ISTE 2012: Educators seek the brass ring of student engagement
Keynote speakers Sir Ken Robinson and Marc Prensky discuss what it takes to get students engaged
Robinson pushes for more personalized education.
“Redefining horizons: Encouraging students’ passion to achieve” is the theme for this year’s International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference—but in what looked like a scene that was more appropriate for a rock concert than an ed-tech show, it was educators’ passion that was evident in the overflowing crowd that appeared for the opening general session on June 24.
Though ISTE traditionally has been the largest educational technology conference in the U.S., with dwindling school budgets and the growth of online options, attendance has been down at national education trade shows in recent years.
But at ISTE’s 33rd annual conference, held in San Diego, the surging crowd and squished-in volunteers holding signs reading “Hey, it’s crowded” outside the opening general session suggested that educators are eager for new ideas in their classrooms.
And from the Spanish flamenco music beating from the ballroom to the bright red flames on the signage next to the ISTE stage, it seemed educators were ready to take student engagement by the horns.
“It’s investing in these professional learning opportunities now that means you’re investing in the future,” said Holly Jobe, ISTE president. “21st century education excellence is a race, and the only way we can win this race is by holding hands.”
The night’s main attraction was provided by Sir Ken Robinson, a world-renowned expert in creativity and innovation, and author of the book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (one of many), who argued that education is at a crossroads as one of the most hotly-debated issues in the world. In the U.S., specifically, the future of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is one of the country’s most contested topics.
“Before I moved to the states [from the U.K.], I was told that Americans don’t understand irony. But that’s not true. And I found that out as soon as I heard about NCLB,” joked Robinson.
Robinson argued that school reform is never going to work through more impersonalization and standardization of education, because “humanity is based on the principle of diversity. For example, if you have two or more children, you know this to be true. You don’t say to one of them, ‘Wait, remind me who you are again? I can’t tell you apart.’”
One of the most important steps in making education more personalized and successful is to create a systemic shift that focuses on student engagement, Robinson said.
Watch Robinson discuss education:
“I urge educators and those in Congress to really think about: What does it take to truly engage students in their own learning? What is the role of technology in engagement? And, what are the implications for practice and policy?” he said.
In an effort to explain student engagement from a cognitive angle, Marc Prensky, the author of two works on digital natives, discussed a concept from his new book that he calls “digital wisdom.”
“There’s a balance between what we keep in our heads versus what we can delegate to the machines,” explained Prensky. “We should connect our brains to the technology, but only in a wise way. This is called digital wisdom.”
5 Responses to ISTE 2012: Educators seek the brass ring of student engagement
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charlesuptop
June 29, 2012 at 11:12 pm
I think you captured the spirit of the ISTE conference very, and especially Sir Ken’s educational rock star address, perfectly. Did you spend any time at the Bloggers’ Cafe? As a fellow edu bloggist, I set up shop there pretty frequently. You can find me @CharlesUpTop if you’d like to compare notes on the conference!
informed_c
July 2, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Sir Ken is wonderful and Dr. Bailik should be an inspiration.
But putting Prensky on the same program or even mentioning him in the same article.is an insult.
Prensky is seriously overrated. He shills opinion parading as facts.
His “digital natives” idea – which any thinking person recognizes is ridiculous marketing hyperbole – derailed meaningful discussion of educating people with technology – because according to Prensky people are “born” knowing how to use technology – what poppycock.
Now he’s preaching “digital wisdom” – his mental contortions are astounding.
If you want good information about Digital Literacy – check out Doug Belshaw. He uses research to support his ideas – he’s the real deal.
cteduonline
July 2, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Meris,
I agree with charlesuptop, you did a great job capturing the essence of the keynote. I was very fortunate to get in early and get a seat right up front. During the entire presentation I was getting more and more excited about the content that was being presented. For years I have been writing and presenting about personalized learning and the engagement of students. It is my opinion that career and technical education (CTE) has been successfully doing this for years using a competency based instructional model.
In summary, CTE schools personalize the learning for their students so that each student can reach their maximum potential in their chosen career path.
Below are a list of articles that directly relate to how CTE schools are engaging their students and personalizing the learning.
cteduonline
July 2, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Give Students What They Want – http://tinyurl.com/c9cw4eb
Help Kids FInd Their Love of Learning – http://tinyurl.com/827v9mf
Making Learning Relative – http://tinyurl.com/76228mf
Student-Centered Classroom – http://tinyurl.com/79kwtp4
Differentiated Instruction – http://tinyurl.com/8887aqr
Common Misconceptions About Student Learning – http://tinyurl.com/6nledm7
Digital Classrooms Should Not Focus on Technology – http://tinyurl.com/6rkofp9
dld02
July 2, 2012 at 8:35 pm
The term “student engagement” is just another way of describing “student motivation.” Our student’s don’t achieve because we can’t motivate. Today the window of motivation is so clogged with choices that student achivement is fractured into a myriad of bits and pieces. We must assimilate not denigrate our educational process. In order to accomplish that will require daily electronic communication between school and home. Do we need another verzion of iPod-iPad etc.?