How do we learn?

The answer might surprise you. Learners are like snowflakes that learn in unique ways and no two learners learn the same way. While the idea that no two learners are alike reads like a horror story in the minds of an educator, technology creeps in like the masked hero of the day! Technology is bridging the gap from confusion to understanding.

In the "2017 Horizon Report", “online, mobile, and blended learning are forgone conclusions.” The report goes on to say, “If institutions do not already have robust strategies for integrating these now pervasive approaches, then they simply will not survive. An important step is tracking how these models are actively enriching learning outcomes.” While I think this was a notable opinion for its time, and probably valid, necessity is the mother of invention. The educational community has paved the way for blended and hybrid learning styles. Since I am the only person in my building who teaches Theatre and TV Production, all of my classes were hybrid. While I didn’t want to be thrown into that scenario, it taught me how much multitasking can get done efficiently. Sometimes the hybrid model drove many therapy sessions and many boxes of empty kleenex. I also realized how much I can utilize technology to bridge the gap between my students and our community. We broadcasted our shows in person and online. For the first time, my own father was able to see the shows I directed. Students were creating fun news broadcasts from their living room.

We are faced with constant challenges as a society. We learn by problem solving and using project based learning in our K-12 classrooms to facilitate the normalcy of such behaviors. We have to prepare our students for a world that doesn't exist yet. Educational technology will not only bridge the gap to the world of tomorrow, it will be at the hands of our children.