"The C's of Change;" Then and Now

Professional literature in education has always fascinated me. It's the only type of reading that leaves me simultaneously energized and hopeful while also being incredibly jaded and confused, and sometimes, even afraid.

After reading a post by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) "The C's of Change: An Extended Interview with Member of the New Literacies Research Lab," I was struck by the responses and first questions posed within the article: "What are the main differences between 20th century and 21st century education?"

Having received my K-12, undergraduate and graduate education between the years of 1989-2016 (yes, I realize this makes me seem "ancient" to some and "a young whippersnapper" to others), I realize I'm in a unique position to answer this question from personal experience. I can honestly say that the end of my high school career and much of my undergraduate experience was old hat: direct transmission of information from teacher to student, assigned readings with canned questions to answer, and memorization of facts and concepts to complete written exams, only to be forgotten after the next course had begun. Working in a high school now, I see many of these same practices continue, and I genuinely start to worry about the educational experience and skills we're preparing our kids with.

As the article summarizes the changes in types and uses of technology in education, particularly the impact of the internet and digital storyteling tools in building literacy skills in our students, it also points to some sad realizations about technology in education. Perhaps the most sobering response came from University of Connecticut professor, Dr. Donald J. Leu:

"It is an unfortunate fact that there are only minimal differences in classrooms today, compared to classrooms of the previous century. Students continue to be asked to master basic, factual knowledge in the classroom and then are assessed on this knowledge. This, despite the fact that a number of profound differences between the two centuries should have redefined the nature of classroom learning: localization vs. globalization; labor as capital vs. intelligence as capital; information as knowledge to be mastered vs. information as a tool with which to develop new knowledge; and, most importantly, the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs)." (2009)

The question this sparked for me and my fellow educators is that if we've been tasked with changing education from 20th century to 21st century, what changes do we need to start making right away to ensure a successful transition for our students into their new world?