- The Myth of the Digital Native by "Chris," from Betchablog (1/6/2009)
It's often been suggested that, if you were born in the 1980s or later, that you are a "digital native" who should be fluent in multiple technologies. It's also been suggested that if you are part of any generation other than Gen-Y, that you are a "digital immigrant" in need of major help to acquire any technological understanding.
However, this blog post suggests that just because today's students have been around multiple technologies for years does not make them experts on those technologies. Chris cites multiple examples of Gen-Yers that he has encountered who only understand the basics of technology. An encouraging read for anyone who is unsure of their ability to learn technology because they are "older," and a challenging read for those who wish to implement technology in their classroom.
- Why I Don't Assign Homework by Dan Meyer from dy/dan (3/7/2007)
Interesting thoughts on why homework is unproductive...many of which I agree with the author on. But I'm not sure if it's always a good idea to NOT give homework. Won't students some day have a job that requires them to complete long-term projects in a timely manner? Or won't many students go to college and THEN be confronted with homework?
Could we be teaching helplessness by not, occassionally, assigning homework?
- Patrick's Update by "Patrick," from JHH students blog (2/17/2005)
This is a student's blog, run by what I assume is a school or an individualized blog group for students. Patrick wrote about his desire to pass 5th grade, even though an older brother had told him he wasn't smart enough to pass. I don't know how the teacher worked out the comment system for this blog, but several adults (and even students!) commented on Patrick's post. Lots of encouragement for this young writer!
- One Family's Story of Survival by "Carleigh," from A Really Different Place (1/19/2009)
Here is another student blogger who wrote about the plane that crashed in the Hudson River in January 2009. This blog seems to be a good example of student writing - apparently the writers are not just in one classroom but come from all over the country.
- How to Prevent Another Leonardo Da Vinci by Kris Bradburn from Wandering Ink (5/23/2007)
This post is the most provocative of all the blogs I've read today. Kris laid out the post in the order of 10 traits belonging to Leonardo Da Vinci, according to the book How to Think Like Leonardo DiVinci.
The basic position Kris takes is that modern education kills creativity and innovation. I don't want to agree with this...but to some extent, I know this is true. The education system in this country is broken. It's testingtestingtesting all the time. In most school systems, teachers just don't have the flexibility to create a better educational experience. Or, honestly, they don't have the energy and time to build a Da Vinci-friendly classroom.
Yes, we need to do as much as we can to inspire students by applying their interests and talents to the curriculum. But at the same time, let's be fair and realize that the small steps teachers take to build a better educational experience DO COUNT, even if they can't overthrow the system.
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