Schwegman Blog Post #2

A 21st century education looks like something I viewed in a futuristic movie as a child. Smart Boards, computers, laptops, iClickers, virtual textbooks, and other technological advanced devices are all found in 21st century classrooms. As a child this is something I never imagined to be apart of. Homework is based off using a computer;  assignments are posted online, research papers using online databases, and online quizzes and textbooks. This is what a 21st century education and classroom look like today, but it is not something I would want in my own 21st century dream school.

My 21st century education system would be as old fashion as I could get it, pen and paper. I said "as I could get it" because I realize as a student that you need to conform to society's needs in order to be successful. Society's needs in this century is to be digitally literate. My 21st education system will be designed to give students an education involving reading old fashioned books, doing research papers based off of finding information in paper books, writing essays, and taking notes by hand during lectures. I would incorporate technology into the education system by giving additional assignments to read educational articles online, some online quizzes and giving students assignments that they would need to complete on Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. In Nicholas Carr's article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid" it is concluded that the internet and search databases are at fault for our inability to focus literature these days. While some may disagree, I believe this statement and would convey it through giving my students assignments that would have to use deep thought. Such as reflection papers and annotated bibliography that require long outlines and books to back up any ideas.

Carr's thought on our changed brain processes is accurate and needs to be addressed by educational systems and that is something I would be able to do. I think that the analytical thought that would be used in my system would help students be better prepared for the work force and also help high school students score better on standardized test. Education needs to still have "old fashioned" components to its system, even as our world becomes full of digital natives. The old ways of pen and paper are useful and something digital natives need to continue using and teach to generations to come.