The Education Question.

There is no one single answer, as there is not a single question. I have a number of questions, I have a few answers but until we all recognize the need for answers we will continue to offer an education that does not fit our students.

Video text.

Testing, testing, testing, 1 2 3
Back in October ninth 2004
I asked a question are we entering a dark age of information
There is too much information out there
Students understand how to navigate the net
Teachers who do not know how to navigate the net who do not use the internet
Students who have no one to show them what is good or bad
A system of education which students and teachers do not connect
A result is a dark age of information
Is our school system set up in such a way that as a teacher I stand at the front of the class
And I am going to tell you what is important
And I am going to tell you what you need to be excited about
Because I am really interested in rockets, so I am going to sit there
And I am going to be passionate about rockets
And in science we are going to concentrate a little bit more on rockets
Because that is one of my interests
So that every student who comes out of my class is going to be a very knowledgeable about rockets,
They may not care about rockets because I am the teacher
And I am the one who is giving the information
And you will learn about rockets.
The information you know is exactly the same information that I know.
Follow the rules,
Play the game
Move when the bell rings,
Worry about this society and no other society
Don't have a global view,
Have never been able to see anything other than what is inside the four walls of the school.
They don't come to school for answers
They come to school because our society forces them to.
In school do we do too much hand holding
Do we have a model that a student can step into
And don't have to think about anything
Just have to follow the process
Just have to go through the steps in order to recieve the diploma.
High school is only four years
And if you don't do it in four years
And go to post secondary institution afterwards you are a failure.
We tend to stop a student from thinking outside the box
Do we force them into boxes
Do we stop them from thinking as individuals
Do we force them into the herd
Do we force them to follow a model that will make them just like everyone else
Students learn how to play school
They come to school
They go through the process
Because that is the process that we have set in place
In order for them to be success in society.
What happens when a post secondary degree does not get you a job
We see a need to reform the way we do things
Because we have lost control
We lost that title of being the sage
Of having the answers to all the questions
We don't own that title anymore
That title has been given to Google
Not a person a technology
That scares us as teachers
Do we find that we spend most of our days as teachers explaining information to the students
That they can get in a seconds notice on the internet
They don't need us to tell them the content
They need us to show them how to find the answers
There is so much information out there
That there is not way in a million years
We could teach everything that is out there
It is very important that we give them the tools to be successful
Do they need to be taught how to learn
Do we want to create life long learners
Do we want to create people who think outside the box
Do we want to create people that are problem solvers
Do we want to create people who have the ability to go out there
And do what they need to do to be successful
And technology is a part of life, technology,
The internet is part of our society
And our schools have not recognized the fact
That it is such a major part of our teenagers lives
That we need to educate them in order to make sure
That they are safe
And to make sure they have an effective understand of how to use the internet

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Education
• reform
• darren
• cannell
• cyber
• school
• elearning

[dcannell]

@anderscj I believe that is true. But I think school can do a better job teaching the skills needed to be a greater lifelong learner. I think the factory school system has a role until someone decides what it is that they would like to learn, then we need to be able to recognize this and the school system then needs to change to a support system.

[anderscj]

Aren't all people "lifelong learners" by human nature with or without school?

[dcannell]

@anderscj another question I will add to the list...creating a student for student sake is a need in post secondary but not a path all high school age people need to take...life long learners is a goal, so does that mean life long student?

[anderscj]

Do we, or should we, think in terms of "creating students?"