Why School? by Will Richardson, addresses the changing needs of society and students. He addresses the abundance of technologies and recommends that schools need to “prepare kids for old-school expectations and new-world realities alike.” Richardson asks the questions “Why school?” He states that with all the new technology, why do kids need to keep showing up to school? He goes on to ask why we have classrooms and teachers when now we have the technology for kids to watch a video and teach themselves. Throughout the reading Richardson addresses these questions. One line that summarizes it pretty well is he states “Just because technology gives us access to new opportunities for learning, doesn't mean every new technology is better than what we have."
So what does that mean to me as a future educator being wrapped up in the world of technology? Although I believe technology is a wonderful tool in schools today and I have recently be lucky enough to work in a school with iPads and netbooks in the classroom, I still believe students to need the guidance of a classroom teacher. I believe students will still need that human interaction that technology does not give them. But I also believe this a great time and opportunity to learn alongside our students. With our thinking and understanding constantly changing, we are continuously forced to be a life-long learner and as Richardson says, “We have to stop delivering curriculum to the kids…. And start discovering it with them.”
So what does that mean to me as a future educator being wrapped up in the world of technology? Although I believe technology is a wonderful tool in schools today and I have recently be lucky enough to work in a school with iPads and netbooks in the classroom, I still believe students to need the guidance of a classroom teacher. I believe students will still need that human interaction that technology does not give them. But I also believe this a great time and opportunity to learn alongside our students. With our thinking and understanding constantly changing, we are continuously forced to be a life-long learner and as Richardson says, “We have to stop delivering curriculum to the kids…. And start discovering it with them.”