My thoughts on Chapter 2 of "Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology"

There were a few specific sections of this chapter that struck me as being very important. The first section that I found truly interesting & important was the "Games & Simulation" section. Before reading this chapter I had never thought that video or computer games could be a vital part of a classroom environment. I never truly analyzed how children were learning by playing these games; I assumed, like most people, that video games were a waste of time. It was interesting to me to hear that people think that "students are learning things that they have no idea how to apply." (Page 23) I found this interesting because sometimes, as a student, I feel the same way! I am hearing all of these great ideas for my future classroom or for great lesson plans, but I am very scared because I don't always know how to apply these great ideas! One quote that really stuck out to me said "Though innovative teachers often find ways to embed learning in meaningful tasks, much of school is like learning tennis by being told the rules & practicing the forehand, backhand, and serve without every playing or seeing a tennis match." I thought this quote truly summed up how students may feel sitting in a classroom environment.

Another section I found to be interesting & important was the “Publication” section. This chapter started off with the sentence “Student work in schools has always faced the artificial barrier of being legitimate only within the confines of the classroom.” (Page 25) This sentence really intrigued me because I found it to be very true! Students produce fabulous work, yet they don’t show it to anyone other than their fellow students & teacher. I am slowly learning about the different ways for students to be able to share their work with people around the community, state, country, & internationally! I found the various websites mentioned (YouthRadio.org, & MUSE) to be very intriguing. These websites provide students with the opportunity to share their knowledge with other students & maybe even professionals. It gives them the opportunity to get feedback & constructive criticism from people other than their friends, fellow classmates, & teacher.

Lastly, I thought the “reflection” section was very important. I love the idea that students will be able to track their previous work using technology. It is very exciting to know that students will be able to compare their current work to work they have been in previous weeks, months, & semesters!