BP6_2009121_AntiTeaching

Now I am all for change but the question is do we need to integrate technology into the current Education system? Aren’t children being educated and moving on to perform well at their jobs? If the answer is yes, why are so concerned about change? The fact is that current methods of teaching are becoming more and more ineffective every year. I am sure there are a number of articles which states why the education system and current teaching methods are failing and need to change. I have chosen not to cite them in this post because of my own personal experience as a student, teacher and corporate trainer attest to outdated nature of “chalk and talk”. In fact my enrollment and the enrollment of teachers and corporate trainers in Full Sail University, Education, media technology and design course and similar courses attest for the need for change. Micheal Wesch eloquently explains what me and my fellow educators are sensing is going on in the classroom.“ For many (students and teachers alike), education has become a relatively meaningless game of grades rather than an important and meaningful exploration of the world in which we live and co- create” (Welsh 2008).

Sorry but since when the modern school has ever been about exploration? How can you explore sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day? The closest schools have ever come to exploration or exploratory learning is in a science lab and even then you know in the back of your mind the teacher expects a specific answer. To me exploration requires some element of the unknown, the idea that you could possibly find or create something new. In fact I challenge you to look back at you school career, when have you ever gotten a good grade by challenging the established point of view. The fact is every student learns (through exploratory means of course) that you tow the line you get an A if you challenge the status quo you get a C or B (only of the teacher is soft hearted). School is about learning ideas and theories put forth by others. In fact the concept of academic research is based on upholding the status quo don’t all of our references have to be valid, reliable and peer reviewed? May be at the PHD level you are finally considered capable of valid original thought. Why is this a problem? It is, because learning is a personal effort and regurgitating the ideas of others with out experience or exploration (by exploration I don’t mean reading a book or searching the internet I mean )robs the student of the personal nature of education. The reason for this is simple, the education system has to reliable, repeatable and serve the need of the masses, because there are billions of children than need to be educated globally. To successfully change teaching practices and education, we have to change the variables of the situation. As teachers and corporate trainers we only have control over our environment and the methods we use to facilitate learning. In the articles read the authors argue that personal learning environments and Course Management systems can solve the problem of the lack of “significance” in the modern education. The idea of creating a personal learning environment with web 2.0 tools will bring back exploration, creativity, and social interaction during learning. Which interestingly enough, was part of early education systems an example of which is the aboriginal walkabout ceremony. Which means we are using technology to bring back the old ways and I am in fully support of these initiatives.

References

Wesch, M. (2008, October 02). Anti-teaching: confronting the crisis of significance. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/6358393/AntiTeaching-Confronting-the-Crisis-of-Significance

Educase, (2009, May). 7 things you should know about personal learning environments. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7049.pdf