If these walls could talk, what would they say?
If students learn what they do, what are they learning sitting here? The Info is up here… follow along…
Of course, walls and desks cannot talk. But students can.
200 students made 367 edits to this document, and surveyed themselves to bring you the following message…
My average class size is 115.
18% of my teachers know my name.
I complete 49% of the readings assigned to me, 26% of which are relevant to my life.
I buy hundred dollar textbooks that I never open.
My neighbor paid for class, but never comes.
I will read 8 books this year, 2300 webpages and 1281 Facebook profiles.
I will write 42 pages for class this semester, and over 500 pages of email.
I get 7 hours of sleep each night.
I spend 1 1/2 hours watching TV each night.
I spend 3 1/2 hours a day online.
I listen to music 2 1/2 hours a day.
I spend 2 hours on my cellphone.
Spend 3 hours in class.
2 hours eating.
I work 2 hours every day.
3 hours studying.
That’s a total of 26.5 hours per day.
I am a multitasker (I have to be).
I will be $20,000 in debt after graduation.
I’m one of the lucky ones.
Over 1 billion people make less than $1 a day.
This laptop costs more than some people in the world make in a year.
When I graduate, I will proabably have a job that doesn’t exist today.
Filling this out won’t help me get there, or deal with…
War… poverty.. ethnic conflict…
I did not create the problems, but they are my problems.
Some have suggested that technology (alone) can save us…
I facebook through most of my classes.
I bring my laptop to class, but I’m not working on class stuff.
“The inventor of the system deserves to be ranked among the best contributors to learning and science, if not the greatest benefactors of mankind.”
… on the benefits of the chalkboard… to be continued…
Anyway, this video carries a message. And honestly, I had the hardest time trying to figure it out. I’m still not sure if I’m right either. But watch it and comment, giving an opinion if you have one.
WOW! This is VERY deep and I really want to get into a dialog with you on this in person. I see it 5 ways.
#1 Our education system has failed in teaching what is needed.
#2 The WAY we learn (or need to learn) is changed and the system has not.
#3 Technology is NOT going to solve the problem, it only opens to door to the new education system (not realized yet), but is not technology that is the system.
#4 The reasons for education has been forgotten in the ‘advance’ countries’.
#5 The system has forgotten what education is and what it is supposed to be.
There are most likely others, but these are my 1st thoughts….
Well, and if we go back to the initial statement of the video that “students learn what they do, what are they learning as they sit here”:
(a) they are learning to build bridges and connect with people and develop relationships, all of which probably will be useful to them in their future in a global economy and an interconnected world;
and
(b) the stuff they are learning is not coming from classrooms, teachers or textbooks (all of which are incredibly, wastefully expensive)
Good stuff for further convo.