Quote:

"Pundits may be asking if the Internet is bad for our children’s mental development, but the better question is whether the form of learning and knowledge-making we are instilling in our children is useful to their future.” (Heffernen, August 7, 2011).

Reaction:

According to Heffernan (2011), 65% of children in school today will be working in jobs that do not yet exists. I chose this quote because I feel there are many school based activities that do not adequately prepare students for their future. For example, in elementary school, 30% of the school day is spent on spelling. While I believe that spelling is important I don't think memorizing spelling words outside of their context of use is the best way to learn to spell. Instead, I think students should be communicating with real audiences for authentic purposes and using spell check and asking others to proof read their writing. This what real authors do.

Reference:

Heffernan, V. (2011, August 7). Education needs a digital upgrade. Retrieved from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/education-needs-a-digital-age-upgrade/?hp

Related Resources:

In the article Cathy Davidson was mentioned as someone who is challenging how schools are preparing student for life in the real world. Dr. Davidson suggest schools should stop focusing on teaching facts but start teaching students how to think and problem solve. I think she is right on target!

Big Think, Duke University. (Photographer). (2009).Cathy Davidson says it is time to relearn learning.ime. [Web]. Retrieved from http://bigthink.com/ideas/15599