la classe de M. Buxton

The past, present, and future of education.

The “Industrial Age” of the past 150 years was characterized by centralized workplaces where people were expected to be punctual, working on repetitive tasks, with few changes. Teachers at that time saw students as raw material to be shaped into standardized products. Education was based on the memorization and repetition of facts.

During this century, the “Industrial Age” has been replaced by the “Information Age.” Teachers are now required to prepare kids for a future with endless, and unknown, possibilities. We are experiencing an onslaught of new and ever-changing information and technology. Most people have the internet at their fingertips and the vast information of the planet is readily available to all. There is no advantage to memorizing and repeating facts. In order to survive in today’s world, students must become critical thinkers who are able to analyze, process and evaluate this information. They must be able to think at a higher level and work with others to solve problems. Students must be able to take responsibility for their own learning and to think for themselves.

What students need today:

1) Access to information from a wide variety of sources.

2) To be able to infer and interpret the meaning of information.

3) To be able to synthesize and link acquired information to existing knowledge.

4) Plan and apply knowledge to a real-life issue or problem.

5) Evaluate and refine knowledge in order to apply it and draw conclusions.

6) Be able to collaborate with others to find a common solution to a problem.