8900 - Read & Reflect: Prensky: Chapters 6-10

            This week’s readings I largely related to because I would say that I have grown up as a “digital native”. The examples that Prensky offers of students using technology in new and innovative ways are concepts that I am familiar with, or have experienced firsthand. What concerns me about the ever-changing world of technology is, will I be able to keep up?! I think that this is where a lesson learned from one of my other courses comes in. We have been learning about what it means to not only give your students the experience of a brave artist, but also to act as a brave teacher. One of the requirements of being a brave teacher is to allow your students to try new experiences, materials and techniques, even when you are unfamiliar yourself. In many ways, your students will provide you with the opportunity to learn from them. My contribution as the teacher will be to help guide the student to find meaning in the project.

            I loved Prensky’s criticism of the future of education on page 102. It is ironic that the very people we are designing the future of education for, are rarely included in what the future of education should look like. In the classroom, I as a teacher can take the opportunity to include my students’ input on projects and flexibly improve a lesson or unit as I go, so that they are engaged in the most meaningful way. I want my students to feel comfortable asking, “Can I try this? What if we? Why?...” These questions are questions that artists ask themselves every day, and for that reason I think that they are perfectly valid in the art classroom.

            I am very intrigued by the author’s mention of “passion-based learning”. The concept sounds exciting just be its definition. Any time that passion is a component of the learning process, it is likely that a memorable and meaningful experience has been created, two feelings that I often attribute to the experiences I have in a strong art program. I am fully supportive of giving children the opportunity to follow their own interests and fully engage in learning. However, I think that like all things, this must be a balance. Just because a student is extremely interested in the Civil War does not mean we should disregard their lack of math skills, for example. At the end of the day, our job is to prepare our students for life and their future education. To do so, we should absolutely ignite a passion for learning, while helping to develop them as a well-rounded individual.