Quote- “The first is a massive information network that provides almost unlimited access and resources to learn about anything. The second is a bounded and structured environment that allows for unlimited agency to build and experiment with things within those boundaries. The reason we have failed to embrace these notions is that neither one alone makes for effective learning. It is the combination of the two, and the interplay between them, that makes the new culture of learning so powerful.” pg7 I chose this quote because it shows that although we have infinite access to information we still are operating within boundaries. I am very interested to see where this book goes next.
Question- How can the idea of online support groups be applied to students in the classroom? Not all high school students are passionate about every subject in a way that would make them go out and spend their free time researching and collaborating with their peers.
Connection- This chapter reminded me of “Why School” that we read last semester. Both books are talking about revolutionising how students learn and how they need to be taught.
Epiphany- The idea of the new culture of learning as a form of play was very interesting for me. I have never thought about games as being bounded by rules but free to use them in different ways but I find that to be 100% true. I hope to find a way to connect this theory in my classroom.
Chapter 2
Quote- “[In] the new culture of learning the point is to embrace what we don’t know, come up with better questions about it, and continue asking those questions in order to learn more and more, both incrementally and exponentially”. pg38 This quote represents this chapter to me because it explicitly states that students will get away from being taught that they know concrete things without having to ask questions that can further their understanding about the subject.
Question- How will we get all teachers and parents to get on board with this radically different form of education?
Connection- This chapter reminds me of a discussion I was recently having with my husband about what students really need to learn to be successful in the future. We decided that memorizing facts was not as necessary as it used to be because now we can look up anything we want to know in seconds.
Epiphany- Students need to be taught how to ask questions and then how to proceed in finding the answers. They time for rote memorization and the teacher knows everything is over.
Chapter 3
Quote- “They have yet to find a balance between the structure that educational institutions provide and the freedom afforded by the new media’s almost unlimited resources, without losing a sense of purpose and direction.” pg48 This quote represented this chapter for me because it is such a huge issue facing schools right now to use technology to its fullest potential while still controlling what the students are doing. This will take many years to perfect but I think it is a worthwhile goal.
Question- How can we harness the power of the Internet while still teaching the students what they need to know?
Connection- I reminded me of when my Internet site usage was blocked while I was at school. Social network sites and other sites deemed inappropriate for students by the school district shows that schools still do not know how to really control where the students are going while they are using the Internet. These types of issues need to be resolved before we can fully utilize the potential of technology.
Epiphany- The part about Wikipedia vs. the encyclopedia was very interesting to me. I have thought about how a print encyclopedia could ever be accurate because we are constantly learning new information. I feel that goes to show that I was educated to think that we are constantly learning and that information is fluid not static.