SansBlogue: Whose world is it anyway?

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Writing the post below, It's not what we're teaching, it's HOW we are teaching! Reminded me of Amber's post We’re Living in Their World Now. Her account introduces a teacher, incensed (and I think also in-sensed) at a student daring to email another teacher during her class:

“Well, that’s when I banned computers from my classroom,” she said smugly. “That fixed that problem up right quick.”“It’s probably inconvenient for them to have to use pen and paper but it’s just so rude for them not to be focused on my lecture!”.

Amber responded:

If liberal education is going to make progress and be of any value in this culture, it has to embrace the way people actually learn and consume information today, not they way they did in the days of Socrates, or even our parents. Or even, truly, us..

Amen! She also imagined a start-the-year speech introducing the new batch of students:

They were five years old when Quentin Tarantino gave us Pulp Fiction. They’ve been using the internet since elementary school. They’ve never seen a floppy disk. They barely remember VHS tapes, and have never gotten tangled up in an overly long phone cord because they grew up with cordless phones. They’ve never recorded songs off the radio: they’ve always been able to download them. These are this year’s freshmen.” I’m sure that hearing this, many professors will balk and stammer, and many will think, “God, what do we have in common with these kids?”.

But, we still expect students, old and young in the age of MSN and TXT to sit, often in ROWS, and look to the front, while someone "delivers information and ideas"!?

Labels: education, technology

¶ 12:22 PM

[to Del.icio.us]

Hi Tim,

I was seven when Star Wars came out. I've never had to be connected to another phone via the operator, and I WAS able to record songs from the radio (my parents couldn't at my age)!

Yes, "we still expect students, old and young in the age of MSN and TXT to sit, often in ROWS, and look to the front, while someone "delivers information and ideas"... If the person being listened to knows what they're talking about and is open to sharing their perspective beyond the lecture script, there's value added!

I'd be interested in an unpack of the statement, "If liberal education is going to make progress and be of any value in this culture, it has to embrace the way people actually learn and consume information today, not they way they did in the days of Socrates, or even our parents. Or even, truly, us." Education is not about 'consuming information', MSN or TXT. I think what is sorely needed is an honest critique of "the way people actually learn and consume information today", which tends to be seriously lacking. The reference to Socrates is a really interesting one, particularly as he of all philosophers was most interested in the sort of dialogue that many hold to be the way forward for education in these eTimes!

By Nichthus, at October 23, 2007 10:13 AM

Thanks, again for another perceptive comment, not least for the reminder that I should think twice before copying bits from a post that has me cheering! Sometimes the fine rhetoric misses the mark on a closer look :(

Though, I am still in agreement with what I take to be the overall intent and tone.

So, when you write:
'Yes, "we still expect students, old and young in the age of MSN and TXT to sit, often in ROWS, and look to the front, while someone "delivers information and ideas"...'

I just have to question, while I agree that as you continue:

'If the person being listened to knows what they're talking about and is open to sharing their perspective beyond the lecture script, there's value added!'

Even information delivery via lecture theatre can be ameliorated, but one talks to many is not a good way to deliver information, or even ideas. We should use it for what it can be good, to assist people to process, critique and understand the ideas and "information". After all is that not (again as you suggest) what Socrates did right?

But the kind of class room in the video is not conducive to that sort of engagement, it tends towards the old information from the front copied, or heard, by the rows but sadly left largely unprocessed. Unless we do things in, with and around the class room that subvert its influence!

By Tim, at October 23, 2007 10:37 AM

Hi Tim,

Yes, I agree that we can and should be doing so much more as educators to teach well - and I agree that the lecture should be done well, and not be the sole part of an educational mix.

You wrote, "one talks to many is not a good way to deliver information, or even ideas". How about "One writes to many?" This of course can be implemented in e-learning 1.0 as "one writes to many" in conversation.

I applaud your last point - solid learning really does require process. But process without information is like oil without machinery; we need to take a holistic approach to teaching and learning.

I will be over your way on Monday... see you then!

By Nichthus, at October 23, 2007 3:52 PM