One of my biggest issues with public education is that it is terribly regimented. Students are told what to learn and how to learn it. Unfortunately, this approach to education no longer works. Everyone can now access information and learn about topics that were once difficult to explore. Those with extensive knowledge about specific subjects (teachers, professors, researchers, etc.) are no longer the gatekeepers of information. The Internet has opened up the academic world to anyone who has access to a computer.
Sadly, this does not mean that we are becoming a more educated populace. Just because we have access to information it does not mean that we are able to utilize this information well. For example, I could perform a Google search for "Shakespeare" and receive millions of hits. At first glance that would seem like plenty of information. But, in reality, only about a couple hundred of these millions of sites house information on Shakespeare that is well organized, well written, and credible. Many Internet users have yet to come to this realization. So, although we have access to a wide variety of information, many people either do not take the time or do not have the skills to sift through this information to find the best sources.
It is my belief that one of the main reasons (besides lack of education) why we use information so poorly is because we just don't want to dedicate the necessary amount of time to the research process. Researching is a process and like most processes, it takes time. In the education world time is difficult to come by. Also, research requires passion. The researcher must have a connection to the topic in order to dedicate time to its exploration. So, logically, if educators want to create more "real-world" research activities for students then they must provide both time and flexibility with subject matter.
For this week I would like you to reflect upon your past learning experiences and create a post that addresses how educators can change their practices to create more realistic and engaging learning opportunities for students.
