Rethinking Education: Chapter 2

     One of the main ideas that I took from this chapter, was that schooling should be relevant and should prepare students for the future. I think that technology should definitely be integrated into schooling, but I think that even with technology integration there must be a limit. I do not believe that students should simply be playing video games, (or other interactive gaming technologies) that simulate certain real life situations, throughout the school day. I think that technologies should be integrated but they should not be the only way or method that students are learning from. I think that teachers are vital to a sound education, and I think that some formal methods of teaching are instrumental in preparing students for the future. We must find the middle ground, where technology and formal education can come together to best benefit the students.

     It is interesting to read in this chapter that a learner wants to be in control of what he/she is learning. I never really stopped to think about this before, but this statement is really true. Do you want to learn something that you have no interest in and know that you will never ever use later in life? No! You want to have control of what you learn; You want to learn things that interest you. Nowadays, people can use the internet to learn "just-in-time." If somebody needs to know how to cook lobster or do almost anything, they can look it up online (there is no need to take a class); People can not only look almost anything up online, but they can look things up online when it is relevant to them, when they really need to use the information. Technology also allows people to have things customized to fit their interests and wants.

     One thing that I will take from this chapter and implement in my classroom, is the need for students to reflect. Reflection is so important in school and in life. When we reflect on our progress and our work, we gain perspective on how we are doing and what we need to change. I think that technology really does allow students to reflect more, and I hope to encourage my students to use technology to help them reflect on their learning, their thinking, and their progress. Depending upon which grade I end up teaching, I would like to have the students make their own blog site where they will be able to write out their reflections, similar to what we are doing for this class.