Marc Prensky has brought forth an interesting point. What is the incentive for students to achieve highly on standardized tests? Do they care? Would I? The answers to these questions may in fact be the keys to growing concerns about modern education. I believe that Prensky's vision of a more exciting and relevant curriculum may just be the spark needed to motivate our current students. Growing up in the information age our students have shorter attention spans and greater access to information that actually interests them. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to truly "rope them in" and utilize whatever we can to stimulate their creativity and energy.
I understand that Prensky's vision is quite radical and may not seem feasible to many. However, I also believe that opposition of this sort is faced by most truly innovative ideas. People generally cling to what they know and fear what they do not understand. I do not know if Prensky's vision can be carried out to completion, but it can easily be the foundation of a new educational philosophy. A philosophy in which students are encouraged to learn about that which they must as well as that which they love.
4 comments:
I enjoyed your comment especially the part that we fear what is not known. As a gifted teacher, I am lucky to create my own curriculum but my actions don't affect the basic skills that are being tested. Am I afraid that if my classroom was a classroom for my students day in and day out, would I have given them the right skills to go to college or did I give them the right skills to seek out their passions? That is a huge burden that any innovative program must bare. I like how energetic you are in your writings.
Like Traci, I too see a passion in your writing. I read a quote once: "To make the impossible happen you have to see the invisible"
As a nation, we have being "doing school" the same way for 70+ years with questionable results.
Something needs to change...it starts with an idea.
I agree that we need to to create a more relevant curriculum that may motivate today's students. Change can be good, it starts with an idea!
the most difficult task at hand here is: how do we take the idea and make the change. We all know that we learn when we are passionate about what we are doing and see the relationship to our everyday lives. As an adult I am passionate about school now because I am doing it everyday and it is an essential tool in helping me gain access to things that I need. It is the same for students. They do not absorb things that are irrelevant to them. We have all seen this in our classrooms. When the topic is interesting and related to what is important to them they grow faster and comprehend the facts. I still agree to an extent with Prensky's idea. Why not try it??
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