The idea that students need more motivation to learn is something I feel is unarguable, however, I do think that Marc Prensky is going about it the wrong way. First and foremost, students should not have to endure the stress of learning 5 or more subjects well enough to pass tests in a few months time. Curriculum are written over a years period for a reason. I think Marc's idea would work best if introducing areas such as technology, along with subjects such as math or LAL, would be better and less stressful.
Secondly, our world is depending more and more on technology so opening students' eyes to technology, is a great idea, but I do feel that other areas should be addressed. Not all students are fascinated with technology, so by looking at the arts, fashion, athletics, etc. there is a possibility that more students will become engaged.
In the district where I work we just began using Writer's Workshop. This is a fairly new curriculum, however, its intentions are to not only improve students' writing, but to motivate students to write and to enjoy the writing process. Instead of the teacher telling the students what to write about, the students pick topics from their own lives. Since using this curriculum, the students are very excited to write, and now enjoy writing. Th students were not motivated with gadgets or promises of meeting famous people, but they were motivated by their personal experiences and the hard work of their teachers.
Having said all this, I do believe that students need to be held accountable for their scores, however, it is the job of the teachers to motivate the students in an appropriate manner so the students can achieve the best scores they can.
2 comments:
Well articulated points. Do you think your response would be different if we rethought the idea of 10 months of school and did year-round school instead?
I do think it would be different and I think it may be better. Going year-round school may keep the students and teachers more relaxed because they are on less of a deadline. By having more time to accomplish different activities, teachers may be more motivated to try different lesson ideas, including using more technology and studying various topics. In turn, if the teachers are more motivated, chances are the students will also be more motivated, which should be reflected in the students work.
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