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Jaime Villanueva

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! - 50 views

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started by Jaime Villanueva on 23 Feb 14
  • Jaime Villanueva
    #1 Jaime Villanueva on 23 Feb 14
     
    Click below to see the video!

    http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html


    Sir Ken Robinson clearly states that educational reform does not work and we should embrace an educational revolution. Do you agree or disagree and why?
    If you agree, what are you currently doing to bring change to your classroom ?
  • Jaime Villanueva
    #2 Jaime Villanueva on 23 Feb 14
     
    Sir Ken Robinson clearly states that educational reform does not work and we should embrace an educational revolution. Do you agree or disagree and why?
    If you agree, what are you currently doing to bring change to your classroom ?
  • Jose Banda
    #3 Jose Banda on 24 Feb 14
     
    Education reform has to happen since society is constantly evolving and changing. I can not teach the same way I taught 20 years ago, or even five years ago. Technology has had a great impact on the way we teach and the way students learn. The teaching profession is trying to keep up with the pace of all these changes. We used an educational system that derived from an agricultural era and a believe that everyone has to go to college. Sir Robinson-states that we have an education system that is obsessed about everyone going to college. I agree that college is not for everyone and yet me must create productive citizens, individuals that contribute to society.
    Schubert states that curriculum " is a journey of learning, growing and becoming".
  • Sean Getchell
    #4 Sean Getchell on 24 Feb 14
     
    I think educational reform can work, but all parties involved must be willing to compromise. As Jose previously mentioned, trying to teach the same way you may have 20 or 30 years ago most likely won't be as successful. This is due to the continual change in teaching techniques, technology, and the evolution of our learning audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just means that we need to keep our minds open, and not be afraid to embrace new techniques to try and best practices.

    While I am not currently teaching in a classroom, I do coordinate efforts with the training team to help create/teach certain courses in my company. I am one of the newest employees to work in this capacity, and after nine months, I have finally begun to convince people that Microsoft PowerPoint isn't the "be all end all" presentation tool. Training material can go beyond simply PowerPoint slides. I think you just need to approach everyone with the knowledge that exchanging the known for an unknown and unproven alternative can be daunting. While people may fear the unknown, there are definite benefits to constantly evolving with technology and the learning audience.
  • Rene Zuniga
    #5 Rene Zuniga on 24 Feb 14
     
    Educational reform has not worked since the 1983 report: A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform or other waves of reform since then. There is no single reform that can transform education. Our educational system has deep-rooted problems. Many proposed reforms are just a band aide approach. To bring change to our educational system, educators need to understand that we cannot teach the way we were taught. The world is very different than when we were in school. Technology is playing a very important role in the world and it should also play an important role in education. For example, the iPad has the potential to make a big difference in the way we teach and the way students learn. This tool has the capability to lead learners to discoveries. It also has the lure to motivate, encourage, and excite learners. At any rate, we need to be careful of the one-size-fits-all mentality. As an educator for nearly 30 years, I have always made an effort to stay abreast of technological changes and incorporate those changes in the way I teach.
  • Jaime Villanueva
    #6 Jaime Villanueva on 24 Feb 14
     
    Jose,
    I agree with you what was popular twenty years ago cannot be used in today's tech savvy society. Using technology in the classroom is longer optional it is a necessity. That been said, I think Sir Robinson vision of a revolution is flipping the entire educational system upside down and starting from scratch. In my opinion it should start with the way we grade our kids in the classroom.The current system does not provide an accurate reflection of the students course work.
  • Rene Zuniga
    #7 Rene Zuniga on 24 Feb 14
     
    Joe and Sean, I agree with you that teaching methods must change to incorporate current technology. Unfortunately, some of the individuals who are educating future educators are hesitant to make changes. I know of some professors who refuse to use any type of instructional technolgoy. Indeed, they are still teaching the way they were taught. Some of these individuals are scare of an educational revolution.
  • Martin Rodriguez
    #8 Martin Rodriguez on 25 Feb 14
     
    Jaime, coming from a historian and military background, when I hear the word revolution I think of overthrowing the existing and bring something new onboard. I do believe that education needs to be revamped but if you think about it most of us went through the same system and look at us, we adapted and overcame. Sir Ken Robinson makes a very clear statement that we should pay close attention to, not everyone is made to go to college. We need firemen; we need people in the fields picking up the crops so we need to stop using that mentality that every student should be a college graduate. It does not work that way in the real world, education needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
  • Martin Rodriguez
    #9 Martin Rodriguez on 25 Feb 14
     
    Rene, I think that deep down most of us are scared when it comes to changes. Especially when it's a change to something you have been doing "successfully" for many years. We get comfortable with what we know and become defensive when management wants to change things around.
  • Lucretia Human
    #10 Lucretia Human on 25 Feb 14
     
    Jaime,
    I really enjoyed listening to Sir Ken Robinson. He is a very inspiring speaker.

