From Product to Practice...

Products to Practices 

It's an exciting time to be a teacher, when students can acquire information instantly, but this poses a challenge to us as professionals to push our thinking about teaching learning beyond a practice of collecting information.  We need to identify our own points of origin so that we can push our skills to provide kids opportunities to apply thinking and actually show what they can do in meaningful ways. 

When I recently visit Bryant University with my son, the President matter-of-factly stated, "Information doesn't equal knowledge," followed by his thoughts on developing competencies to measure innovation, including the 4 C's, tolerance for failure, and grit.  I was hooked, and wanted to enroll myself.  Information doesn't equal knowledge- it makes perfect sense.  How can we find innovative ways of asking our students to apply their thinking and demonstrate learning, rather than counting how much they've collected? 

It made me examine how often I ask students to collect information rather than demonstrate understanding.  While we can acquire content and facts about anything at any time, the devices and the tech tools we use most don't naturally deliver the skills to collaborate, create, or even persevere.  These are not technology skills, they are critical learning skills.  That's why it's so important to consider the shift from product to practice.  In the right hands, and with the right focus, these same devices can be used to enable the development of critical thinking, collaboration and even tolerance for failure.   

As we collect more and more devices in our classrooms, we are allowing for instant information-collection, but what about application and understanding?  That's why project and performance-based learning can be effective assessment methods. We can look beyond counting what students know to see what that they are able to do.  In this way, we can see the potential to measure thinking and creativity through the meaningful integration of technology or devices as a means to achieve.

Mindful integration of digital learning tools can support these skills if there is purpose and planning that reflects and respects the practice rather than the product.  Seesaw is a great example, as it literally allows students to archive, narrate and reflect upon their own learning practices and curate a portfolio of their creations.

Integration of meaningful technology can be a game-changer, and may just create the lane for students' success. We see that ISTE's standards for students are all about learning, about practices, not about the stuff.  We've always said "It's the process, not product," or "It's the journey, not the destination."  Of course, a cool robot or flashy stack of ipads will catch the eye, and for many teachers, the stuff (whether it's a device, and app, or tech integration strategy) is often the activator that ignites their journey.  If that stuff is entry point, the on-ramp, don't let it be road to nowhere.  Let it mark the beginning of a process, spark an idea, or redesign an existing lesson. Let the tools and devices create opportunities for students to show what they know and are able to do in innovative ways. Focus on the learning, not the tool, and the shift from product to practice is on!