Digital Disconnect
From the June 2008 issue of T.H.E. Journal:
A RECENT REPORT by Irvine, CA-based nonprofit Project Tomorrow indicates a stark discord between schools’ perception of the value of the education they’re providing and what students think about it. Released this spring, the fifth annual Speak Up survey assesses how well schools are doing to prepare students for the jobs of the future.
The answer appears to be: Depends on whom you ask. While 66 percent of school administrators, 47 percent of teachers, and 43 percent of parents say “local schools are doing a good job preparing students for the jobs and careers of the future,” only 23 percent of middle and high school students agreed with that assessment.
What’s interesting is the survey suggests that students seem to be more in tune with 21st-century skills than the adults who hold sway over their education. They rate the importance of developing creativity and teamwork skills higher than do their parents and teachers. On top of that, 74 percent of high school students identify good technology skills as the top priority for success in the 21st-century job market. (full text)
Pause for thought. While generation gaps have always occurred, the rate of change in today’s society and culture has increased dramatically and exponentially. This has helped created a huge generation gap today. Some might note that perhaps students don’t know what skills they will need, but at the very least, these numbers show that students don’t feel school is necessarily relevant.
I’d like to go on, but time is short and I’ll need to continue this later. Tonight I am hopping on board Amtrak for an around the country adventure. Pictures and stories will be posted as I travel.
2 responses so far
Roger,
I read that report earlier in the year and was not surprised to learn that students had opinions that were very different from their teachers/mentors. However, I suspect that the students don’t know as much as they think they do about researching and are often content with the sites that are the easiest to find. I’m enjoying your journal. Stay healthy and have a blast!
Phyllis
Phyllis,
You’re correct in that the kids often don’t know as much as they think they do about researching, but I fear that is because we, as educators, are not spending enough time teaching them how to do so. They need to be taught how to discriminate between reliable and unreliable web-sites. Otherwise, they just blunder through the new technologies on their own, gaining what experience they can get.
Before getting into teaching, I was a fundraiser for an international environmental organization. The thing that set me apart from my colleagues and actually led to promotions throughout my tenure there was my understanding of how to use the technology tools at my disposal to make my work performance more efficient. This understanding came about because I was exposed to computers and all they can accomplish from a very young age. I was part of the first generation to grow up with computers. And now, I can’t imagine my life without having one at my fingertips. I could not do my job, or any of the other jobs I’ve ever had, without it.
Computers and the internet are here to stay, and the children, themselves, know that they need to learn the skills to use them effectively.
Lindy