Chapter 5
In this chapter, Wagner discusses student learning and motivation. It seems that he is negating the notion that students are simply unmotivated, but instead motivated in a different way. As the text states, students now are growing up in a “radically different” environment than that of previous generations, and “in the simplest terms, they [students] are coming of age while tethered to the Internet, as well as a host of instant communication devices” (170). Students now are growing up in the “instant gratification” age, where they have access to information at their fingertips and can communicate with someone across the world (or across the classroom) in mere seconds. As teachers, we must use their love and need for technology to our advantage - turn it into a tool for learning!
Learning through multimedia and connection to others:
“In a study that altered instructions from a text-based step-by-step approach to one that used a graphic layout, refusals to do the assignment dropped and post-test scores increased” (178).
Students impatient with lecture and reliance on textbooks and crave more discussions.
Any information students can get, they can get it immediately and in a multi-media format.
This generation, MY generation, seeks to gather information from various sources as well as connect with others.
Learning as Discovery:
Using the internet is 100% about discovery. One can search for a specific topic, get millions of results, click on one that brings a new idea, type in new idea into search engine, get millions of more results, and so on. Using the internet is “an active, dynamic, nonlinear, discovery-based process” (179). The Internet is involved, and takes the searcher on an adventure of new learning. This kind of activity creates students who become in charge of their own learning.
Learning by Creating:
Using the Internet is inspiring. Literally anyone can hop on, learn to, say, create a web page, and publish it for the entire world to see. I use Pinterest (more than I’d care to admit) to find ideas for crocheting new things, cooking a wide variety of recipes, and figuring out new ways to organize my stuff.
Learning through multimedia and connection to others:
“In a study that altered instructions from a text-based step-by-step approach to one that used a graphic layout, refusals to do the assignment dropped and post-test scores increased” (178).
Students impatient with lecture and reliance on textbooks and crave more discussions.
Any information students can get, they can get it immediately and in a multi-media format.
This generation, MY generation, seeks to gather information from various sources as well as connect with others.
Learning as Discovery:
Using the internet is 100% about discovery. One can search for a specific topic, get millions of results, click on one that brings a new idea, type in new idea into search engine, get millions of more results, and so on. Using the internet is “an active, dynamic, nonlinear, discovery-based process” (179). The Internet is involved, and takes the searcher on an adventure of new learning. This kind of activity creates students who become in charge of their own learning.
Learning by Creating:
Using the Internet is inspiring. Literally anyone can hop on, learn to, say, create a web page, and publish it for the entire world to see. I use Pinterest (more than I’d care to admit) to find ideas for crocheting new things, cooking a wide variety of recipes, and figuring out new ways to organize my stuff.
Out of the three schools, I think The Met would best suit me. I like their idea of “One Student at a Time.” Each student is an individual, bringing in their own thoughts, experiences, and opinions. I like that The Met creates individualized courses of study for each student, “personalized by teachers, parents and mentors who know him or her well” (230). Creating these individualized learning plans will assist in keeping the student self-motivated, because the student will be learning in the way that suits him/her best. Elliot Washor, a director of The Big Picture Company, explained that at The Met, “instead of having students take classes and maybe eventually figuring out what their interests are, we start with helping every student to find their interest and then build a learning plan around it” (232). Having individualized learning plans that revolve around the interests of students will for sure create students into advocates for their own learning, and will make them stoked to learn!
I also like that this school has students on campus for 3 days, and off campus for 2 days in order to participate in year-long internships. This allows the students “real world” experience that will be so helpful when they leave the high school setting. They can try different things to see what they may want to do!
I also like that this school has students on campus for 3 days, and off campus for 2 days in order to participate in year-long internships. This allows the students “real world” experience that will be so helpful when they leave the high school setting. They can try different things to see what they may want to do!