Journal #8

Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?
By Dave Nagel

In this article Dave Nagel focuses on the findings of the 2007 Speak Up survey released by Project Tomorrow. This survey polled 367,000 education stakeholders (which means parents, students, teachers and administrators) and is given to assess viewpoints on current issues in education. The results of the Speak Up survey are then shared with state and federal policy leaders. The article then talks about some of the survey’s findings in regards to technology and education, and shows some contrasting results on certain topics. For example, in regards to local schools doing a good job preparing students for jobs and careers of the future, 66 percent of administrators, 43 percent of parents, and 47 percent of teachers agreed. On the flip side 40 percent of middle and high school students felt that teachers are limiting their use of technology in schools and 45 percent also felt that school security practices were limiting their ability to use technology and take advantage of it. The article also discusses how educational gaming is something most students and teachers feel is a great way to learn and teach, but that currently only 11 percent of the teachers surveyed used educational gaming in their classrooms. The article also explains how students use of technology is often far ahead of their teachers and that mobile technology is a way that needs to be utilized in regards to education.

Questions:

1. What is a way I can benefit from knowing about this survey?
I think for me the best bit of knowledge I can take out of the survey is what the students are saying they want, and what gets in their way. The survey allows me to see what some of the roadblocks are and also what are the things they like. Educational gaming is a good example of this, because from the survey I can tell that is a way that students feel they can learn effectively.

2. How can a school allow students more access to technology?
I think based on the article this can be done by having knowledgeable staff and teachers in the field of technology. In order to take some of the restraints off the students the teachers need to have knowledge of the technology so they can feel comfortable letting the kids explore. We also have to be aware that this field is constantly changing and needs to be more of a focus.