How Schools Can Cope with the New Technologies
Collins and Halverson identify the “imperatives” that seem to be perpetuating the Knowledge revolution as “customization, interaction, and learner control” (p. 112). However, with our current education system, which desires equality and has thus implemented standards to achieve such goals, we find that the three imperatives are lost in the school setting. Thankfully this chapter is labeled as coping mechanisms for schools rather than issues and problems with the current education system, like the previous chapters. The authors focus on three areas of the education system that are to be addressed, which are “performance-based assessment, new curriculum designs, and new approaches to equity in a digital world” (p. 113).
To start with, Collins and Halverson address performance-based assessment, and they have this weird notion that we should change the school system from the general education requirements to a certification program where parents and students can choose what the student studies and is certified in based off of interests and career goals. I was worried that they wouldn’t address the issue of being young and confused, but thankfully they do realize that this system may be flawed because high school students typically change their minds a lot. I don’t agree with them at all. If I was allowed to choose all of my classes, I would never choose to be certified in anything related to math, science, history, or really anything other than languages. My education would be narrowly focused on languages NOW. During high school, for my electives I took all business classes, I really thought I wanted to be a CEO of a major marketing corporation and I geared myself for the business programs available at the universities, little did I know that shortly after I graduated I would have a huge identity freak out and decide that business wasn’t for me. What if I was only certified in business practices and then changed my mind, thankfully I received a well-rounded education so I could compare and contrast my courses and still get into college with many options available to me. Now, I agree with the idea of using computers for assessment and getting immediate feedback and assistance, but I don’t see how changing our education system has anything to do with the price of tea in china.
Secondly, Collins and Halverson address new curriculum designs. Are these guys smoking something?! I thought the point of this chapter was to mingle the old with new and not to change the entire system. The idea of placing students in curricula based on their goals and interests is ridiculous. How are small school populations suppose to accommodate the individual interests and goals of each student if they’re all different? What about the ever-changing interests of students? The problems they present with their own ideas are critical and crucial points of conflict. I guess in a utopia these ideas are fantastic, but brought to the light of reality, they just seem far-fetched and impractical. On a more realistic note they discuss the idea of introducing video games, simulations, and other technologies in the current curriculums that are difficult areas of instruction and comprehension. By using computer-based visualizations and analysis tools, students are able to relate what they are learning to something with purpose and direction.
Lastly, they briefly address the new approaches to equity in a digital world. Although Collins and Halverson have pointed out again and again that technology has created more inequity amongst the classes in education due to expenses, they insist this can be turned around. By brining technology into impoverished schools, the students can achieve higher levels of education simply by the resources available to them such as tutoring and distance education. This I agree with and I am interested to see what more they have to say in chapter 10 on the problems of equity in education.
I can't change the problem of equity in schools, but I can give my studets a fighting chance by working hard for them and requesting grants/fundraising and even getting the students involved in pursuit of technology for their own benefit.
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