Wow! Dr. Zhao is telling it like it is. School, as we have traditionally known it, is not keeping up with the globalization of the world! First of all, his point is that policy makers are not ready or willing to face the problem. They are not looking to the future of the flattened world. They are trying to fix old systems the same way they have been trying for years- with more accountability- more math, more science. Technology in school is limited by the adult teachers, not the creativity of the students. We are living in a digital world, in which the children have grown up in.
He compared the U.S. and Chinese systems of education, using competition. The U.S. system is short on competition, whereas the Chinese have a lot of competition. He feels if competition is created, that it will trigger the transformation of our schools.
In his second installment of his podcast, Dr. Zhao speaks to educators needing to rethink the educational environment. They need to reevaluate and imagine what's possible. The perception of the students needs to be transformed into active contributors, powerful agents, as he speaks of them. Online learning should become a requirement of high school students, Michigan has already made it a requirement.
Part three of his podcast was directed to gaming and how game theory can be applied to curriculum. It is a cognitive and social way of living, which most students partake in daily. Why not use it to our advantage!
Dr. Zhao's three predictions were very interesting also. He feels virtual environments have the potential to impact education. Education is headed toward outsourcing with other countries and curriculums. Lastly, we will be changing our mindset of teachers vs. technology as teaching agents. I am thinking how necessary will teachers be if they don't change and welcome technology into their classrooms.
"More Food for Thought" really drove home all of Dr. Zhao's points. I think it holds a very powerful message for us all. Will our students always be ready to learn? Have they learned how to learn?
3 comments:
I can see by your comments that you felt the impact of Dr. Zhao's powerful words as strongly as I did. I wish the kids could hear and discuss his ideas along with those who are in charge of the direction of education and with those people who are in the marketplace.
I do believe education will have to change with all the new advancements we have in technology. How that change will happen I am not sure but Dr. Zhao's ideas about the future of education is enlightening and powerful.
Kathy you are so right to think that we have to change what we are doing. It's so true that we will become irrelevant if our classrooms don't allow us to participate in the new "flat" world. You understood and reported on the major themes in his podcasts. I always appreciate your analysis.
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