The further I go in this course the more arguments I see about our education system being outdated. It was truly made for students of another time. Education should have changed with the introduction of technology. Instead school was left behind and students now have what seems to me almost to be two different lives. Their life, where they get to use technology to communicate/network, to research, compose, and millions of other things. Then they have the life that the government and school systems force on them. The "important" stuff that is forced down their throats, that they are told that matters. Which student don't understand because they have learnt to use technology that can do it ten time faster and easier. Technology that the older generation don't understand and even see as more difficult. Today’s students according to Prensky (2005) are digital natives, that think differently because technology is such a great part of their lives. By using ICTs we are catering for students’ ways of thinking and allowing them to create through a medium they understand.
One argument that comes to mind is "why can't we use a calculator?" And the teacher usually say something like "what if you didn't have a calculator? You need to know how to do this without one". Which is rubbish (and students know it) they carry calculators disguised mobiles in their pockets EVERYWHERE they go. I myself dropped out of math altogether in senior year and I find I never have trouble finding out the answers I need (mathematically) in my daily life. I do how ever realise that my chosen profession doesn't require a high level of maths.
I also remember hearing "students these days just can't spell. Why are they not getting taught how to spell properly in school". Now anyone who knows me knows I am horrible at spelling, but it has never been too much of an problem. I use spell check, proof read many times and then publish. This has actually made me more conscious of what I am writing. It is not fool proof, but I mange.
So now we are left with these learners who are basically faking their way though school. Who do not see the value of what they are learning. I just can't understand why we have not adapted our schools, etc.
Learning Engagement Theory
I really believe this is where our education system should have progressed to be. Students learning all subjects though a collaborative and authentic problem. Students can clearly see how information they are learning will help them in their projects, which they got to chooses to address. Not just the next made up "problem" the teacher creates. This will be something the students care about.
Another good thing about this teaching system is the collaborative approach. Students, in my opinion , always have difficulty working in groups until they get more experience. Students would also defiantly profit from using technology in their group projects. Technology is a fast and effective way to communicate and students would be able to use Wikis for collaborative projects.
Posts
Hi Sylvia
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to comment on what you have said about the education system being outdated. I agree with this, however finally it appears that someone somewhere has taken notice of this. I watch a segment on the national news the other night (Can't remember what channel) about teachers using technology in the classroom. There is a couple of schools trialling e-learning and as well as more use of ICT's and there is an expectancy of this being in all schools with in a couple of years. YAY
Amanda
Hello Sylvia,
ReplyDeleteYour comments relating to an outdated education system and learning engagement theory are echoed in most ways by myself. Being able to spell is now not as important as it used to be many years ago when people used written English to communicate in main stream society. Today, the majority of written text is codified; hence, the focus has been diminished as far as most students are concerned.
While I understand the above, I am also torn between my belief that English still remains a very important part of society. If emphasis was removed from basics of language; then, remifications for the future would be impacted severely. Many students today argue that they use spell checker to correct all of their codified text and rarely write; however, consider for a moment a world without standards. The result is chaos. The issue lies very much in the way that teachers fail to communicate effectively with students of the 21st century. I believe this is where the education system has been outdated.
Standards are critical to the social structures of all societies. English is no more than a set of visual and audio structures forming a communication standard allowing people to understand each other. The application of this standard opperates within an acceptable deviation from this standard. This also accounts for the various dialecs that exist within the same language.
The methodology, reasoning and engagement of learners is not aligned with the percieved needs of students today. The fact is; relevant content, which will include some traditional information, needs to be underpinned by current technologies and research. The reason for Learning Engagement Theory.
In sum, I agree with you that the system is outdated and agree that the answer lies within adapting relevant information to the ways of working in the 21st century.
Kindest regards
Peter Spencer