    I agree that educational reform does not work. They have been reforming educational…well for a very long time. Have we really seen anything that indicates that it works? Sir Ken Robinson is correct, that it has to be an educational revolution! Educational reform has put educators through irrelevant theories, test-preps that are a substitute for curriculum, and so called reformers that have gotten rich off our children's future.

    If you look at our universities to set the standard of our educational system, you see that most still teach in the same method of rote learning and that is also how they educate their future teachers. I really believe that educational revolution will occur when educators understand that you can't fit a round peg in a square hole. Education should not be one size fits all. Learning should be tailored to fit the learner's individual needs. It should be learner-centered.

    Dr. Chavez EDTC 6341 always tells us, "Learn how to learn." Students don't want to be giving facts they want to experience learning at their own pace and through avenues that work for them.

    So how I am bringing change into my classroom? That is a very question. It seems not enough to be totally honest with you. I think most educators who want to see education revolutionized feel just the same way I do, especially in higher ed. They just don't truly know where to start, where to ask for help or how far to go with the changes.

    This educational revolution requires that everyone be on board and ready to change for the sake of our students. We can only hope the change does not take too long to make a difference.

    I thought this article was interesting from the student's perspective of what they feel needs to change about school.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/high-school-changes_n_4844338.html?utm_hp_ref=education-reform
  • Rene Zuniga
    #12 Rene Zuniga on 25 Feb 14
     
    Educational reform has started. Right here, in Diigo groups, by us, the future leaders in education. We have a responsibility to take what we learn in these discussions and share what we learn with others.
    Politicians are always seeking for the single best way to measure learning. We all know that there is no single way to measure someone's intelligence. Learning is an activity as diverse as our world; it is not a simple activity. Yet, the TAKS and other standardize assesmments are emphasized in schools (see Jaime's post) and are used as the only way to measure learning. If you look around, there are many teachers and administrators who criticize the use of cell phones and social networking. Yet, our students are fluent in that.

    Which brings Lu's article into the picture (interesting comments!). Our students are asking for something more meaningful: "My school doesn't offer any classes that are going to help me with the careers" "I'm interested in less memorization of useless random facts".

    Martin, your comment about some of us being afraid of change is very valid. We all are scared to try something new. However, we need to consider that the world and students are changing very rapidly. If we continue teaching the way we did last semester, we will be undercutting education and the way the learner learns. Remember: "The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change"
  • Amanda Lerma
    #13 Amanda Lerma on 26 Feb 14
     
    Jaime,

    Thanks for sharing this video. I've watched other clips of Sir Ken Robinson and always end up enjoying his talks. I couldn't agree more that there must be an educational revolution. Our society has changed a great deal yet we continue to enforce the same educational system that is not meeting the needs of our students. We need to provide them with opportunities to develop their talents and strengths and not make them conform to a standard. One of the comments in the video that struck me was when he said a human community depends on the diversity of talents/abilities of individuals. I think this is very true. We all have different talents and should be encouraged to put them to use not only for the benefit of the individual but for the benefit of the community.

    I'm currently not an educator and do not have any teaching experience, however in my workplace we are attempting to "revolutionize" some of our practices. For example, a few months ago we transitioned from our paper format for official transcript requests to a completely online process. This was a huge step for us even though currently many other institutions have already had this practice in place for years. I think overall this has been a great benefit not only for our students/alumni but has also made the process easier for our office. In fact, one of our student workers that started after this practice was in place couldn't imagine how we handled the paper requests. We are also looking at our other processes that have been in place for years but don't seem to be as effective as they once were.
  • Amanda Lerma
    #14 Amanda Lerma on 26 Feb 14
     
    Martin,
    I agree that college is not the right fit for everyone and that's OK. College is not always necessary for all professions or for individuals that are seeking learning opportunities. We still need to have a community of diverse talents in order to thrive. Like one of the tweets said in the article Lu shared, "Value all learning". How successful would we be if everyone had the same profession? What about the other things that are necessary for a community to exist? The fireman example from the video was a perfect illustration of this. It was disheartening to hear that his goals as a young child were criticized but it was great to hear that he stuck with it despite these criticisms.
  • Amanda Lerma
    #15 Amanda Lerma on 26 Feb 14
     
    Sean,
    I think those that are resistant to change are doing so because of a fear of that unknown. A person can become so used to doing something a certain way that it becomes second nature to them. For example, teachers or other individuals that are resistant to use technology are often just intimidated at the thought of using it. I think once they see the benefits it can provide them as teachers and the benefits it can provide their students, they begin to go along and step outside of their box.
  • danielraguilarjr
    #16 danielraguilarjr on 26 Feb 14
     
