Most schools currently expect students to somehow (maybe magically?) be responsible, successful digital citizens upon graduation from high school - able to navigate all of the intricacies of a digital, global world - despite having little to no opportunity to learn or meaningfully practice what that means during their 12+ years of schooling.
Continuing my analogy from my previous post, we have to stop pretending that students are like Athena, able to burst forth fully-formed from the head of Zeus (or the cocoon of schools), ready to successfully function in a complex adult world without prior practice or experience.
Love the reference to Greek mythology.
On decision-making, democracy, and children: Far too often, the activities that are designed to either appease those who understand your point of view or just even work in the way described are diluted by authority figures too scared to give up power. I've experienced firsthand things like student councils given power to plan things being turned into strong "suggestions" from principals, vice and otherwise, such that the original power is reduced to nothing. We can't expect children to perform as we do now, as you said.
How do we prepare them for this? Sure wish I knew.
/gradster(1)/
Posted by: /gradster(1)/ | August 18, 2008 at 01:36 PM