I think we all need to ask ourselves WHY?

“We are preparing students for a future that we cannot yet imagine.”  (ISTE.ORG) 

As educators we have a responsibility to best prepare our students for their future, not ours.  I think back to the time I was in elementary school and wonder how different my experience would have been, if my teachers had embraced the mindset that 'they were preparing students for a world different from what they knew'.  Would we have ditched the weekly geography quizzes? Because who really benefits from memorizing every country and state capital of the world?  Would academic achievement be defined differently? How would the school environment look?

Every child reaches a milestone in development when they begin to ask why?  Often times it is because they have begun to find their voice and realize they aren’t prepared to do something, just because the answer is ‘because’.  I think it is time to revisit some of those “why” questions.  Why are we learning this...[fill in the blank]?  Why does it matter?  Why is the sky blue? Why is the education system stuck in the past, when the rest of the world has moved far beyond into the future?

I think asking some important “why” questions, is the key to embracing the theory of Connectivism in education.  The theory is “driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations.  New information is continually being acquired and the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital." (Siemens, 2004) Furthermore, it provides “insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era”.  (Siemens, 2004)  Let's ditch the state capital cram sessions and teach in accordance with the world our students are growing up in.

I like to think of the theory as a spider web.  The individual (spider) at the center, surrounded by a growing network or knowledge development (web).  Some network connections are stronger than others, but regardless, the web is characterized by its ability to grow and adapt.  

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By embracing Connectivism and implementing the ISTE Standards we are better preparing our students for their future.  The investment will be a big undertaking but ultimately worth it for the future of education and our students!