Chpt 5 Rethinking Education

Overall, I understand and agree with this chapter's main idea: There are many small evolutions in the education system that are leading it to a life-long process rather then just for adolescence.  Home school, for example is growing as peoples are gaining access to more resources (although the idea was not started by technology.)  Adult education is becoming more and more popular as on-the-job training, Internet cafes, and computer software designed for learning is all catching on.  The very idea of learning becoming a life-long endeavor changes our goals as early-age educators.  We need to give students the curiosity and skills to seek information on their own.  Our curriculum's must evolve because our goal is not to stock the children with all the knowledge they will ever need in a lifetime.  It is now to give them the tools to educate themselves.  I know may "old school" teachers may not like our new responsibility because it lowers the power status of the classroom teacher.  We are basically teaching students to effectively teach themselves.  Instead of being the all-powerful knowledge source, the new teacher will be a resource, not a primary source for students.  In the long run, I think this will benefit the students more.  I will be enabling them to be more successful in their lives outside the classroom.  I want to spark a love for new knowledge and new information.  Often, students get frustrated with school because if they are "bad" at remembering a subject or can't understand a concept the teacher is telling them to remember.  By making school more of a "discovery zone" the students will have fun seeking out their own interests instead of being forced to memorize certain topics.

However, I think this chapter was far too long in addressing the topics of the changing school system.  I think they should of focused more on this new idea of learning and less on the "seeds" that are sparking this change.  A few paragraphs would have sufficed in summing up the causes of this evolution.  As a future elementary teacher, I am not interested in Motorola's training program for it's employees, or the many, many other examples of adult education.  Having a few sentences on each topic would have made this a more manageable read.