21st Century Skills: Collaborative Project

I must admit that I truly enjoyed Kevin Honeycutt's presentation regarding using collaborative techniques in the classroom. He is a witty, insightful, teacher who is passionate about learning and makes one want to dive right in and incorporate his ideas immediately.

We all need to use different tools to help our students become successful. We not only "want them to play the video games, but be able to design them too." If we do not use the technology in our classrooms that our students already know, we are omitting an important aspect of teaching. I agree with Kevin in not trying to fit all children into the same mold. There are so many different ways of learning that this innovative technique can include all levels of students strengths. That way, students become the teachers themselves and it is so much more meaningful to them when they have a stake in their learning. The classrooms are essentially united into one global village, each member taking part and contributing to the success of all.

I thought how this type of teaching tool could be incorporated into a classroom and remembered how students in Global 9 learn the different religions of the Middle East. A different group could be assigned a different religion, using research, primary and secondary sources and a guide to report out to the other groups. They would be able to become "experts" in their field and "teach" the material to the others. Quoting from Gandhi; "You must be the change you want to see in the world" is what I believe that Kevin Honeycutt is trying to tell us all.