I enjoyed watching Mark Federman’s video and his views on changes in the world and education. Journey through history proves that people of authority resisted the change, until it was actually accepted and promoted by the masses. Oral languages changed, and those changes were seldom accepted “officially”, by the higher authorities. Look at Old Slavonic language… So, put in historical prospective, it’s not surprising that the highest educational institutions are not yet fully embracing the new e-era, nor adjusting their teaching styles to the changes that are inevitable.
Yet, the fact is that “ubiquitous connectivity and pervasive proximity” exists. It’s just up to us to appreciate the fact and take the best of it, or simply try to ignore it, lamenting over the past when we felt quite comfortable with the limited technology. And the fact is that the new generation of kids relies on computers and the Internet, more than on books. Not that they do not use books. They are just naturally looking for easier and faster solutions. Why bother wasting time looking for a word in a dictionary when a word explanation is just a click away? It’s all on-line.
Therefore, today’s education should be about 4 Cs – connections, context, complexity and connotation. It’s a logical next step once you realize that you do not teach “by the book”, and that there is much more you can and you should do to enhance student’s learning and education. Just help them lead the way…and learn something new.