    Jaime, thanks for picking this great Sir Ken Robinson TedTalk. He is always a refreshing speaker. At this point in time, I believe that reform is necessary however, it seems impossible. In order to achieve some of these ideas we must flip the switch on everything we are currently doing and have been doing for years and on top of that have the entire country on board. I don't know about anyone else, but it seems like sometimes it is hard to even get administration on board with a small change. The idea is "this is the way it has always been done" and "if it works why change it". I completely disagree with these statements but it would require a lot of work to make a big change. I use technology in my classroom and have had a lot of hesitation from both students and parents. Hesitation for various reasons, financial (not having access at home), not knowing how to use technology, etc. The change needs to not just come from the teacher but from the student and their support system -their parents.
  • Jaime Villanueva
    #17 Jaime Villanueva on 27 Feb 14
     
    Amanda,
    Well said Amanda! And thank you for your comments you are dead on when you stated developing their talents and strengths and not the standard. You reminded me of a close friend of mine who started college the same time I did a several years ago. After a few semesters my friend decided that college was not for him and dropped out of college. Later on after a few years of odd jobs he then decided to enroll into mechanic technician school and finished his degree. He is currently working for an offshore company in Louisiana making a very good living. My friend was always mechanically inclined and worked well with his hands and could fix just about anything that was broken. I was reflecting on the fact that If he would have developed his strength and talents early on from the beginning of his career no time would have been wasted pursing another career not suite for him.
  • Jose Davila
    #18 Jose Davila on 27 Feb 14
     
    Jose,

    I agree with you, technology has evolved and changed from years past. Technology is being used in schools more now than ever before. It seems to be that students can not function in school without using technology. I absolutely agree when you say that "school is not for everyone." A perfect example is my brother in law, his parents wanted him to get a college degree like his brother and sisters, however, he tried and it was just not for him. He is very smart and making really good money. He is very talented and I admire him in how passionate he is about his job.
  • Lucretia Human
    #19 Lucretia Human on 27 Feb 14
     
    Amanda,
    I like yourself and Jaime feel that developing individual talents and strengths and not the standard should actually be our "standard." Jaime's friend made me think about the educational system in Sweden and other similar countries. They have the students attend 9 years of mandatory primary school and then the students can choose to prepare for higher education or vocational education in a 3 year program. Over half of the students elect to prepare for a vocational education where they will receive real world work experience.

    I teach at Texas State Technical College and I can assure you that many of our students have tied and failed traditional routes of higher education. They are here because they recognize their talents and strengths and want to use them for a better community. Is everyone 4 year college material? In my opinion no but should have many other options to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.
  • Lucretia Human
    #20 Lucretia Human on 27 Feb 14
     
    Daniel,

    There was a study done in 2013 that researched why educators were so resistance to change and innovation. It also included ways to reduce resistance and develop solutions to educator resistance. Some of the reasons might surprise you but the ways to reduce resistance probably won't. It is sound advise and has been mentioned in this class and many of our other EDTC classes.

    Here is the study:
    http://linc.mit.edu/linc2013/proceedings/Session10/Session10Koksal.pdf
  • Abel De La Garza
    #22 Abel De La Garza on 01 Mar 14
     
    Great video and a way to ask ourselves if we are truly neutral during our studies. It's easy to be biased by our past experiences or personal beliefs about technology and education, it's in our nature and it's something we do every day. We take sides, we make assumptions (even though we all know what they say about assume) and it's easy to champion based on our beliefs. This video is a great example of "the other side of the coin" and one that should not be dismissed because we do not like it. When preparing to have meetings or presentations with our peers we must be sure to present both sides of an argument and not taking for granted what we believe education should be. Great post, thank you!
  • Justin Esparza
    #23 Justin Esparza on 03 Mar 14
     
    I've really enjoyed this video. I wouldn't say we need an educational revolution in the public schools, but I do agree that educational reform isn't completely efficient in preparing the ever-changing generations of learners. The teaching that I do in the classroom (9-12) is specific to the expectations that Professors have on students entering research studies in mathematics. Moreover, I wouldn't say I'm changing the system through my teaching by integrating technology, I would say that I'm improving the efficiency of my teaching to deliver content. Thank you for the great post.
  • Felipe Reyes
    #24 Felipe Reyes on 03 Mar 14
     
    Good video. I do agree that education will need to go through a significant overhaul if we are going to meet the needs of the future. I think we have over-reacted in response to providing inadequate access to higher education to all in the past. Providing opportunity regardless of the color of your skin or how wealthy your parents are should be the goal. We are ill prepared financially to get everyone to the level it would take to prepare all students to succeed in higher education. Even if we made funds available, not everyone would have the desire to attend nor would there be a need for all students to seek a full four-year degree.

    What we do in the classroom through instructional technology can help students, but a more strategic approach will be needed for our economy to thrive.

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