The End of Education as We Know It
Posted by Amanda Kenuam on Wed, Mar 10, 2010
Last week, I posted a video inspiring educators to incorporate technology in their classrooms. This week, I came across the video below with a similar message, but a slightly different approach. Whether or not you agree or disagree with Dan Brown's approach, his edgy call to action has been effective in opening communication about the future of education in the information age. While Dan's video is focused on higher education, it can serve as a springboard for discussing the future of k-12 schools in the information age.
An Open Letter to Educators by Dan Brown
"Institutional education needs to do more than adopt a few new tools!"
Dan argues that information has been liberated, and as a result, is now free for all to acquire. In the information revolution every enterprise and institution has had to reinvent itself, but what has education successfully and consistently accomplished? He urges, "Institutional education needs to do more than adopt a few new tools." Teaching facts is not adequately preparing students for the real world. He calls for an education that empowers students to be creative and develop new ideas to change the world for the better. He insists that if education does not reinvent itself for today's society, the world will not need it anymore.
Dissenters argue that education is more than finding information on the internet. It should be about synthesizing and applying information in creative and purposeful ways. I think Dan Brown and educators all over the world can agree that we need to continue moving forward to ensure that our students are prepared to meet the challenges of the future with fresh, new ideas.
The question is how can we adequately and timely prepare our schools and teachers for this shift in paradigm? And most importantly, how can we ensure that all students in this nation receive access to this excellent education? What are your schools doing to make learning relevant and empower students in the information age?
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