A Believer in the Future of Internet-Driven Education

John Sowash is a former teacher and school administrator, founder of the Google Certification Academy, and author of The Chromebook Classroom. He inspires educators to use technology to challenge students. Leveraging the power of storytelling and understanding and how to integrate it into the learning process can benefit student engagement. Sowash sees technology as a means of creating and sharing information through storytelling. The 21st-century student has access to a great deal of technology even in their downtime away from school, so to ignore that knowledge base is a disservice to students.

“When students have opportunities to authentically share and display their learning, it’s a lot more motivating. So, rather than having students write essays that get read by the teacher and then go into the trash can, instead ask them to turn essays into podcasts and publish for others to enjoy. We do the same thing with video. Looking at ways to create something and sharing it with the world is one of the most powerful ways to use technology in the classroom,” explains Sowash.

The Lasting Platform

Sowash has been a strong proponent of the Chromebook even during the early stages of the device, but he reiterates it’s the Internet he is betting on. As he declares, “What it all boils down to is I am going all-in on the Internet. I believe that the Internet will be the lasting platform that will transcend time, generations, and tools. The iPads will come and go. Different tools will come and go, but the Internet itself is not a fad. When I say I’m all in on Chromebooks, that’s actually the code word for ‘I’m all in on the Internet.'”

The Strength of the Internet

There is a foundational shift taking place brought on by technology, and education is part of that cultural change. From a philosophical standpoint, there’s an openness to information that is both exciting and challenging. “The Internet eliminates gatekeepers. It eliminates knowledge silos. There’s no Encyclopedia Britannica anymore. Knowledge isn’t contained to a company, a person, or an expert,” adds Sowash. Kids are learning all the time outside the classroom environment. 

As he explains, “You may argue the value of learning video games on Twitch or social communication on Snapchat. But learning happens in very different ways than traditional methods we have experienced in our past.”

Subscribe to edCircuit to stay up to date on all of our shows, podcasts, news, and thought leadership articles.