We (schools and teachers) are doing a great job preparing students for a job and life in 1956. In other words we are not keeping up with the rapid changes of the world. We continue to do things the way we always have, but students have changed quit a bit in the last 30 years -
Part of his shock and awe approach is to outline how quickly technology is advancing, he sites "Moore's Law" a well known theory that states computing power doubles every 18 months and the cost is reduced by 50%. This theory has proven to be more or less true for the last 40 years or so. If this pattern continues, and there is no reason to think that it will not, the implications are huge - computers or devices that are 100 of times faster then anything now for a fraction of the cost.
He went on to talk a little about nano technology and bio technology and some recent advances in both of these fields. All the while making the point - are schools ready? Are students going to be ready?
One other interesting topic that Ian presented was the concept of Exponential growth and how learning occurs this way - yet schools continue to provide a linear education.
Study: Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica
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3 comments:
Well, first of all I love the title of your blog. Superb.
Second, I've been reading blogs (and blogging) for a long time now and really find the light writing on a black background to be hard on my aging eyes. You might reconsider your color scheme with that in mind.
And, of course, you are welcome to visit my blog. Which currently features a major rant against Comcast.
I saw ian Jukes at the NBOA Annual Meeting in February - pretty interesting guy! After he gave his main presentation, he conducted a smaller session in which he talked about how to use tech dollars most efficiently.....just what I wanted to hear!
John,
First, thanks for going public! I hope to follow your brave example one day soon.
Second, I am interested in the idea of "exponential growth" in learning. What would a school look liked that fostered exponential and not linear growth? My guess is that this has something to do with authentic opportunities for learning. Chris Lehman of Science Leadership Academy says, "What would it mean if schools were real life, and not preparation for real life?" By giving students the opportunity to engage with real problems, just like the ones we face as adults, I imagine we would be feeding exponential growth. Is this what Jukes was talking about?
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