March 28, 2010

Well first I have to say that Dan seems like he should be voice personality. He needs his own radio show or something like that, or like he should narrate documentaries. Now that I've stated my opinion on what Dan's future career should be, I have to say I agree with him completely on the foundations of education and Universities always changing. I think that Universities and schools were a great foundation for or, "launching pad" for the way we learn today, but times are changing. We do live in a world where we don't have to memorize facts because we have those facts at our finger tips, we do however live in a world that is ever evolving and chaining and it's creativity that we are wanting. Its very discouraging to me that creative programs are being taken out of schools and our educational programs, when I firmly believe that allowing a student to be creative is what is going to make their learning flourish. Our educational systems need to change and put the creativity back in the classrooms, or the world will leave our educational systems behind.

I can completely relate to Morgan Bayda when she talks about getting cheated in school. I don't know how many hundreds, possibly even thousands of dollars I have spent on books, that I don't even open, or on classes that I don't have to attend because everything I need is online. I do go to my classes however, and sit through hours of pointless lectures, drinking coffee like it's going out of style, forcing myself to stay awake by taking notes, and I do is all because I am paying for it!!!! Education is a priceless gift, that costs so much money, but I agree that Universities are putting a hold on the true potential of their students. Take the University that this EDM 310 class is attending and the new merged curriculum that it is forcing it's education majors to partake in. I am shocked and really very appalled that it would even consider merging Elementary Education and Special Education into one. I feel that by doing this, the University is forcing students to practice what they are not passionate about. It is taking students whom have the love and drive to work with Reg Ed students, and marketing them into a field that they are not as passionate about, and the same goes with Special Education Majors. Why force a Special Education major into a classroom that is Reg Ed, when that's not where their hearts are. OK, yes I agree that teachers need to be better prepared to deal with inclusion in their classroom, but at the end of the day, by forcing two people to switch roles, we are doing a dis-service to the students we will be teaching. The University is taking away our choice as to what we want to learn, and forcing upon us a curriculum that we are not passionate about. This I feel ties hand in hand with taking creative learning out of the classroom. Our educational systems are so focused on teaching us to regurgitate facts that it is taking away from our abilities to be creative, to learn and teach, "out side the box." If it wasn't for creative minds we wouldn't have computers, or the internet, email, facebook, twitter, skype ect. Universities need to allow their students to learn in a creative way, what they want to learn, and support what we are wanting to do. They need to support and change with their students and the world, or we will be forced to leave them behind, and do it without the great, "launch pad."