Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology

Things I need to rethink:

-school does not equal learning:  many things can be learned in school but learning does not take place by virtue of simply being there.  Teachers have to do more than present facts.  Teachers need to develop means to motive students to learn.  Technology can help with that task.  If students are not motivated, all they will learn is how to get through without getting anything out of school.  Yet at the same time, I can not let students get so far off track that they spend time in areas that will serve them no purpose later on in school or life.

-classical training vs progressive education:  I have a great appreciation for the broad based education I experienced.  I find it useful to know a fair amount about many subjects rather than a lot about only one or two.  I have to reconsider what will be useful to my students when they reach adulthood.  As society progresses and changes, I need to do what I can to make sure that my students will thrive when they leave my classroom.

-routine jobs replaced by jobs emphasizing collaboration, communication & knowledge processing skills:  The landscape of the workforce has changed and therefore the way future workers are trained needs to change also.  As mentioned in a previous post, technology is everywhere from corporate America right down to the blue collar manufacturing jobs.  If upward career mobility is the desire, it starts with the right education and training.

-my goals vs my students’ goals:  I have to take myself out of the equation.  This is not my education; it is my students’.  I need to remember to look at everything from their perspective and not my own.  I can certainly draw on my past experiences but I in no way should expect students to replicate them.

-my own fears:  I fear that treasured parts of my education will be lost to students in years to come.  Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology sounds as if certain subjects will become lost to make room for others.  It sounds as if anything that does not have to do with computers will be dropped.  I have to rethink how I can create enthusiasm for my favorite subjects the same way that my teachers inspired me.  With the help of technology, I should be able to excite students the same way I was.