How does this Ted Talk make you think about your role with young people in an online environment?
In his Ted Talk, "Build a School in the Cloud," Sugata Mitra argues that because of various factors, we have outgrown our current traditional system of learning. We have access to advanced technology that we did not have before that made us think we wouldn't always have a textbook or calculator in "the real world" but we actually do. Our current system of schooling presents as a threat because of its hyper focus on grades, exams, competition, memorization and rankings. Mitra explains that these threats actually trigger a part of the brain that causes another part of the brain responsible for thinking to shut down. He said, "We take our kids, we shut their brain down and then we say perform." I didn't know this but it makes sense because we have all experienced a similar sensation in these situations. The learning system he proposes is all about raising good questions and encouraging and admiring the answer and the process of collaboration used to land at the answer.
This made me think about the story Lesley shared in class about the children in her family working together and sharing their knowledge to figure out when Frederick Douglas was born. They connected the pieces they had and used what their collective knowledge to finish the puzzle while the adults encouraged and supported their process. A real-life example of a SOLE.
This Ted Talk also makes me think of the conversation we had as a class about the use of Chat GPT and other artificial intelligence in work and school settings. And using the resources we have, such as google and calculators, which we have access to and are often encouraged to use in our every day lives but are for the most part not allowed in school exams.
My favorite thing that Mitra said was, ""Its not about making learning happen, its about letting learning happen." This is going to shape how I see my role with young people in any environment! We've known for a long time that our current education system is broken and causing harm to youth, but this is the first time I have heard an actual potential solution. Mitra's SOLE theory validates other forms of learning that include nontraditional methods and proves that they produce the same and sometimes even better outcomes, because the youth actually enjoy the process more.
Hi Jay! I really enjoyed your post because It's truly amazing to witness the rapid evolution of technology and the internet. The fact that we carry powerful devices in our pockets, capable of so much more than we often utilize, is both mind-boggling and exciting. The accessibility to search engines has revolutionized the way we learn and find information, eradicating the need for the phrase "I don't know." Sugata Mitra's TED Talk from 2013 highlighted the potential of technology in education, and imagining his experiment in today's context is truly intriguing. The ability for students to not only use computers but also learn from them underscores the vast knowledge available at their fingertips, and it's clear that younger generations, growing up with these tools, possess incredible adaptability and learning potential.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay, thank you for capturing Mitra's message and passion in your explanations above. Nice pick with the "We take our kids, we shut their brain down and then we say perform" quote. I agree that mainstream education goes about it all wrong and works against our students' natural curiosities and abilities to learn through technology. Oftentimes, I believe that teachers create environments that rob students of learning opportunities. We really need to focus on preparing students for future jobs that do not yet exist.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay, Thanks for bringing up how our current school set up is all too test happy, and these test actually shut our brain down to do basic retrieval of information instead of applying what they know to something that can be useful. Looking forward to the day that society trusts teachers to teach how students learn best. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete