Come on, Mr. Winkle - Ain't no one got time for that.

I gotta (I know "gotta is not grammatically correct) be honest. I watched the video Mr. Winkle Wakes and I was a little offended, insulted, and demeaned as a teacher... "ain't no one got time for that!" 

I think we as educators take our jobs very seriously and to suggest that we are stuck in the past is largely very judgemental and ill-informed. From my experience in my school district/conference, the administration has recognized that the need to prepare and teach teachers to teach 21st Century Skills has been at the forefront. Hence this very class. 

Speaking from experience, my classroom employs a 1-1 Chromebook policy and my conference has been incredibly monumental in making that happen. They have provided resources and training to ensure that teachers know how to use provided technology.

My classroom may not be like a business place or hospital as Mr. Winkle has experienced but that does not mean that my classroom does not employ the technology that is needed for the classroom. Mr. Winkle experienced the technology that was needed for that situation and place. His story, or the video doesn't examine the technology that was needed in that classroom. I believe that this video grossly underscores what classrooms are really like today.

I believe the bigger issue is not how we use new technology but how we as teachers prepare our students to use, access, and perhaps even develop new technology. If we're thinking of 21st Century Skills teaching skills, then our focus should be on developing students to think creatively, analytically, and systematically solve problems. This I believe is what teachers must endeavour to do. 

Not all classrooms will have the same access to technology but they can have the same access to developing 21st Century Skills.