1. It is interesting that Horace Mann, so long ago, described education as what everyone needs to be successful. This relates directly to the issues in education today. Are we providing our students with the necessary skills to thrive in today's world?
2. I never realized that education had faced such a huge transformation earlier in history (from apprenticeship to universal schooling). This parallels the shift we are on the verge of. It does make me hopeful to see that such a transformation occurred before and everyone ended up okay.
3. I thought it was very interesting that the printing press was said to have made material easier to evaluate, challenge, modify, and refine. This is the exact argument being made in favor of bringing technology into education. Funny how history seems to repeat itself!
Are Schools Out Of Sync With The Technology Filled World?
The authors argue that schools must prepare students for a different world today than ever before. Schools will always be a part of student learning but will have a narrower role due to the advent of new technologies that allow new, different venues for learning. Home schooling has become more popular over recent years due to the flexibility allowed. Students generally study for fewer hours a day, allowing them to use the extra time to focus on specific areas that interest them in the extra time. Regular schools generally have no such time to give students to explore on their own. Internet sources for curriculum and support have popped up and technology is easier to implement in a home setting than a school setting. Distance education is also becoming more prevalent, with students participating in online classes and even attending "vitrual high school." Learning centers are becoming an option for and more students. Instead of being home schooled, students go to a learning center to focus on specific knowledge and skills they need. They usually have access to technology at such centers and do not have to worry about issues like bullying that they might have to endure in a regular public school. Although these are examples of why schools are out of sync with the everyday world, perhaps schools can take some of these ideas and build on them. School must find ways to teach the skills students will need in the real world and must, somehow, make it possible for every student to have access to technology to create and innovate. I don't know how that will happen right now but it is at least a goal to keep in mind. High schools, especially, must find ways to engage students so as not to lose them to online learning programs. Perhaps the way to do that is to bring online learning programs into our school systems and create a union between technological and traditional currciculums. If we can do this, we are more likely to have engaged students and create lifelong learners.
Are Schools Out Of Sync With The Technology Filled World?
The authors argue that schools must prepare students for a different world today than ever before. Schools will always be a part of student learning but will have a narrower role due to the advent of new technologies that allow new, different venues for learning. Home schooling has become more popular over recent years due to the flexibility allowed. Students generally study for fewer hours a day, allowing them to use the extra time to focus on specific areas that interest them in the extra time. Regular schools generally have no such time to give students to explore on their own. Internet sources for curriculum and support have popped up and technology is easier to implement in a home setting than a school setting. Distance education is also becoming more prevalent, with students participating in online classes and even attending "vitrual high school." Learning centers are becoming an option for and more students. Instead of being home schooled, students go to a learning center to focus on specific knowledge and skills they need. They usually have access to technology at such centers and do not have to worry about issues like bullying that they might have to endure in a regular public school. Although these are examples of why schools are out of sync with the everyday world, perhaps schools can take some of these ideas and build on them. School must find ways to teach the skills students will need in the real world and must, somehow, make it possible for every student to have access to technology to create and innovate. I don't know how that will happen right now but it is at least a goal to keep in mind. High schools, especially, must find ways to engage students so as not to lose them to online learning programs. Perhaps the way to do that is to bring online learning programs into our school systems and create a union between technological and traditional currciculums. If we can do this, we are more likely to have engaged students and create lifelong learners.
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