Articles+Reflections+(Mualla+ACAR)

//**“ I have been drawn to reading articles like this about educating the so-called "Net Generation". Like others, this article makes a case that we need to edu-tain these students. The main premise of these articles is that education (in this era of the Xbox and the iPod) needs a complete overhaul in order to engage students so that they are no longer "bored" with school. In this article, the author states that there is a group of student who are "...convinced that school is totally devoid of interest and totally irrelevant to their life. In fact, they find school much less interesting than the myriad of devices they carry in their pockets’ and backpacks. These kids are used to having anyone who asks for their attention . . . work really hard to earn it. When what is being offered isn't engaging, these students truly resent their time being wasted . . . The motto for this group? 'Engage me or enrage me'."**// //**This morning, I sat here for an hour trying to articulate what makes me so angry about this viewpoint. I have mulled over this article (and others like it) for weeks. I have started outline after outline trying to express why this viewpoint is a cop out that lowers the bar (and our expectations) for students. This view is a threat to the basic expectation that students come to school prepared to work (yes, school is work) for their education. Student "engagement" and motivation is fascinating. This article (and others like it), place the responsibility (and blame) for student motivation solely on the shoulders of the school and the instructional design which the author notes is "boring" to this generation of students.**// //**The author asserts that at school "it is so boring that the kids, used to this other life, just can't stand it." Further, he cites that the old school curriculum is to blame. Does this include the old school curriculum standbys of reading, writing and arithmetic that adults need in order to function in society? Unfortunately, what is missing in most articles like this is an analysis of the students' responsibility. What about the level of attention and engagement we must demand of them? The author notes, "They certainly don't have short attention spans for their games, movies, music or internet surfing." Of course not - those activities are all low effort leisure pursuits. It is not plausible to compare the level of personal involvement needed to watch a movie to the attention and engagement required of a student to actively listen and participate during lectures, to write papers and to study for exams in school. Further, it is not practical to compare the rewards. While games, movies and internet surfing all provide instant gratification, it is nothing compared to the long term benefits of a hard-earned education. It is lowering the bar to defend students who do not put forth the effort and rise to the challenge. There is no way around it. You must work (hard) for your education. We must instill in students that education is work and work has its own rewards far beyond the immediate gratification of the current leisure time pursuits.**// //**Which brings me to the title of this post. . . Every time (and I mean every time) I leave my mother (from the time I can remember through today), she says, "Be a good girl, have a good time and learn a lot." These three little phrases sum up a wonderful approach to life - and to education. The underlying theme is that life is what YOU make it - not what someone else creates for you. It is up to YOU to be good. It is up to YOU to have a good time. It is up to YOU to learn a lot. While I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of all educators to walk out the door and prepare to educate students with this same mantra running though their heads, I return to my argument that it is a cop out if we do not expect (and demand) the same of students. While I firmly agree that it is our responsibility to make education as relevant and engaging as possible**, we must instill in learners that it is their education and it is up to them to be good, have a good time and learn a lot.”//