Video - To meet the demands of a new age

Here’s a 2–minute video about 21st century schooling and curricula that was created by one of our Educational Administration Master’s students, Steven Hopper, here at Iowa State University. I can take no credit for this – it’s all his – but I sure think it came out nicely!

I think this is a new arena for Steven, so I’m sure he’d appreciate any comments, suggestions, or other feedback you have for him. Happy viewing! 

Comments

[Barbara Barreda]

1.

Thanks for posting this, Scott! Steven this is very nicely done and the material from President Obama was something I had been looking for... with full credit to you I will be showing this at parent meetings next week.

The one part that I was not quite clear about was toward the end where you left the phrase
"it is about teaching children how to..." and then you run through a series of pictures...I get the end /it is about thinking- but would like you to elaborate on the pictures just so I am sure I understand.

[Steven Hopper]

2.

Barbara,
I'm overwhelmed by the positive response for the video and am ecstatic that it's going to be shared.
The final few frames are my attempt to state the traditional curriculum (reading, writing, math, etc) in a more modern way. The idea is that students need to know fundamental academic content, but more importantly, they need to learn how to THINK as well. Thanks for the feedback!

[Bill Ferriter]

3.

Hey Steven,

Nice job on your video. I think the Obama quotes, voice and images are particularly powerful and will resonate with people. They were the most impressive part of the presentation.

I wonder if your next version could include other quotes about 21st Century Learning from experts. There are so many provocative thoughts out there that people can mentally chew on. They might make a good addition to your bit.

I'd also like to see a quote or two from kids about how they feel towards learning in today's (or tomorrow's) classrooms. So often, we leave students out of the conversation completely, and yet their thoughts can be the most convincing.

Anyway...just a bit o' feedback. Overall, though, I like the use of visual media to influence. This is a great beginning.

Rock on,
Bill

[Tim Kong]

4.

Hi Steven,

A nicely edited video there - I hadn't seen or heard the Obama quotes previously.

Here in NZ - we're rolling out our new curriculum, and a lot of what you mention in your video is at the core of of that curriculum. It's pretty challenging stuff, but powerful and imo very forward thinking.

In particular - the key competencies, are very powerful - and as a teacher it's a challenge to live up to those, to model and demonstrate them to our students. But a worthy challenge.

The key competencies are here:

http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/Key-competencies

You can grab a copy of the curriculum there as well.

Again - nice one on the video.

[Gayle]

5.

I loved the video and the concept that our schools should be teaching our children how to think. My children started out in public school, but now I home school because I did not see our school system teaching critical thinking skills, and encouraging a love for learning. I saw teaching facts to pass tests. My children were losing the love of learning and the ability to think for themselves. I hope that your message makes some changes.

[Dan]

6.

Steven,

The video was great, and the message was powerful. Like Obama, you seem to realize that the traditional methods of teaching and learning in our schools must encompass new technology and new methods.

Clearly, the classroom has to change to fit current technology or we risk limiting and marginalizing the education process. Any ideas on a solution. So many seem to agree that we have a problem, but I'm not sure what we can do to change an institution. Unless we make changes fast, the gap between school and the "real world" will continue to widen. Any ideas on a solution?

Thanks. I really enjoyed the video.

DL

[Dan McGuire]

7.

Great video! If I can get my district filter folks to unblock it, I'll share it with colleagues, too.

[Steven Hopper]

8.

Again, I want to thank everyone for the high praise and feedback. All the suggestions were incredibly valuable. The second half of the video was actually going to bring up some of the solutions:

"A 21st century curriculum is about transforming our public schools.

It’s about the total integration of technology…not the prohibition.

It’s about harnessing the power of the internet…to engage every student.

It’s about expressing knowledge in new ways…and sharing ideas online.

It’s about using social networks...to build a better community of learners.

It’s about living in a digital reality."

[Andrea Weis]

9.

I appreciate the strong visual imagery that you created with the pictures in the last part of the video, and it's a testament to your use of the technology that it conveys so much with minimal text-it's pure communication. Your superb editing carefully punctuated the ideas and mingled the philosophy with the message seemlessly.

In your note above "A 21st century curriculum... " etc: careful with the modifiers as you choose them, i.e. "every" student, "better" community, "total" integration. Your use of language in the original is so precise-keep that standard.

I do like "living in a digital reality". Looking forward to more from you!

[Dan]

10.

Stephen,

I loved the last line of your solutions: "It’s about using social networks...to build a better community of learners."

It's funny (or maybe not so funny) how the term "social network" has taken on such a negative connotation in schools, as if facebook, myspace, and twitter are somehow unfit for educational use. The idea that social networking in and of itself poses a threat is rather tired. The idea of using social networking in order to build or enhance a community of learners is definitely the direction in which we need to head. Thanks again for the great video.

Dan

[Dan McGuire]

11.

Members of our District Technology Advisory Committee loved the video. We'll be attaching it to our proposal to increase spending on technology training for teachers and principals. It helps us feel less like groveling geeks and more like the Chaucers of this century taking good care of the king's forests.

[ASCD Whole Child]

12.

Steven, what a great video and message. My organization, ASCD, believes in a whole child education, including the need for 21st century skills.

I'll be sharing your video on our blog this afternoon at http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/ and will encourage our readers to come here to share their thoughts with you.

We also work with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). We encourage you to contact Paul Tumarkin ([email protected]) and share your video (tell him Kathy Welling from ASCD sent you). They're working on materials for their 21st Century Skills Cyber Summit and we think your video would be a great inclusion.

All the best!

[Steven Hopper]

13.

Kathy,
Wow! I'm thrilled to have my work posted on the ASCD blog. I'm also quite familiar with P21, having referred to several of their publications in preparing the video. It is an honor to think that my little project would be shared during their summit. I contacted Mr. Tumarkin, as you suggest, and anxiously await his thoughts.

Scott,
I can't thank you enough for hosting the video. The feedback has been great, and there's absolutely no way I could have reached such a wide audience!

[Lee Varty]

14.

Thanks to Steven for creating this video, and thanks to Scott for sharing it!

I'd like to use this as part of a presentation to incoming parents of our local 1-1 project. Even though I'm Canadian, the issues are the same for our students and teachers.

Thanks again!

[Ellen]

15.

Wonderful. Well done. I work at an International School in Bangkok. Thailand that is beginning to embrace some of the changes that must happen. As a teacher there, I'm involved in designing and implementing some of the curricula to which you refer....in grade one. It must happen.Change must happen.