This piece from the prolific Michael Wesch came to me by way of D’Arcy Norman.
We don’t have to tear the walls down. We just have to stop pretending that the walls separate us from the world, and begin working with students in the pursuit of answers to real and relevant questions.
Digital Ethnography » Blog Archive » Revisiting “A Vision of Students Today”.
You’ll find some common themes in that essay. It’s worth a full read.
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:54 PM
The video that was in the essay was very interesting. We really have to re-think the way we are teaching. We should focus on teaching students how to be problem solvers and not on memorizing content. At the beginning of the year, My superintendent showed all the teachers in the district a video similar to this. It said that we need to be preparing students to solve problems that do not even exist yet
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:31 PM
How does that translate into an elementary classroom? When do we stop teaching students how to learn by giving them tools and start teaching them to think and problem solve? We rush through each educational day trying to cover the content….kids don’t have a chance to really think about the issues we raise….how do we get off the hamster wheel and do our kids justice?
October 24th, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Sorry, I have spent the last 1 1/2 hours exploring this story and parent site. I love this. The video should be an eye opener for educators and encourage them to be innovative. We can’t keep teaching the same stuff in the same old ways. The article gave me a glimpse into the life and mind of a truly concerned teacher. I thought the different perspectives brought out by the teacher and the TAs were exactly what many of us need to hear. Even in times when we think we are effective, this may be a deceptive view because more and more of our students are playing the “getting by” game.
The World Simulation Project is definitely worth your time to check out. It goes back to the key points of learning–engagement through active involvement and important real world application. That is definitely a class that I would love to check out just for the fun of it. Oops. Did I just say class and fun in the same sentence. Point made.
October 26th, 2008 at 1:18 PM
This story was really identifies some of the issues we have been discussing. Technology can be an answer for teachers, but it has to be utilized in a way that is relevant to the students. Students are taught to do just enough to pass. Those students who are interested in learning, many times are not meet with an atmosphere that fosters learning. The article mentions a student “overthinking” a question. It is a shame that overthinking is not required in many classes. Students are not asked to think. We can use what they love, technology, and challenge them to think. As he said, the real world is a part of the classroom now. We have to embrace that and adapt.