What’s Up With The Classroom?
An excerpt from my essay on the New Student & the need to update learning environments:
As technology infiltrates our daily lives the world around us adapts to meet our new needs. For a case in point, let us look how our automobiles have been transformed by emerging technological trends. Car makers have made auxiliary jacks for iPods and other electronic peripherals standard in most vehicles. Our stereos now recognize data discs of .mp3’s. Retailers and rental car companies now offer us the massive grid of satellites and explicit, clearly-spoken turn-by-turn directions of G.P.S. navigation units. Chrysler and Cadillac now offer wireless internet access as an option in their luxurious car models while Avis Rent-a-Car has made available a portable version of an internet “hot spot” as an option for their cars. The auto industry seems to shift easily with the market’s demand and, for the sake of their image, their profits and our convenience, is forefront at integrating technology into their products. And they are certainly not an anomaly. The majority of our world seems to be following suit.The traditional childhood classroom is one such example of an institution resisting technological change. It has remained, for the most part, unaltered for the last 100 years (David, 1990). As students engage in the practical and entertaining daily functions of the technological world around them, their formal education inside the classroom exists separately. The wave of technology that has swept our daily lives has passed over our formal learning environments to create an estrangement between schools and the students they hope to serve (Strommen, 1992). If the aim of childhood education is to equip students with the means for success in the future, how can classrooms steeped in the structures of the past succeed?
Although he’s a bit of a negative Nelly, this soap-boxer has some good ideas but who’s got the budget?
There are 1 Comments to "What’s Up With The Classroom?"
“Who’s got the budget?” is a very valid question. Our support and funding for education says quite a bit about our values as a nation. It’s nice to see our current administration making education more of a priority, but I still believe we could and should do more.
I think it’s also interesting to examine the purpose of schooling over the years in the U.S. Initially, the purpose of school was the create good citizens. Then, the model moved to preparing students for the workforce. Currently, we are failing on both counts! The lack of digital technology integration in classrooms is surely putting our students at a disadvantage in the job market. And as for good citizens? Our country can barely get out to vote ONE DAY A YEAR. I will now step down from my political soapbox ;-)
Great post!