Our children are very adept at using the computer, yet they need to be educated in how to interpret the data accessible on the computer. However, the answer is not always the computer. Children need to be taught how to think critically. They must acquire background knowledge. This comes from conversations at home, in the classroom, and in social situations.
To move forward in the schools, we must improve our professional development so that teachers are abreast with the current technologies. What exactly are the skills that are necessary for the 21st century? We can't teach it if we don't know it.
We also have to get away from teaching to the test, as responding to a multiple choice exam does little to improve a child's creativity and imagination. These two skills will be essential in this century.
The students need to be trained to think so they will be able to adapt to the ever changing work force. The students must be prepared to collaborate with others which will be another essential skill, as we don't even know where the jobs will be.
Who's scared? Any parent such as myself should be scared because the job market right now is horrendous, and we don't know what it will be like in the future when my children graduate from college.
I agree with you that we need to teach students background knowledge and to think critically. However, we can do this via computer work. They can learn to become critical thinkers and gain extensive background knowledge from computers! I feel since most teachers don't require computer work for the their students, students are usually on the internet doing things that don't require critical thinking and gaining background knowledge. I think we just need to shift there gears and point them in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Larry, about teaching the students to think critically. That can be done with or without the computer. However, if we do it without the computer, I think we will lose interest of a large number of our students.
ReplyDeleteWe can focus on teaching the "transferrable" skills using the tools we have available - if one tool is a computer, or a search engine, or a computer game, then let's use it! That is what today's children are used to.
You couldn't have put it any clearer. Just as in Friedman's "The World is Flat", we must teach our children to learn. Critical thinking is essential in this ever-changing technological society. We have many upcoming thinkers in our society, we just need to teach them how to think after we ourselves learn.
ReplyDeleteI quote you "We can't teach it if we don't know it". I think too many people that are in charge are assuming that we know everything and somehow we are minute by minute are up to date with the latest technology. I have had too many useless workshops already it is time to plan and sign up for some Web 4.0 workshops.
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