Old school vs New School

 

What is wrong with the way we use to learn?  It worked for me and my generation it should work for you?  You just need to pay attention more?  

Do those sound familiar to anyone, I may have said that in the past but we all know, that school today is different from when we were in school.  Sure some of the main dynamics of how school or classroom operates is the same but a lot has changed since I graduated high school.  

"Back in my day we use to ...", stop! We all know we are no longer in those times and some of our old techniques are dated.  Take for instance when we use to need to do research, we would have to go to the library and look up card catalog numbers and then have to find the books.  Or use the dictionary to find the correct spelling or definition of a word.  I know some of you reading this are thinking, this guy is old, and well I am 43 so if you think that I am old so be it, but what if my age didn't matter and technology was the issue.  

I graduated high school in 1996, the 90's was a strange time, that is 23 years ago.  In that 23 years we have seen the internet born, we have seen chat rooms, social media platforms rise and fall,we have seen cell phone shrink from a suitcase to something that fits in your pocket.  We have seen the rise of Google from a small search engine to a global corporation, we have witness Amazon and Apple make a leap from selling books and niche computers to becoming the two most profitable platforms in the world.  So I does my age really matter or did technology change who we have become in a short 23 years.  I say it has changed our society so in turn the way we think and see everything.  The ones that will experience this the most and will be noticeable by us is our students.  

In their life time they will never have to use a card catalog or know about the Dewey Decimal System, they will not have to leave the house to go to the library to do research, the will never know the sound of a dial up.  Our students can learn everything they need by just "Googling it."  So if these kids are different from us what make us think that the old ways will work on them?

I am still think there is a place for good old methods of the past but I also think that we have so much technology and information about who we are teaching that we can do a better job.  Using technology in the classroom is important and leaning the basics the old fashion way is also important.  We have to find that common ground for us to change with our students or we will be doing them a great disservice and not preparing them to function in today crazy world.