As I continued reading Rethinking Education, I was challenged as a future teacher to know the history of my potential career. Why are schools the way they are today? Collins and Halverson describe the shift in learning through apprenticeship (schooling responsibility on families' shoulders) to learning through universal schooling. They argue, "Universal schooling was ultimately a product of the printing press, and hence, education is centered on the major products of literate thought - namely reading, writing, history, mathematics, and science."
I think it is fascinating to know why things are the way they are. It is so easy to forget the history behind people, places, values, and institutions, yet most things are highly affected by society and culture. Because universal schooling has evolved due to patterns within society, we need to be mindful as educators to adapt to societal changes so that we can ensure that students are best prepared for the real world once they finish schooling.
What does this mean for me? It is not "good enough" to have adequate equipment; I need to research, get my hands on, and understand technology and programs that I can use to equip my students. Although universal schooling is the system we must have currently, I think the one-on-one and in-dept experience of apprenticeship is effective. Thus, while teaching students as individuals, one needs to be implementing differentiation as well.
I really like how you tie in the need for differentiation and the need for one on one teaching. This is a very important thing in education. I was just wondering whether you believed there should still be the apprenticeship in today's education system. As we evolve to use technology more frequently and effectively in schools we should also consider the needs of the students that do not wish to use technology. If someone wish to be a craftsman, we should either learn to use the technology to help them, or find an education system to help them.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I was thinking the exact same thing when I was reading the chapter. I couldn't believe that I didn't know the history of our educational system. I really enjoyed what you said about doing research and getting your hands on technology. We can not avoid the inevitable. Technology is going to be in our classrooms. We can either avoid it or embrace it and all the things it has to offer our students and to help our teaching.
ReplyDelete