What if Education was more like Video Games?

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Taylor

I agree that the American public school system would benefit from some changes. One-size-fits-all rarely does. However, if we make school like video games, then video games will become boring and passe. We can't keep chasing the carrot - we have to gain control of the stick.

Well said.

If today is the iPad and video games, what is tomorrow once those are commonplace and boring? Will all our students be wearing 3D glasses to school because 2D is just so old and boring? Are we going to put them in full motion simulator chairs to fly them through a virtual rain forest because they can no longer learn it from a book or video?

Over the last 20 years, schools took out shop classes and put in computer labs, so the students "will be learning computers!" Now we're in a situation where we have a generation of students who all have better computers than the schools, and better computer skills than many of their teachers, but have never turned a wrench.

We need to stop feeding young peoples' addiction to needing more attention and needing everything instantly. They have no patience or attention of their own; they just like to suck it out of the rest of us. I think before we move forward, we must step back.

I agree that the current educational system is deeply flawed. Call me pessimistic, but I don't see how it could ever be "fixed" given our societal values. In attempting to fix it though, I don't see how jumping on the new technology bandwagon is a timeless plan.

Of all the schools using all these interactive teaching toys, I'll bet you not a one of them has done a study where they take them all away for a week, and see if the students can still do the work without them.

I'm afraid I'm opening up a larger discussion than the OP intended, but what the heck, CD has been a bit slow lately.

My personal opinion is this:

Education will not be fixed until we admit that not all students are the same, and that it's not realistic or beneficial to teach such a variety of them all together. Politicians and even administrators seem to have this idea that what makes a good teacher is the ability for that individual to adjust to the needs of EVERY student and to provide benefit to ALL students. The expectation is that a well-performing teacher can take any group of kids and make them all stars. It's time we stop living in this false fantasy.

We have kids who love school and want to keep pushing ahead and learning more every second of every day. And beside them sit others who don't want to be there in the first place, and do nothing other than slow down and disrupt the teacher and other students. It's an inefficient system. There should be special schools for those who want them and are willing to work hard for them. And there should be regular schools for the rest of everyone. I think as a society we'd be further along if we had leages or divisions in this race rather than a universal "run whacha brung" bracket. Our educational system, to many students, is like driving a sports car up a mountain road while being stuck behind a row of dump trucks. The ability to go fast and perform exists, but is continually hampered by lumbering vehicles boucing around spewing debris and slowing down those trying to get ahead.

Now of course, this sparks a debate about disadvantaged students, but I'll leave that one for someone else to chime in on.

Here's an interesting video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U Lots of problems described accurately. Not many solutions proposed.