I really like this post on using mobile phones in the classroom and the response it generates (particularly from Josh and Kain, a recent high school graduate). It’s great when people with strong but opposing opinions have civil dialogue. Lots of food for thought.
Steve’s post led me to other posts on how to cheat on tests and how to bypass firewalls. If teachers and administrators don’t appreciate how the web and particularly search engines like Google work they need to learn…quickly.
I also think this comment is really important for educators to realise; “Rarely are people without some device that they can use to look up a formula or definition. It doesn’t make sense to have school assessments so incredibly focused on memorizing information that is accessible anywhere and anytime.”
I’ve been thinking this since I finished my under-graduate in 1997 and realised that the main thing it had taught me, rightly or wrongly, was how to find, collate and synthesize information. It’s even more important these days. Information is growing too fast and changing to frequently to focus on memorising it. With growing access to devices that can quickly access more information than anyone could ever know the more important skills are in being able to locate what’s relevant at that moment. For example I had a school buddy who memorised the Capital cities of every country in the world. Would anyone try to do that these days?
The 21st Century is bringing about a massive paradigm shift in our approach to education.
Tags: mobiles
