Thoughts from Week Three - Ch. 5

It was an interesting discussion this week, as the focus of the chapter was education.

• Students, even as young as 5th grade, as wanting a different type of educational model.
• Even if technology is in the classroom, that doesn't mean that it is being used well. (Requires teachers to be life-long learners.)
• Good examples from the book
  • Post-Gutenberg example
  • Papert quote about time spent in classrooms
  • Quote about how schools should be places to learn, not to teach
• Shifts in perspective (from teacher-centric to student-centric) requires an attitude shift, including acceptance of change and willingness to take risks. (Mentoring programs might be useful.)
• Involve students in the learning process
  • Example: 3rd grade wikis--parents sign the permission form as "web publishing" and parents are encouraged to join to comment on the students' work
  • Collaboration sites: classblogmeister and gaggle
• If the focus is on the student as a "customer," then should we gear our product to what they want?
  • Teach the students to think and the test scores will take care of themselves
• After a discussion on what Internet sites and tools are banned in certain schools...What would you do differently if all websites were unblocked?  What is the barrier preventing educators from doing dynamic things?  Is is mind-set, situation, or tradition?
  • Get many involved (K-College collaboration)
  • Learn to use old tools in new ways
  • Use new tools and encourage new perscpectives
  • Shift to an "all of us are learners" perspective.  Say to the students that "I don't have all the answers, but I can teach you how to find the answers that you want to know or need to know."
  • Use inquiry as a tool.
• Net Gen example:  a 9 year old who created a program called "Doodle Kids" in an effort to keep his little sisters occupied.
• Play is undervalued--it helps develop problem-solving skills.
• What's the tipping point?
  • Time and support
  • Encourage risk-taking
  • Celebrate baby steps

Chapters 6 and 7 will be discussed next week.