Scott McLeod writes the blog Dangerously Irrelevant and I've followed him ever since I started EmergingEdTech back in 2009. This week, he wrote this post, “We Have to Stop Pretending“, and he challenged other education and technology bloggers to offer their spin on 5 things we have to stop pretending are acceptable in education today. I didn't find it terrible challenging to come up with a list.
We have to stop pretending that …
- Text books costing hundreds of dollars are acceptable
- A more expensive university degree implies a higher quality education
- A professor giving a long, one way (that is, non-interactive) lecture to a hall full of disengaged students equals inspired learning
- The burden of getting a good education always belongs to the student more than it does to the school
- Having students sit still for hours can consistently result in a meaningful learning experience
Check out the many comments on Scott's original post for more honest insights into what needs to change if our schools and our students are going to be their best and keep up with the ever-changing world that we live in. Which reminds me … we have to stop pretending that it's acceptable for education to evolve at a rate that is a fraction of that at which the world around us changes.
#makeschooldifferent
Image Source here.
Thanks for the inspiration Scott!
Love #3. Why did we EVER think that?! (not to mention engraining it into the very fabric of higher ed…)
Thanks for participating, Kelly!