While I believe technology has led to some of our problems in education and society I am keenly aware that this is not a "fad" that is going to disappear anytime soon. It has it benefits and pitfalls though. Technology lets students reach far beyond any avenue they can receive in the classroom and learn about anything their heart desires, yet at the same time technology is intrusive, invasive, dangerous and has led to a digital society that is so "connected" they cannot function without some technological contraption.
Wesch states that the education system is in a tug of war between the Traditionalists and the Progressives. One is content centered the other student centered with an emphasis on teaching relevant issues. I say we can and must co-exist together. I know students are wired differently today, but there is alot to be said for the way things have been taught in the past. I was taught by traditionalists and I turned out very well. I take into account that students today want relevance to themselves. Its very important to see how things, people, events will affect them directly. I get it! I also know that life doesn't always revolve around them and they need to have some knowledge about aspects of history, sciene, math, ect.. I know we can peacefully exist together,
What I found very interesting about Wesch's article is that educational reform has been around for decades. We should blame the Russians for all the educational "reform" by "experts". If they hadn't launched into space first, who knows where would be now. I think the scientists had it right, the educational system needs to teach students how to think, look where we are in 2012, we have students who do not know how to think, or create or disect information, because it is all done for them by a machine. The one thing that I agree with is the lack of creativity within the classrooms today. Unfortunatley, due to standardized testing, we do not have the time or ability to let the students experiment or explore, because instead of trying to catch up with the Russians in science we are now trying to catch up with the Asians in math, science, technology, ect., Funny how history repeats itself.
It is interesting to read Wesch's article and discover that educational "revolutions" happened in the US when our society experienced something significant. The Russians beating us into space- lets focus on teaching kids how to think; the Vietnam War - students "buck the system" and want more control over what they are learning; the economic depression of the 1970's- educational budget and growth towards progress is greatly hindered; US lags behind most of the industrialized nations of the world-lets focus on math, science and how to write. Is it working yet?
We can incorporate the "back to basics" with the new and improved method. I believe there is room in every classroom for both.
Wesch's youtube video placed a great deal of emphasis on the digital information age and how accessible everything and everyone is, both past and present. This can be a wonderful thing as students and all of us can expore, search, learn about the world around us and we can focus our attention to those subject areas that interest us. However Wesch also points out that the world wide web of information can be just as intrusive, invasive, harmful and unethical. It can also become a very dangerous tool in the hands of the inexperienced or the diabolical.
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