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Comparison essay on Morgan Bayda and Dan Brown
I'm currently in a class at the University Of South Alabama called EDF 315. The article and video, was like a blast from the past. I never understood how bad the educational system in The U.S. was, until I enrolled in this class. I never really cared until then. Hard to believe at 56 years old, how numb I was to the problems of our educational system. It's a testament to years and years of the dominant culture, imposing their will upon the less dominant cultures. There is nothing I can do about the past, but I can do something about the future. I can't compare my attitudes and experiences to Morgans' and Dans. I can't really remember, as it's been over 35 years, since i was a student. My mom was very firm, so quitting school was not an option. I don't remember being bored in class. If fact, I can actually say, I enjoyed school. My, how times have changed. But hey, thats why Morgan and Dans' comments, hit home. With the invention of the internet, I can see why students get bored. Everything the teacher teaches, is on the internet. Every assignment can be downloaded, copied and pasted. If the powers-to-be, will not come up with a solution soon, there will be an educational back-lash. Hopefully it won't come to that, and our politicians will figure it out. In my brief association with the internet, and its' capabilities, the handwriting is on the wall for the old ways of educating. My whole mind-set about how things use to be, has changed. The Jeanie is out of the bottle, and will never go back in. We need to utilize every aspect of the internet in the classroom, if we ever expect the new generation to maximize their potential.
I have been out of school a long time too. It has been almost 30 years since I graduated from high school. Like you, I enjoy learning. I am going to teach middle or high school, and thanks to EDM 310 I now know the importance of incorporating technology into my classroom. Hopefully, I will not have any students like Dan. I do not want my teaching to get in the way of their education. Best of luck to you.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a fan of Dan Brown's video because it seemed unprofessional and the "facts" he presented lacked credibility or all the information. I think that a point he did make is that education must change to engage students with readily available information and technology. Easy concept right? I think that this ties in with the "gatekeeping" of education though because despite the simplistic idea, people are investing in the wrong aspects of this goal i.e. implementation of Smartboard, new programs to standardize today's student. The video was also discouraging because it seemed like Dan Brown was promoting the idea of no teachers at all in the curriculum. Scary situation....I know that some parents are even taking their children out of the school system because they feel that home schooling can benefit their child more so that public education, ouch!
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