"Teching" to the Test

-Technology is certainly convenient, but if it is used merely to make the age-old tasks more efficient, then educators are lying to themselves about “building 21^st century skills.”-

A popular expectation for today’s educators is that they prepare students for successful futures in the workforce by developing their 21st Century Skills.  Many schools are hoping to better meet this demand through an increase in student access to technology.  The U.S. Department of Education discusses the possibility of using technology to transform education towards more real-world, connected learning, even naming the development of 21^st century skills as a benefit of technology.  However, providing each student with a device does not in and of itself lead students to become 21^st century thinkers, creators, and innovators.  It is my belief that many educators sincerely want to give their students opportunities to create, communicate, collaborate, and think critically, but that they are at a loss for how to do so.  The pressure to nurture these skills is in harsh juxtaposition to the pressure for students to be prepared for their standardized tests.  Unfortunately, teachers can fall into the trap of using technology as an efficient, convenient way to drill specific skill knowledge or “tech” to the test.

       This spring was the first time my school building had to administer state testing wholly online.  There was a big push to give students ample time to practice with this format.  Our computer lab calendars had solid schedules and there was some rejoicing about how much students were using technology.  But why were students going to the lab?  They were not using the G-suite or writing blog posts, or even conducting research.  They were practicing for a one-time test.  They were learning how to show the work they’d once done on paper in a neater, more streamlined online format.  Pearson, a popular standardized testing vendor, boasts on their site that teachers can “leverage digital learning,” through their software by allowing students to use their devices to take notes and use flashcards.  Teachers and students were note taking and using flashcards long before any major technological advances.  Technology is certainly convenient, but if it is used merely to make the age-old tasks more efficient, then educators are lying to themselves about “building 21^st century skills.”  Repeatedly performing the same tasks (with or without technology) is not preparing students for the fast-paced, ever-changing work environments most of them will see in the future.

       In a world where students can use technology at home to deeply explore their various interests and can have their opinions heard by contributing to feeds, forums, wikis, and other social spaces, opportunities for voice and choice are diminishing in some schools.  Teachers are so pressured to prepare students to preform well on standardized tests, that creative endeavors are forgone for additional test prep.  I spoke with two Randolph Central (school corporation in East-Central Indiana) teachers, who both expressed a desire to give students more time and space to use their devices for more personal, innovative projects.  Mr. Yankey, a high school Algebra teacher, explained the various resources he makes available to his students for daily math practice and the re-teaching of concepts.  He said that in the past he’s had students share learning via blog posts, tweets and videos, but he has “not had a chance” to do much in the “innovative realm,” yet this year.  Fifth grade teacher Ms. Kelley also lamented the all-consuming dominance that test preparation has over her class.  She said that her students use iPads on a daily basis, but almost solely for practice.  Their “choice” is found in which practice app they want to use that day.  Ms. Kelley told me about some of the projects she would like to do with her students (creating book trailers, presenting “become and expert” projects), but stated that there’s not enough time.

Having devices with Web 2.0 access should contribute to more “dynamic learning” in our schools.  Dynamic learning refers to students actively participating in their learning beyond the literal and figurative confines of school.  Writer Kasey Bell discusses this topic further in post for The Shake Up Learning Blog, "How to Push the Boundaries of School with Dynamic Learning".  She writes, “We have to move past the idea of doing old things with new tools and truly make the most of what this wonderful 21^st-Century world has to offer.”