Learning Manifesto

       Rudy Kipling said, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” History for too long has been taught by memorizing dates and events, and as a result, people often do not find an interest in studying history until they are much older and are able to read books that tell the detailed, complicated and utterly fascinating stories about these dates and events. I am passionate about teaching history not only as a story but in a way that allows ALL individuals to see themselves in the story. My purpose as a social studies teacher is not to teach students what to think about events and people of the past but HOW to analyze these stories and make connections with the present. That’s when history comes alive, and real learning takes place. 

       Social Studies classes in schools have experienced a sharp decrease in perceived value since the push for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. As a history teacher for the past 13 years, I have experienced the lack of attention and support because all available resources are spent on raising math and reading scores. However in the last couple of years, Americans of all views have started talking about the importance of teaching history and civics to our young people. A strong civics education doesn’t mean blind patriotism or nationalism but a deep understanding of our history, our government and our individual responsibilities to our communities and country. More resources need to be set aside for a strong civics education so that all of our young people can fully understand and participate in their communities and the political process. This would lead to a more diverse and inclusive political structure that can better represent and serve all Americans. 

       I truly believe that digital learning can transform our practices and schools, and as a result, our learners. We all know the power of the internet in our day to day lives. Don’t know an answer? Look it up on the internet. Don’t know how to do something? Find a youtube video showing a step by step tutorial. Students are constantly creating content on youtube and tik tok in their free time, and digital learning can harness and direct that energy and creativity into significant learning at school. Through digital learning, students can experience authentic learning by easily finding information and working collaboratively to apply it to real world problems. I hope that I can transform not just the learning in social studies classes but in all subjects. Even before the pandemic, I had started using Google Classroom to give students more control over their learning and to provide options depending on the student’s individual needs. I started using a lot of digital interactive games in class, and a lot of students not only enjoyed coming to class everyday but their learning and retention improved as well. Good teachers are constantly looking for ways to improve student learning and with the guidance and support of others who have embraced digital learning, a wave of blended learning will sweep through the school and eventually the district. 

       Our lives are inundated with technology, however digital learning is still mostly used as a simple replacement for pen and paper. The pandemic forced every teacher and professor in America to switch to digital learning for a period of time, and I think most would agree, that it was not done well. Most teachers tried to find ways to copy and paste their worksheets and paper lessons onto a google document or slide, and all educators knew that this type of digital work was going to create easy opportunities for cheating and little learning. Educators are not to blame for the substandard digital lessons during the pandemic because we were thrown into new systems and environments without any preparation. Everyone worked tirelessly to create meaningful, effective lessons during these unpredictable times. However, now that the digital future is here, schools and educators need to put the time and resources into developing and preparing teachers and students for effective digital learning. Digital learning has endless opportunities for growth, but it will never come to fruition if its purpose is merely to replace pen and paper. Imagine if cell phones were solely created to replace the landline phone. Digital learning has the potential to be the revolutionary smart phone we all have today, but in order for this to happen, we must invest now in the resources to prepare our educators and students for this transformation. I know there will be many obstacles in the way, but I truly believe that effective digital learning has the power to create life learners out of every individual, which is the highest aspiration of a good education.

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Goodreads. (n.d.). A quote from Rudyard Kipling, the collected works. Goodreads. Retrieved September 11, 2021, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/44830-if-history-were-taught-in-the-form-of-stories-it.