Different Mindset

Mindset is something important when it comes to learning in general. We talk about students having a closed mindset if they think they are unable to learn math since they are not good at it or do not have the natural ability.  It has been found with an open mind, they are more likely to do better in math.

Unfortunately, there is another area in which the open or closed mindset is found within education. It is found in some students, teachers, and administrators.  This attitude has to do with the value of incorporating technology into the classroom,

Although we know technology is neither good, nor bad, it is how it is used within the classroom that counts.  We cannot just throw technology into the classroom because it is there. We have to have a purpose foe every use of technology when integrating it into our lessons. 

In addition, we have to prepare students for jobs in the future without knowing the exact skills required except, those jobs will require technology, collaboration, and communication.  It may require collaboration among coworkers who live in different geographic locations.  It might require the use of virtual rooms.

We need to make sure students have the knowledge and ability but if many of the students, teachers or administrators have a closed mindset, it makes it harder to imbue students with the knowledge to compete in this new world.

 Many of my students have developed the mindset that their learning can only be accomplished if they are using a computer. If they do the same assignment on a device such as a tablet, they argue they cannot learn the material not realizing that both are powerful computing devices.

I have been told by administrators I use to much technology in my classroom.  I should not have them watch annotated videos, do collaborative assignments in google slides.  I have been told my students learn best from the books and I should be hitting the books hard.  I have also been told that by allowing students to use technology, I am giving them the opportunity to get all the answers off the internet.

I have had other teachers tell me that students learn best from reading and doing work from the book.  No other way works as well.  They have also insisted that I am harming them by requiring students to watch annotated videos or ask them to write an explanation for why they chose to solve a problem the way they did.

To me, all three situations show a closed mindset because they are restricting their learning.  They are stunting their growth at a time when they need to expand their repertoire of skills for a rapidly exploding world of technology,

It reminds me of a couple of lines from a song by Bob Dylan. ‘The old roads are rapidly changing, get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand for the times they are a changing’

Let me know what you think, I would love to hear.