINTENDENT:  Right, right... You know, I think I'd like to meet your teacher and talk to her about some of these things that are happening in her class.

Student:  Her Skype address is on the class moodle...

SUPERINTENDENT:  Kaboodle?

Student:  ...moodle, would you like it?

SUPERINTENDENT:  No, thanks, I think I'd like to do it the old fashioned way, by walking down the hall myself.  (gets up and starts walking away from Student)

>Tweet noise< 

Student (on handheld device):  He says Okay.

[ curtain ]

This piece was written last year as a unique method of presenting not only our collective vision of today's elementary classroom, but the various elements that make it possible.  Although clearly we’re no playwrights, I think it manages to get our points across in a unique manner.  

As a conference presentation it certainly was more engaging than standing up and reading bullet points off some slide deck.  Although written by myself, Penny Hansen (@pennyles) and Jason Eygenraam (@jeygenraam) it was Penny’s suggestion that we have students perform the play, which made it all the more effective.

I’ve already had more than one school request to use this script to present their own version to parent council groups and on curriculum nights, as it answers many of the questions that those stakeholders have with respect to classroom use of technology.

It was also a bit of a personal victory, as it proved how successful a conference presentation could be, without being just like all other conference presentations.  

I've licensed it under Creative Commons: Non-commercial, share-alike. 

The Student and Teacher of Tomorrow, Today by Paul Yip, Penny Hansen, Jason Eygenraam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.