School is supposed to be a memorable and enjoyable time, right? I would be lying if I said it isn’t, or in my case, if it wasn’t, because it was. It was extremely enjoyable and full of  many wonderful memories. Like that year we almost made it to sectionals in football, missing the bus for a trip to Montreal, having to do an extra semester because your guidance counselor messed up your schedule and put you in the wrong classes…ok, so not all great memories, but there were plenty of fantastic times had.

Many of my friends, recently after graduating from high-school were always saying things like. “Thank God that is over, I thought high-school would never end” or more accurately, “Oh…..My….God, like….totally glad that is like….finally over”.  Yes, unfortunately that is how my generation has decided to use their words. However, now that we are in the real world, doing adult things, pretending to be responsible in our grown-up jobs, there is not a single one of us that wishes we couldn’t go back and live it over again. Push ourselves harder to get to the playoffs, study harder for those math tests ( We really do use it again, and again, and again), ask Casey to prom, and of course, not miss the bus to Montreal.  Regardless of having a few regrets, overall the memories are good ones.

If you are like me however, and you found it excruciatingly painful to sit through your teachers lectures and instead found yourself catching a few Z’s while they discussed the Brill-Noether theory, some of the more important things  seemed to have completely stepped out from what’s between your ears. I won’t lie, I was not the best student. I would say that I was an average student at best. I found it harder to pay attention in class than I find it harder to not watch old re-runs of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. That NeNe is just too sassy to not watch! The truth is that it is very hard for most students to sit down for 45 to 60 minutes and listen to their teacher spew off some boring facts that they have no interest in. Kids nowadays are all about social interaction and that needs to be carried over into the classroom.

Students should be able to interact with one another on the subject that they are learning. Now, I had said that kids are all about social interaction, while that is true when it comes to their mobile devices, it is not true when it comes to face-to face conversations. According to CBS news, the average age that children are getting their first cellphone is 14! That is crazy! I was nearly 20 before I got my first cell phone and when I did, Tom was still everybody’s friend and there was no such thing as a Smart Phone. No wonder my cousin communicates with me via text…while we are in the same room…By getting students more involved with each other in schools, we are preparing them for their future careers and place in this world. I would hate to think what this place might be like if no one can even look another person in the eye and say that friendly word, “Hello”, but instead send out a mass text o everyone they just passed saying, “G2CU”. That’s, good to see you, for those non-tweens out there.

My point is this, I know from my own experience that when I got thrown into an interview with a bunch of real adults for a real adult job, I nearly froze and almost forgot who I even was. With a better connected classroom that had the ability to allow me to interact with my peers, I may have been a better conversationalist, and maybe, just maybe I could have gotten that grown-up job. Unfortunately, like so many others, my school did not have an interactive environment for students and student collaboration was something that I rarely was able to experience. Today can be a different story though. There are so many wonderful new educational products available for schools and higher-ed facilities that can make it easy for students to interact in class. Student collaboration will also allow teachers to be more hands-on with their kids and give greater attention to those that need that extra nudge. What is also so great about student collaboration is that it puts students in the teachers chair too. It gives those who excel in certain areas the ability to help their peers in a way that teachers might not be able to communicate. 

Companies like Smith-System are creating wonderful ways of getting students more involved in the classroom. From height adjustable tables, which allow for increased blood flow throughout the body and increases awareness, to movable desk that get the kids working together. Check out their video on some of their products.

 

 

Also, read this article by edutopia.com for more info on student collaboration.

http://www.edutopia.org/stw-collaborative-learning-college-prep