Week 3 Blog Video "Did You Know"

Skills for success defined by potential employers:

Creative problem solving

Critical and analytical thinking

Information gathering, evaluation and synthesis

Collaborative communication skills

People skills

“New report urges US schools to create 21^st century environments in classrooms”. This is reported in the youtube video "Did You Know" .  I think that this is true, but then funding (federal and local) is cut from education in order to “balance” the budget.  I heard someone say recently that we were making our children bear the burden of our financial inadequacies on their backs.  Statistics everywhere cite that there are all these amazing test scores earned by students in other countries.  Often they blame the teachers or the school systems, etc.  I think that it is neither.  I think that our students are not paying attention because we are not capturing their attention by getting through to them through the portals THEY use.  As this video states, most schools have policies that prohibit social networking yet it has been said that students spend more time on facebook than they spend in front of the TV.  

I wonder why that is… I mean there were initial concerns that students would engage in dangerous behaviors through facebook and other social networking sites but the truth is, if these same students are spending as much time on facebook as is reported, then how could it be that using a social network in a controlled educational environment be any worse.  It would, in fact, be better because then, at least, we can teach the students how to behave responsibly with their technology.

“One of the things we need to change in our schools in the attitude that success comes easily”.  This is the biggest thing that I have noticed in my teaching is that, often times, students feel that spending the minimal amount of time on school work should still earn them a high grade.  When they get projects that require them to really think outside the box, they are often angry or choose not to do the project.  Many of my students would opt to fail, given a challenge.  Any time something is not easy to get on the first try, they become frustrated and give up.  I sometimes (when I am frustrated but comfortable with my students) I use this drinking analogy.  I am sure it is probably one that would get me in trouble of some sort but it seems to be the most useful.  I say to them, how many of you “tried” drinking at a young age… either sipping your mom’s glass of wine at Thanksgiving or something like that?  Most of them raise their hands.  I say.. And the first time you try it, you probably wrinkled up your nose and thought the taste was totally gross.  Why is it, then, that among college students there is such a problem with binge drinking?  They usually answer “because it is cool to party” or something like that.  Then I ask them, if that terrible taste of alcohol is something you are willing to try and try again until you like it or you are addicted, no matter what the bad consequences are, why is it that you are unwilling to try hard at learning something or understanding something if it doesn’t come easy right away?  Why is it easier to develop a habit of excessive drinking as opposed to the pursuit of passion in something?  What does this say about our culture?

So, I believe the problem is inherent in our culture.  We really are a "Fast Food Nation".  It isn't good or bad, really... it just is what it is.  But.. if we ignore that and insist on doing things the old way, we will fail.  We are not Asian or European.  We have a unique culture of our own and, despite its inadequacies, it is a rich culture of people who are independent minded and technologically advanced.  We have a desire to have lots of fun and socialize and use our technological resources to make things easier but then we take those technological tools away in the classroom.  We can’t compete.