Purpose of School

This is the beginning of the 21^st century; the future is here.  No longer should education be a process of providing information to students; that information is ubiquitous and free.  There was a time it might have been important for people to memorize facts like state capitals, dates of wars, and all the prepositions.  But, now, I believe that school should helps students use this information to create and think deeply about the information presented. 


For example, in a science class, I believe students should be made aware of the medical names of bones, but instead of just  memorizing the information, they should think at higher levels to create and/or conduct simulations that help them to understand how these bones work and/or work together. For instance, the webiste Edheads provides simulations of hip replacement, car crashes, and other simulations that allow deeper thinking and understanding.    


 Additionally, schools should be guiding students in an educational process that is relevant to the students’ lives and to the existing world as well as the world that will exist when they leave the educational system.  Karl Fisch's "Did You Know 3.0", states "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist . . . . Using technologies that haven’t been invented . . . . In order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.  And, that, to me drives to the heart of the matter.  Schools are no longer fact factories. We need to expose the students to facts, and then help them to think deeply about those facts.  If all we do is teach them facts, who will have the problem solving skills to solve the problems we "don't know are problems yet".  


Finally, it is essential that students be exposed to technology that helps them to create, think deeply, and connect to the outside world.  These are exciting times, and if schools harness all the technology that is available, students can do amazing things.  This technology should be used to support the curriculum and not just for the “wow factor”.   Often, things look cool, but at the end of the day it is important to reflect on the curriculum standards and make sure that the technology is being used to meet these standards. One example of this that I am currently working on, is my schools Showcase. I have created this showcase so that students can connect with the outside world.  However, for each of these projects, I am sure to include both the district standards and the NETS-S standards. This project is its infancy stage, but I hope to be able to show the students how their learning is relevant to the outside world and also show students and teachers that technology isn't in ADDITION to the curriculum, it is just another way to achieve curriculum goals.  


In sum, the future that is here is one that provides endless possibilities for connecting, creating, and collaborating.