In this first episode of REALity Check, we (Jen, Rachel, Vic and I) started things off with a reflective discussion about how students are asked to “create” has evolved over the past 20+ years. The things we are asking our students to create now is so much different from what we were asked to do as students or what we asked our students to create early in our teaching careers. With our increased access to research on how the brain works and how students learn, the evolution and availability of technology, and the call from businesses for workers that are more adaptable problem solvers, teachers are being asked to change the way they teach and assess their students.
We felt this discussion was a great start to our new podcast and professional development series because it required us to pause and reflect on the reality of our current teaching practices and think about how and why our practices have changed over the years. We are looking forward to incorporating more of these reflective conversations as we work to learn about ways to prepare students for an ever-changing world.
