Rethinking Education: Preface and Chapter 1

     It is hard for me to think of a time when I did not use the computer, internet, or television; These technologies have always been in my life (at least as far back as I can remember). I grew up with the internet, the same as children now are growing up with iPods, blogs, wikis and other newer technologies. It is so interesting to think of how far we have come just in the last 10 years. I really wonder what the future will be like with even more advances and improvements in technology.

     I feel that it is important that the educational system changes with the times. We cannot expect the students of 2010 to learn in the same way as students of 1970. We must adapt our teaching styles, so that our students are truly benefiting from the educational system. Adapting our teaching styles in 2010 means that we need to connect our lessons with the technology of the day. The hard part in adapting the schooling to fit today's youth is that technology can cost money, and money does not grow on trees. If the money issue can be avoided, perhaps through a donation or a grant, the childrens opportunities for learning are endless. The way I look at it is, if schooling is not helping students to learn and be prepared for the real world, what good is it really? Don't get me wrong, I feel that education is very important, but we need to make sure that our students ARE learning. Just as the job descriptions have changed over the past few years, so must education change so that there are workers capable of handling a job in the future (especially for jobs that have not even been created yet). We need to be properly preparing students for today, not for 1970.

     As a teacher, I hope to stay up-to-date on technology. I hope to use technology in my classroom to help facilitate my lessons and help foster learning. I think that technology is here, and it will continue to be here in the future. If we want our students to be excited about learning, we must make learning exciting by connecting it with their lives. The way that we connect with today's youth is through the use of technology.