Personal Learning Networks by Will
Richardson and Rob Mancabelli is the text that was assigned for one of my
courses this semester – SEDU 183 taught by Mr. Marc “Balddaddieteach” Smith, to
be exact. Just after reading the first
chapter, however, I put down the book and had a mixed reaction, let me tell you
why. The first chapter, titled Understanding the Power of PLNs, dealt
with the issue of why schools today have to become more technologically advanced. It was argued that by becoming more tech-savvy
will enhance the student’s education because they would be able to “self-direct
our[ the students] learning(p.22)” in ways the interested them, also, it would
allow the student to further broaden their educational horizons by having
access to unlimited educational resources around the world, whether that be a
student in Hong Kong or a teacher in Bangkok. The authors further explained themselves, by
reassuring that the students would be taught the safe, correct way to wander
around the internet, and that schools only use the blocking of Facebook and
MySpace (which is no longer a worry cause, serious, who uses MySpace anymore?)
as an excuse to keep the children “safe”.
Ok, and
these are the points where I get my mixed reaction! I put the book down and thought, “ . . .
Well, I see two problems with this.” The
first problem being that students will learn more using technology by being
able to access more information about what they are interested it! The writers
clam that we are shifting from a “generic to personal (p. 17)” learning system
where we “pursue our interests and passions (p.17)” If I had it my way, back when I started school, I would not have
touched a math book or learned a single mathematical equation! I would have spent all my time researching
historical England and reading whatever literature I could get my hands on. Students need to learn all the different
subjects in order to be the ideal Renaissance man – or woman. It is better to be well rounded, even if you
have your weak points, at least you would have some knowledge of what the
subject entails.
This
issue then led into the next comment made in the chapter. The writers stated that schools are only
blocking networks such as Facebook (MySpace, who?) and Wikipedia because it is
keeping children “safe”. They stated that, “we suspect that it has much to do
with being an easy way not to have to deal with the real world realities that
the web brings” (p 36). Firstly Wikipedia is a sorry excuse of an “informational”
let alone “educational” site. Anyone can
go on there and say that Uranus used to be called a planet, but has now shrunk
and has teleported to be a blemish on someone’s behind! Wikipedia, not creditable and useless, next –
Facebook.
Most drama starts on Facebook, and
cyber bullying is a rapid growing issue because people do not have the courage
to say anything to someone’s face nowadays.
Let Facebook be on the student’s own personal time, not during
school. My high school had sites like
that blocked until the end of the school day, so if there where students still
waiting in the building for a ride or sports practice, they would let the rest
of the world know too.
The point I am getting at is that,
yes, schools do need to become more tech-savvy in order to teach the students
and teachers more, but also make the teacher’s job a little easier; but they
also need to realize that some of the “old” school ways are beneficial and
should not be totally thrown out like your grandmothers moth eaten pajamas! I had a Math course where we had to do much
of the work online . . . and I HATED IT!!
I couldn’t understand it by myself, let alone have the text on the
computer screen tell me how to do it.
And yes, this is an instance where I could have found some miraculous
Math Heaven site and have the answer told or attempted to be taught to be, but
all students learn in different ways. We
still need that teacher in the class room to sit us down with a pencil and
paper and help us work it out and explain it to us in numerous ways if we don’t
get it the first fifteen times.
Then there is also the issue of communication. Sure, a student can talk to the teacher in
Bangkok about Lewis Carroll and his nonsense Wonderland world, or have the
student in Hong Kong do his parent’s tax returns, but could that student be
able to turn to his peer next to him and have an intelligent conversation
without any stutters, “like’s”, awkward pauses, or anything else that is
classified as poor communication skills?
Having all this technology at the students (and teachers) fingertips is
great! But are we losing the humanity,
or I should rather say human communication, that has been taught all these
years?
The authors have presented a good
argument, and to some extend I do agree, but you also have to worry about what
is going to be lost with the addition of all this new technology in the
schools. I do encourage students and
people of all ages to go out and educated themselves, but it is not going to be
spoon fed to you. Schools should be
teaching their students how to maneuver through the internet safely, and go out
and find the information they need and want to learn! The internet, when used properly is a great
source to learn new things, but I believe that there are still some aspects of
the old school way of learning that are still valuable to learn.
Well, I know many of my followers
had to read what I did, so if any of you have your comments, remarks, criticism,
or right out bashing of what I had to say about it, leave a comment below.
Till next time.
-SAS
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