Killing Creativity

One of my heroes, Sir Ken Robinson, discusses how schools are killing creativity:

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html#.TmTCH7p1sGs.facebook

An excellent view point on preparing for an unpredictable future...

Classrooms of the Future?

Front and center on the Sunday edition of the New Times last week was the headline: "In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores" (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html). The article describes an Arizona School District that embraced technology with an uncertain effect on results. Why? In my opinion, the application of technology went too far in actually replacing teachers. In order for technology to be successful in education, three important factors need to be considered. First, the use of technology needs to be linked to measurable objectives in learning outcomes. Second, technology in education is more effective when implemented around proven learning methodologies such as reflective, transformational and constructive methodologies (to name a few). Finally, technology and human factors in learning need to find a balance. There is only so much technology can accomplish in the learning process. Human factors such as contact with a teacher, group collaboration in the classroom, and simple human interaction are essential to the learning process. In reading the article above, it seems that some of these factors, if not all of them, have been lost in the implementation of technology in education. What are your thoughts?

Welcome to Open Source Thinking

As we continue to shift our paradigm in the use of technology in education it is important to understand the impact each method of transferring knowledge means to different people. Open Source Thinking is a place to define how media and technologies both implemented or emerging impact the way we think. New concepts and methodologies will be brought to the table in order for us to discuss, evaluate and study how uniquely defined each individual is to learning.