Willimantic, Conn – On Oct. 29, career educator Marek Beck came to Eastern Connecticut State University to discuss the future of education.
Beck presented a quote by John Dewey, which was written in 1915. “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow,” said Beck as he emphasized the idea that rigor needs to be redefined.
Beck began his presentation by displaying a picture of his two little girls on the projector. He talked about how special these girls are to him, and how he wants what is best for them in every way possible, including education. He worries that his daughters, as well as all students in this generation, are not being properly educated according to the technological advancements that continue to be manufactured.
Eastern students then got a chance to do some activities. Beck asked the students to think of a time they remember truly learning something the most. Not one student mentioned being in a classroom when this form of learning occurred. The students were then asked to go to www.kahootit.com to participate in a little quiz through their phones, teaching them some interesting statistics about technology – through technology.
The achievement gap is no longer viewed as a gap between students, but as a gap between what schools are teaching versus what students should be learning.
Beck discussed the important aspects of learning within this generation and what job recruiters look for in their employees. Among the top ten skills recruiters seek are critical thinking, collaboration, agility, adaptability, curiosity and imagination.
To end his presentation, Beck discussed the idea of a Self-Organized Learning Environment (SOLE), which is “a spark in curiosity in children by asking them to explore a ‘big’ question using the Internet and their ability to work together.” All in all, Beck believes technology should be implemented more within learning tactics in schools, and that education should be reformed in ways that pertain more to this generation and future generations.