10 days as a single parent - Day 3
Well the bike wasn’t a winner but nobody’s a loser at school these days so I guess we did ok. Right?
So her favourite subject at school is apparently computers. What they do in computers is hard to tell though. She says they play games. I hope they do more than that. On one half you have a generation of children growing up in the most connected world ever experienced and children whose instincts are naturally inclined to use technology, but on the other half you have an education system that relegates technology and computers to a single subject where the students simply play set educational games. Why the educational system is so threatened by technology, I don’t know. You would think that the schools would embrace technology and the doors it opens for students.
Personally, I would like to see schools open up technology options to help students learn in ways that best suit them rather than the autocratic manner classes are currently run. With so many videos, infographics, essays or interactive diagrams available on any one subject, students could find what ever works best for them, rather than what ever is easiest or best suits their teacher.
My mother is a high school teacher and I have a constant battle to try and encourage her to use twitter to help her receive new information related to her classes. While I don’t think she is anti technology, I think she is afraid of information overload, even if the information will be beneficial to her classes. I think this is probably a concern for most people and a major reason why so many people turn away from the opportunities technology can open, hence the need for an understanding of how best to filter information will need to be at the core of any technological push.
Perhaps this is where schools should begin?
