The article, Our Brains Extended, by Marc Prensky could be considered a controversial article about the future of education. There is no doubt that the nature of education is changing as our world becomes more technological. The question then becomes, how can we re-think our curriculum for the 21st century, combining human strengths and technological strengths?
Education must incorporate technology. We need to teach students how to use the technology in a productive and healthy way so that they are prepared for their future. Technology can be a great tool. It excites and motivates students, and can help them see a concept in a new and meaningful way. It is critical that we teach students how to find reliable information and use discernment on the web. We also need to educate parents as to how to monitor and guide their child’s use of technology.
It is important for teachers to continue to teach students how to think critically. Since information is so quickly accessible on the web, there may be a tendency among students to give up quickly when a challenge arises. As teachers, we need to help students overcome this by encouraging them to “dig deeper” and preserve through a challenging task.
Technology definitely needs to be included in our classrooms today. Project learning is a great way to incorporate technology, social skills, and critical thinking. Students should be actively thinking about the world around them and ways to improve it. One way we as teachers can encourage them to do this through project learning. As our world continues to become more technological, educators cannot live in denial. We need to embrace some changes, but hold onto some of the traditional values of education.
Betsy I have the same feelings and thoughts that you do. Technology is without a doubt a great tool to use in the classroom and the students need to learn how to use it but we still need to teach them and hold onto the traditional values! It's all about the balance!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely that there are so many ways to incorporate technology into our classrooms and throughout the curriculum but it is up to the teacher to facilitate that experience. Educating parents and students will only benefit the experience for all. In addition, project learning is a great way to implement technology. There are so many resources out there to access, we just need to make sure not to lose the critical thinking elements of discussion and exploration.
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