EDUCAUSE is a leader in educational technology innovation. Their annual Horizon Report outlines technological trends that are having a current impact on education and forecasts coming trends for which educators, administrators, and stakeholders need to prepare.
However, sometimes applying these new trends to the ELA classroom can be a bit of a stretch. Especially when it seems that most new trends center around the sciences (STEM, STEAM, makerspaces…) So how can this report and others like it have an impact on the English Language Arts classroom? The answer does not always lie in what is taught, but how.
One notable how highlighted in the report is the discussion of a potential shift in the teacher’s role. The Horizon Report (2017) noted that classrooms are shifting away from the educator being the primary focus and more toward students engaging in real-life scenarios where they must make decisions (p. 30). The teacher then becomes a facilitator of learning, pushing students down a path of self discovery and planting the seeds of life-long learning. The educator becomes the resource and guide as students begin to ask questions and seek answers on their own.
So, how does this apply to the ELA classroom? One way is through student choice. For example: While the need for research skills will never go away, which is the what, the how can be altered. How the students use those research skills vary. It could be through inquiry-based projects, giving students the ability to choose their topics. Or the end of the project could be open ended: Students could choose the method of delivery they think would serve their information best. Now the student is taking ownership and interest as the choice is placed in their hands and not regulated by the teacher. This also helps students develop an understanding of digital citizenship (Horizon Report, 2017, p. 26).
Changing the how changes the ELA classroom. While this example may seem like a subtle shift, it can be a very dynamic change in how students approach their education.
References:
NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2017 K-12 Edition
Jared Pyles 