Situatued Learning vs. Current Learning

Wow...what we already have available to us versus what we are using in American classrooms. When I look at these things I begin to wonder once again why we are not using some of these things in the classroom. How long can we blame the lack of funding for education to not be able to utilize these tools? It gets me so frustrated to think that it is money...something so COMMON that keeps us from preparing our kids for life in the next century. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...gets me so fired up!

Belief Busters!

I just came from working on the Wiki, so I am still very much in this imaginative place regarding the future of education. Last night, Patrick kept saying Form FITS Function. This is actually a biological theory that I learned while getting my Pre-Veterinary degree (bet you did not know I had that one). In nature, the structure of a body limb or organ is in a sense tied to what is has to do; what its job is and how it is related to the rest of the system.

When I think of education through this lens, several questions come to mind. First, is there a state/federal agreement on the function of school? Second, is the function of school the same for all students? Third, why is it that we have the form that we do? Isn't it really tied to function(s) of the past? Finally, will the function(s) in the future be different? If so, what will the form need to look like?

This has become the logic of my thinking surrounding the final project for this course. I think that the future will call for significantly different functions of education. From our readings in this course it is clear that our form will need to be adjusted as well. Education appears to be moving the function discussion in a more personalized direction, yet collaborative and interactive in form. This is truly an exciting time to be emerging as a leader!