Let’s talk about technology and its impacts on society, or rather, how about helping a group of college bound 11th and 12th graders use their scholarship and creativity to make an impact on society. You can help them to acquire the skills they need in order to contribute to the global conversation by syndicating podcasts on the Web! Daniel Pink, author of "A Whole New Mind", argues that the keys to success in the 21st Century are in developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Making podcasts in my class last year showed me that participating in the project unlocked many of these skills in my students.
My students are enrolled in a small urban public school that offers the rigorous IB (International Baccalaureate) education to ALL students. Typically, IB schools are either exclusive private institutions or enclaves of elite education for a select few within larger comprehensive high schools. What is unique about our school is that every student in our highly diverse population is considered a candidate for the prestigious IB Diploma upon admission. My students are enrolled in a higher-level Diploma Program class called Information Technology in a Global Society, a rigorous 2-year course in the study of the impacts of technology on individuals and society. One of the keys to learning is hands-on experience.
How can I teach 21st Century skills without providing access to the tools of production? Last year, when I taught students the skills that allowed them to syndicate podcasts of their research findings, they found their creativity and voice through the use of Creative Commons music and images, free software and free web-based services to complete their projects. The greatest obstacle was equality of access to USB headsets with boom microphones for the actual recordings. Our school had purchased a class set of inexpensive headphone/mic sets a number of years ago and over time, they have broken down after being used by all the technology classes from 7th through 12th grades. It’s time for replacement with an eye towards the kind of durability needed for frequent classroom use. Your kind donation will be used to purchase a class set of headphones with built-in microphone that can be used with any USB-equipped computer. The headsets requested are built as the manufacturer claims: “with kid's health and safety in mind, these are the first headphones designed to combat the spread of head lice in schools.”
Your help will ensure that all my students will have the means to tap into their creativity not only to produce podcasts to report on their research findings, but also to create more sophisticated multi-media presentations that can be shared on the Web with students in all parts of the globe.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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