Creating a Digital Classroom...

The theme of this chapter is "Change." If we are to create a digital classroom, we are going to have to change what we think of a classroom as being. With the wealth of knowledge and constant information on the web, textbooks will become obsolete. With this onslaught of information, comes the necessity to be able to differentiate between what is true on the web and what is opinion. These are skills that must be taught. At what point do we begin teaching the necessary skills? When are they ready to see some of the stuff the web has to offer, both good and bad?

Another theme is shifting what we are doing now to more digital learning. Collaboration in all aspects of a child's education including collaborative problem-solving will need to become the norm instead of the exception. Teachers will need to acknowledge that they are learners along side their students and that no one person holds all the answers. One aspect the book did not address is the shift in parent perception. Demonstrating for parents that this way of learning/ collaborating is preparing their students for the real world is essential in the success of a digital classroom. This also seeps into the way we currently test our students. Why do we continue to test them in a way that tests minute facts and rote memorization? If we truly do move to a digital classroom, how is the state assessment data going to reflect the skills our students are learning?

The power that digital citizenship gives each individual is enormous. The ability to add one's thoughts to blogs and wikis and take part in the construction of shared documents wields great power. It is in the teaching of our students that the power is used appropriately or inappropriately.

This chapter pretty much just scared me to death. It is a tall order with many ramifications.