What do kids learn in school?
Yesterday I was at a very interesting meeting with Egmont, one of the biggest Nordic publishing houses with interests in 31 markets around the globe.
The theme was innovation, and they presented a project they have done with ReD Associates, where they have been interviewing 13-23 year old Danish girls about their media habbits in terms of consumption and spending. And in regards to school there were some revelations which I found alarming.
It turns out that all the IT, the schools have invested in, is being used in a counterproductive fashion. Students get assignments that are way too easy for their skill-levels, and as a result they spend endless time - in class, mind you - surfing Facebook or other social networking sites, listening to their iPod’s and send SMS’s to eachother. The only thing they don’t do, if you believe Egmonts findings, is listen to the teacher.
I wonder if the Secretary of Education knows that? Knows that the future of our country founder in the class rooms, because the teachers are too ill equipped on a knowledge level to provide the right sort of challenges for these students? That time is being wasted. And that people come out of school who may have next to little knowledge about how to think deeply about intellectual matters?
It’s scary. Has IT become a Trojan horse?
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6 comments
I remember when we talked about how song and dance helped students improve their learning curve. Instead of thinking about these social tools as trojan horses, we should embrace them, and make them part of the learning experience.
Is social networks and new technology a trojan horse at the workplace?
Yes, we should embrace them. But as long as the teachers are no equipped to do so, it’s a Trojan horse, where students take control and do whatever they like - and miss out on what should otherwise be valuable time on class. As for the workplace I think t’s somewhat more structured use, we have. But then again I’m sure a lot of time is wasted inside companies too.
[...] What do kids learn in school? — Vad NU! they have been interviewing 13-23 year old Danish girls about their media habbits in terms of consumption and spending. And in regards to school there were some revelations which I found alarming. [...]
How much girls were interviewed? What was there socio-economic status? Is there a difference in media consumption between girls and boys? Is it sure that the teachers are problem? What do girls do when IT is not part the given subject? Is there any chance to read this research?
Apologies for the errors:)
They followed 24 girls plus their closest friends so about 100 in all. Socio economic status was representative, ie rich and not so well off among each other. Apart from that I don’t know. The research is Egmont specific and thus not shared in greater detail with anyone.
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