Should the edu. system be evolving to include communication tech?

22 Comments

How many students spend time in Lecture Halls on their lap top reading twitter, watching youtube, instant messaging etc? Being of the X/Y Gen I found it frustrating to listen to a 3 hour lecture to find out that I only need to know 20% of that information for the exam and have utilized 15% of it on the job - I find 50% of the readings totally not applicable to my life. I would have found it more helpful to learn how to use communication technogies to find the information I NEED. Weed out the crap, how to know when it's crap etc....
There is so much information on the internet, instant information, just waiting to be read/watched/etc..... should the traditional teaching style be reconsidered to integrate these new methods of communication and information? After all these communication technologies influence our lives almost daily, wouldnt it be helpful to learn how to utilize them to advance our career path or more affectively do our job (when we get one). Or better yet change the world by communicating an awesome idea or bringing light to bad decisions that would otherwize be shoved under the carpet.
Do you think that the education system should be changing at a faster pace to keep up with new communication technologies?

Yes 21
No 8
Maybe... please comment 2
I don't really care 7
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Comments ( 22 )
  • ishkabob
    12 years ago

    In Australia the government gave every high school student a new lap top and they have to be the biggest waste of money ever. I don't use mine because it is too heavy and I prefer writing anyway. Since we got them we have been doing no work, the teachers don't teach they just tell us to google everything, everyone plays games the whole time and we have all just cracked the blocking system so we now can get onto any site we want using a proxy. I miss learning. I think we should go back to writing notes and listening to lectures where you pay attention and get something out of it.

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  • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
    12 years ago

    Yes but that's still "professional" use of the programs. There's a difference in testing out a game you're making and farting around goofing off.

    as for... "we don't need to be studying every single second of free time." The only free time I know of in high school is study period and lunch. And of course study period was expected to be used for studying if you had word to do

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  • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
    12 years ago

    Those sites are blocked because ... face it... if you're in class you're suppose to be studying, not chatting online.

    Your parents pay taxes to fund the schools so you can learn, not so you can socialize on the internet.

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  • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
    12 years ago

    It's already being done.

    My last college had a class called "introduction to digital media"... we somewhat nicknamed it "Introduction to iLife".

    There wasn't much on twitter... I mean really it's not that hard to figure out anyway. But the other stuff we did was actually fun and interesting...

    We learned how to use GarageBand to make songs, edit midis, create podcasts, do video commentaries, and made videos that we uploaded to youtube.

    We also learned how to create a google website (just the basic stuff - for more advanced web design you had to take an actual class in that). Oh and we got to use the photobooth on the macs to learn about taking photos and sharing etc.

    In addition the teacher explained the history of media, emphasizing on how copyrights affected technology... i.e. the reason you can copy a music CD is because when the format was originally created the CD-burners cost $20,000 so no one envisioned that anyone would ever want to bootleg a CD.

    So yeah pretty much what you are thinking of (except for twitter) is already covered in some colleges.

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  • Anonymous Post Author
    12 years ago

    yes, exactly. If they integrated that into the program (how to use these sites to communicate important messages etc..) then they wouldnt need to bann them. Make them useful - why bann something that the world embraces so much ?

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    • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
      12 years ago

      Those social networks aren't strong enough to really use for classroom work.

      My last college used computers extensively for organizing classwork and communicating between students and teachers. The kind of stuff we did would *not* be possible on Facebook or Twitter.

      What could this do that twitter and FB cant?
      - check to see what material was being covered
      - provide notes and background material to study for class (in one class the online notes actually *replaced* the textbook)
      - submit finished work to be graded
      - take quizzes and tests
      - communicate with classmates and teachers

      On top of that, it was tailored to each individual student. You could only access the class pages for a class you were actually enrolled in.

      Plus you didn't have to wade through updates of "LOL great movie!" and "Pictures of my new dog!" to get to the class-related material....

      Although perhaps that's why some *do* want to have twitter in class... so they can chat with friends during the lecture.

      Then again, when you get to college you won't be allowed to text in class either. it's considered rude and disruptive, especially since the other students are paying for the education.

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      • Anonymous Post Author
        12 years ago

        Thats not really what Im talking about. Okay, so my job involves a lot networking - most jobs do, school should prepare you to use social networking within your future career. For example: If you are in Marketing, you should be taught how to PROPERLY use Youtube, twitter and Facebook to advertize - If you are an Events Coordinator you should be taught effective ways to use these online tools to promite your event, If you are a fundraiser (ditto), if you are a HR person you could use these tools to promote workplace wellness, health and safety and recruit new staff using these tools.
        This site could be used to conduct a survey - a free survey for school -
        I could go on with the possibilities. The reality is the internet is the MAIN means of communication today, and the school system is behind because when it comes to useing these tools effectively in the workplace.

        I am not condoning going on facebook durring class for non class related stuff ~ That SHOULD be obvious.

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        • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
          12 years ago

          "Make them useful - why bann something that the world embraces so much ?"

          Yes you said you don't condone goofing off on them.

