One of the initiatives my school has been focused on is helping students be the creators of content rather than simply consuming content. I have been supporting teachers throughout the middle school and high school as students work on classroom projects involving student produced blog posts, websites, videos, and podcasts. When focusing on these types of classroom projects teachers need to shift their thinking for how to leverage technology in the classroom.

Catlin Tucker discusses this shift in her blog post Using Computers in the Classroom: Shifting from Consumption to Creation:

Computers can be powerful tools for play, exploration, experimentation, design, invention, and creation. Students should be encouraged to learn playfully using computers as creative tools.

Computers are a powerful tool students can use to create projects they can’t using analog tools. Digital tools like Google VR Tour, podcasts, or video allow students to demonstrate their understanding and their creativity in new and powerful ways. These digital tools also allow for synchronous and asynchronous collaboration between students, as well as the ability to share their projects with a larger audience.

While diagnostic tools are powerful because they provide students with personalized feedback teachers need to begin shifting their focus on how to allow new opportunities with technology in their classroom.

Source: Catlin Tucker

Picture: Kidaha / Pixabay