Thursday, September 17, 2009

Can They Learn Like That?

Michael Wesch's video, A Vision of Students Today, is, in my opinion, fairly accurate. Although I am not the typical twenty-something college student, I have a daughter who is. She recently transferred from a four-year university into E.M.T. training at a local college. She said, "Mom, I can't learn like that (at the U.), I need something I can get my hands on." She was bored and dissatisfied with traditional classes, but is thriving now. Now, the learning is exciting and interesting to her.

As for myself, I believe I have done well in the traditional class setting. But, I think that is because I am older and have the patience to withstand the tedium. In one of my classes, the instructor "taught" by writing everything she wanted us to know on the board. We took notes for the entire two hours. Personally, I loved it. I could write what I needed and not have to listen to a boring lecture. The younger students, however, were bored out of their minds. I would be amused to see and hear them sigh heavily and give each other looks when the instructor began writing on the board. Some would say that she is an ineffective teacher for the young crowd. I do think teachers today have to be increasingly creative in order to hold their student's attention. Technology will keep us all on our toes, in a variety of ways.

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