          However you must also understand that kids in school WILL do just that. Schools don't just block those sites because they're meanies... they block them because there's already been problems with kids farting around on the social network sites and not paying attention in class.

          You yourself mentioned using them in a lecture.

          if anything we need to teach kids about what NOT to post or do online.

          examples

          - posting personal stuff during class, or while on the clock at work. BAD. Hell you can get fired for that if you're at work

          - Posting that you're going on vacation to another state. BAD. Now everyone knows your house is unoccupied.

          - Posting that you're skipping school or work to party when your teacher or boss is on your friend's list. O_o that's herp derp right there.

          - Posting pix from your phone without disabling your GPS. The GPS data gets attached to the metadata of the photo so anyone who sees the pic and saves it can see exactly where you took it.

          THIS is what we need to teach ... not how to use it but how to NOT use it. And when it's inappropriate to twitter and text

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          • Anonymous Post Author
            12 years ago

            They arent kids anymore if they are in college, they are supposed to be reponsible for themselves. If they want to learn, they will. The only reason they wouldnt feel responsible for themselves is if thier parents coddled the fuck out of them throughout their life (and they havent paid for school themselves or at least a portion). I think its been proven time and time again that Banning things will NOT stop ppl from doing shit they want to do.

            - posting personal stuff during class, or while on the clock at work. BAD. Hell you can get fired for that if you're at work
            --- depends on where you work - and that should be obvious.

            - Posting that you're going on vacation to another state. BAD. Now everyone knows your house is unoccupied.
            ---- thats just retarded, anyone who is stupid enough to do that, deserves what they get.

            - Posting that you're skipping school or work to party when your teacher or boss is on your friend's list. O_o that's herp derp right there.
            ------- uhhhhh, common sense - natural selection -- parents fault for raising stupid children

            - Posting pix from your phone without disabling your GPS. The GPS data gets attached to the metadata of the photo so anyone who sees the pic and saves it can see exactly where you took it.
            ---------yes, I thought this was common knowledge

            In my opinion, all of these things are known already. If a proff was to teach me when it is appropriate to use these network tools and when it isnt thats a waste of time, everyone under the age of 30 knows this stuff, pretty basic. As far as what is approppriate to post and what isnt - thats up to how parents raise their children - I think its safe to say that the general public understands that posting stupid shit on your facebook is just STUPID - and a reflection of intelligence.

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            • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
              12 years ago

              you'd be surprised. we had a few kids scolded for texting in class at my last college.

              and yes to me they were still kids. i mean hell i think i was old enough to be their mom in a few cases.

              i just don't see how teaching someone about how to use twitter & FB & etcis going to do much. kids already know how to use it... Seriously what they need to learn is when not to use it and what not to post.

              Or as we said in the military "OPSEC"

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  • lilylily
    12 years ago

    How about hands on learning? Instead of reading about what's out in the world, they should actually show us. I don't mean that to learn about Asia the school has to go there. I just mean, why don't they do fun projects that actually help kids understand better, like let them learn a traditional dance or make a "ceremonial dragon".

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      12 years ago

      I agree. fun projects like upload a youtube video explaining the trauma of war or something would be more hands on than just reading about it. You remember more when you participate. :)

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  • miles2662
    12 years ago

    "Communication" is taught already.
    It is called READING and WRITING.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      12 years ago

      I dont think you read the whole post, but.....
      yes we have those things, but Im talking about them teaching us how to use twitter, youtube within our career path.

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  • dom180
    12 years ago

    It's horses for courses, some people learn better from listening, some better from reading. Personally, I think that a bit of both is advised, as both serve as important skills in later life. I prefer listening, because the paralinguistics of a good lecturer can help you to realise what is important. On the internet there is too much information, and no good way of grading the quality of the information, so what you choose to believe is just a guess.

    I also think that a lot of lectures could be made much more succinct and easier to understand, because you are quite right in saying that most of the information is not actually needed for the exam, and in this day and age, we go to college for exam results, not to learn. However, there is no way of affecting any of these changes in reality, they will either slowly be incorporated over time, or the need for them will cease.

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  • howaminotmyself
    12 years ago

    The internet is a very useful tool for sharing information. And education is a little slow to pick up on it but those things cost money. And some people don't want the public to have the facts...I smell conspiracy.

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  • FocoUS
    12 years ago

    I understand that we need to modernize but I don't think it should take over the teaching system completely. I'm not sure about your school but my college is utilizing communication tech.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      12 years ago

      My school is as well, but I think we should be learning how to use Twitter, youtube and other sites within our career...... as that is how the future is going.

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      • miles2662
        12 years ago

        I am 81 years old.
        When I buy electronic communications items (like my mobile phone), I ask a young person to show me hos it works.
        I have already, all by myself, worked-out how to use Twitter, YouTube, etc. And if I can do it, schoolkids can do it.
        Actually, if kids were banned from using computers, they would learn a lot more.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          12 years ago

          Lean alot more? Well I suppose that is up to argument, however, I do admire that you want to keep up to date with technologies - so many people dont want to within your age group. I told my mother exactly what you said, if a 4 year old can do it, you can do it.

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