Return to Sender

I was browsing through the electronic version of The Journal this morning. The cover story, "Return to Sender" by Dan Gordon, is a thought-provoking article about the role of technology in educational reform.

"Work readiness is no longer just about the three R's; now it's also about turning information and knowledge through web sesarching and vetting. It's about developing effective multimedia presentations.  It's about seamlessly using digital tools to collaborate and problem solve."

Almost all decisions we make are impacted by persuasive digital media:  what to buy, where to go on vacation, who to vote for, and what to think about current events and issues.  Graduating students who can use digital media to deliver a message have a much better chance of landing a job in the workplace. 

"If the United States is to stay economically powerful in this global economy, we have to develop the next generation of STEM professionals - young people who are not only good at math and science, but who think creatively and work in teams.  The platform for doing that is technology."  We cannot fix our schools by using the technology that we have to teach students the same way we always have.  We need to be brave, take risks, think outside of the box, don't try to do it alone, and provide learning opportunities for students that are interesting and based on real situations and problems.  Figuring out a way to do that on a systemic level is the challenge.