Running head: TEACHING FOR THE REAL WORLD 1

Teaching for the Real World: Incorporating Relevant Topics and Technology

Kyle Webb

University of Regina
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Teaching for the Real World: Incorporating Relevant Topics and Technology

Just over a year ago I decided I wanted to pursue a career in education. Since then, many

people have asked me why I wanted to become a teacher. At first, I was not entirely sure why I

wanted to. I would tell them that I wanted to make a difference, to work with children, to have

as many holidays as possible, and to be able coach sports. Don’t get me wrong, those are all

things that still motivate me to become a teacher. However, now I attribute my desire to teach to

something much different: I want to be a better teacher than my teachers ever were. My

teachers were behind in the times and did not always have the passion and enthusiasm I hoped

for. I do not feel that they prepared me to live in the world of today. I can barely apply anything

I learned in school to the real world and I am very inadequate when it comes to using

technology. My students will not suffer through an education experience similar to mine. I will

be a better teacher by using relevant, real-world problems and examples and I will incorporate

the incredible tools of technology that are at my disposal.

For me, the most difficult aspect of school was applying what I was learning to the world

I was living in. Whenever a classmate of mine asked “Why are we learning this?” we typically

got a response similar to “because it will be on your exam”. What motivation is there for

students to retain knowledge if the only reason they are learning is because it will be on their

exam? Students do not want to learn what will be on their exam, they want to know how it

connects to their lives in the “real world” (Burden, 2000). If a teacher can illustrate a purpose to

a particular lesson, the students are more likely to dig deeper and expand their interest in the

subject matter (Curtis, 2001). Eventually, using this approach will encourage students to make

connections to other lessons they have learned and apply a greater amount of knowledge when

trying to solve a problem (Curtis, 2001).

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This lack of real world applications will be addressed when I begin to teach. If I can give

my students reasons to learn, they will retain their knowledge rather than dismissing it

immediately after their exam (Curtis, 2001). I will give my students the framework to apply

everything they learn within the walls of my classroom to the vast world outside of those walls.

I want my students to be able to do more than pass the final exam; I want them to connect their

classroom experiences to their real-world experiences (Linking the real world, 2002). It makes

sense to say that “lessons related to real issues in a community have greater meaning to students

than textbook ones” (Linking the real world, 2002, para. 17). When students can build on their

education outside of class, school will feel like less of a chore and will be more exciting.

Learning will become an everyday practice when students can start applying their school

knowledge outside of school.

Having real life applications to schoolwork will unquestionably motivate students to

learn. Elliot Solloway, a University of Michigan professor, suggests that motivation can also be

increased when technology is implemented into lessons (Kiedrowski, Smale, & Gounko, 2009).

Tools like the internet can be used to link students to the real world (Linking the real world,

2002). These tools make teaching more effective and interesting by better illustrating concepts

and help appeal to the imagination and creative minds of students.

Technology is a bigger part of the world than it has ever been in the past. In the 2004-

2005 school year, there was over $7-billion spent on technology in the United States (Leonard &

Leonard, 2006). However, most technology still sits and collects dust (Leonard & Leonard,

2006). When I was a high school student, technology was a large part of my everyday life, but

never a part of my education. Perhaps my teachers weren’t confident or educated well enough

to effectively use the tools available to them. According to Leonard and Leonard, many teachers
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have struggled to advance past the initial stages of using technology and ultimately have

difficulty seeing its potential to boost their teachings (2006).

Some people argue that technology is not needed in education. Some say the best

teachers use very little technology while others argue that it disrupts the classroom environment

(Leonard & Leonard, 2006; Kiedrowsk et al., 2009). This may be true; however, technology is

here to stay and is currently transforming our world (Leonard & Leonard, 2006). Should

education not reflect this worldwide trend? Teachers need to begin finding ways to use

technology for educational gains instead of ignorantly banning it (Kiedrowsk et al., 2009). New

technology needs to be used to its full potential because students will be using it for the rest of

their lives (Leonard & Leonard, 2006). For example, if a student is capable to accurately and

professionally T9 text message a colleague in the future, they will have one more essential

workplace skill than a peer who did not have the opportunity to learn this skill in their education

(Kiedrowsk et al., 2009).

As a teacher, I plan to utilize technology to its full extent. I do not intend for it to

compensate for my shortcomings, but rather for it to complement my abilities. It will be my

responsibility to use technology appropriately and to ensure that my students are educated on

how to use it safely and effectively (Kiedrowsk et al., 2009). In the United States, the Congress’

Office of Technology Assessment believes that integrating technology into classrooms is the

most important step for developing students to live in the future (Leonard & Leonard, 2006). If

a class can be made more exciting through the use of multimedia or projects made more fun with

technology, why not use it to do so? Teachers should be doing everything in their power to

make learning more exciting and interesting for students.

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I do not want my students to have a discouraging education experience like I did. I want

to make their schooling fun, exciting and practical. My students will be prepared to live in the

real world outside the walls of my classroom. By encouraging my students to connect what they

have learned in my class to their real life, they will be better prepared to handle real world

problems on their own. I will give my students the tools to succeed by exposing them to the

incredible technology of the world and encourage them to use it in a safe, effective, and creative

manner for their entire lives. I want to be the teacher who makes school relevant to the real

world.
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References

Burden, P. (2000). Powerful classroom management strategies: motivating students to learn.

Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications Inc.

Curtis, D. (2001, 11 1). Real-World Issues Motivate Students. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from

Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/start-pyramid

Kiedrowski, J., Smale, W., & Gounko, T. (2009). Cellular Phones in Canadian Schools: A Legal

Framework. Education Law Journal , 19 (1), 41-62.

Leonard, L. J., & Leonard, P. E. (2006). Leadership for Technology Integration: Computing the

Reality. Alberta Journal of Educational Research , 52 (4), 212-224.

Linking the real world to the classroom. (2002). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from Teaching

Today: http://www.glencoe.com/ps/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml