In this Ted Talk, Sugata Mitra talks about his beliefs on the future of learning. Learning started with the British Empire, with identical teaching methods. The focus was on handwriting, reading, and math one could do in our head. This was all to create identical people to be a part of the "bureaucratic administrative machine". He continued talking about how he brought computers into the poor areas of India. The kids were able to work together to figure out how to use these devices. Knowing is not as important anymore. We can google anything we have a question on and get a global community. Broadband leads to collaboration, which with encouragement and admiration is the basis for the future of learning. Creativity should be tapped into, and children can collaborate globally.
I think this brings about a lot of things in an increasingly online environment. Our kids know how to google. We complain about kids not knowing times tables, but they have a calculator constantly with them. I like the idea of finding ways for kids in different parts of the country to communicate and collaborate with each other. I think a big issue is equity. I know when the pandemic hit, it was the poorer communities, and the rural communities that lack access to Wi-Fi, and internet. They may not have the devices that others may have access too. Working to bring access to internet and Wi-Fi to everyone is essential. Also, I think about how our students were not able to take home chromebooks until the pandemic. Students in other suburban, small-town districts have been able to take devices home since the beginning. The excuse for Providence kids was they will lose or break it, and not take care of it. This view is extremely problematic.
I also think about what Sugata Mitra said about examinations are seen as threats. In state/district assessments they can't use devices like they are used to. They are measuring based on the old system of learning. Kids hate the tests and they do not reflect what they can do. I think it is important for me to find different ways to assess in the classroom that are not tests and exams but real-world collaborative exercises like podcasting or creating digital books etc.
Hi Melissa, I also was very interested in the part when Sugata Mitra talked about Neuroscience when the prefrontal cortex shuts down when threatened. Assessments can be so stressful for our students, even my own son gets so nervous about the STAR tests. I like your idea of creating digital books collaboratively. I agree, standardized tests do not often reflect what a student can do, especially MLL students. This makes me think of how important it is to lower a student's affective filter.
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