Diandrea Clarke
Essay On "Our Brains Extended" by Prensky (2013)
Assignment Sheet
“As a powerful learning tool, technology enhances our capabilities in all domains. Not only can it help in surprising ways with things we still require from the past, such as test preparation, but it's also a sinequa non for many new capabilities, such as database usage.” (Prensky, 2013)
This assessment task is based on an article entitled “Our Brains Extended” by Prensky (2013). Write a six 3-4 page essay which uses or captures the quotation above and the criteria provided below. N.B. The cover page and reference page are not included in the six 3-4 pages required.
- Identify and discuss three (3) of the new subjects Prensky proposes and examine their relevance in the 21st century.
- How will this new way of teaching impact traditional pedagogical norms? Explore (1) implication of embracing this new curriculum from the teacher’s perspective.
- Describe one (1) implication of instituting this new curriculum from a policy maker’s perspective.
- Using relevant examples, give details of three (3) ways in which the teacher could integrate technology in teaching and learning, to aid in enhancing effective: thinking, action, relationships and accomplishments in a current subject area of his/her choice.
Please note that included in the criteria for assessment are evidence of research, use of language and proper referencing using APA. Word limit - 1000 words
Mark Scheme
Content
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25 marks
|
Evidence of Research
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2 marks
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Language
|
3 marks
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Total
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30 marks
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Introduction
This essay is based on an article entitled “Our Brains Extended” which is written by Prensky (2013). This article of Prensky involves: new ways of thinking, rethinking the curriculum, technology enhanced learning, new subjects, different ways in which one can teach using technology within the curriculum and new curriculum. These are some of the important points that the article speaks to and how these things can make a difference through the use of technology incorporated in the 21st century.
The article Prensky (2013) proposes three main subjects which include: Effective Thinking, Effective Action and Effective Relationships.
According to Prensky (2013) Effective Thinking started from the earlier grades with the simple mathematical and logical thinking that focused on flaws such as assuming that something was true because a few examples were given. Prensky (2013) further stated that, technology was introduced to younger children as a thinking extender in the form of games and illustrative stories that allowed them to learn strategically and to use up their logical thinking in projects using spreadsheet which were mostly web based. It is very important that the effective thinking be incorporated with the use of technology from an early age to students which will allow them to use up their critical thinking skills; problem solving skills and their creative thinking skills which would result in them developing a number of skills that the teacher would introduce with the use of technology. The effective thinking in the 21st century is important because it helps students to think in a logical way that will further enhance the brain with the use of technology and thus help them for the future that is constantly changing.
The second subject that was proposed by Prensky (2013) is the Effective Action. In this subject, students are exposed to hands - on projects that enable them to create and improve their actions while developing their community, as well as their country. According to Prensky (2013), the Effective Action curriculum would focus on getting students to be proactive, innovative and to be entrepreneurs that develop programs to improve their communities, their country, as well as the world. Over a period of time, these students may explore and take on the task of creating and designing projects that will be of benefit where they see it necessary. Prensky (2013), also states that by giving these students the opportunity to create and perform these actions of doing projects, would be the main focus of this portion of the students’ work. With the use of effective action in the 21st century, students will be more equipped to take on difficult task using the necessary tools that may be needed to perform the task. Because of the advancement in technology within the 21st century the involvement of the effective action subject will allow for the students to apply themselves in a number of projects that are being developed within countries which are moving forward with the changes in technology to design and improve infrastructure within a country. This subject in turn will help with the development of that country through the student’s innovations.
The third subject that was proposed by Prensky (2013) is the Effective Relationship which is based on helping students to have a high level of communication and collaborative skills that they can interact one on one, in groups and in the society at large. By the use of effective relationship this helps to teach the students how to communicate better, resolve problems and integrate their own personalities with the personality of others; as a result when these students go out in today’s world it will help them in their communication skills in the working world. According to Prensky (2013), the effective relationship will produce persons who will better be able to relate to a wide variety of situations because of their communication skills. The effective relationship in the 21st century is relevant in that in everything there is a need to develop a good relationship in communicating and transferring information from one person to another or groups of persons whether by the use of technology or a face to face interaction.
All three Subject matters are very much relevant in the 21st century because of the effectiveness that they all include the use of technology.
The new way of teaching traditional pedagogical norms will impact both negatively and positively. First the positives of teaching the new way to students is that their work will become easier as well as the work of the teacher in carrying out task and also the learning process will become one that the students will enjoy. This will be as a result of the use of technology that is incorporated to bring across the lesson, which both teachers and students will benefit from this new way of teaching. It will also enable both the teacher and students to perform at a higher standard then with the old way of teaching; this is because of the enhancement in technology that will allow them to have a vast amount of knowledge, become creative and innovative for the effective and efficient use of technology within the classroom. On the other hand the negatives of the new way of teaching students is that the students will have things easier, not wanting to use up their critical and other thinking skills which will result in them being too laid back at what they do and they will not be able to deal with problems that are more challenging. Because of the constant use of technology in the new way of teaching, the students may not want to use up their brain capacity to think; when there is the use of technology that can do what they need to be done by just the click of a button. Furthermore with the use of technology in the teaching and learning process within the classroom can serve as a big distraction to these students as a result learning may be hindered in a different form that is not related to the lesson being taught.
One implication of embracing the new curriculum from the teacher’s perspective is that the curriculum will be more advanced and it will become hard for the teacher to break it down for students that are academically challenged to understand the content that it entails. By embracing the new curriculum the teacher will have a lot of work to do in ensuring that the content is understood by all the students with different learning capacity that are exposed to this new curriculum.
On the other hand one implication of instituting the new curriculum from a policy maker’s perspective which is the Ministry of education; is that it may pose a problem in facilitating the different level of learners within an institution which has to use the curriculum. As a result the policy makers may have to go back to the drawing broad to make necessary adjustments or ensure that this new curriculum facilitate to meet the needs of the different kinds of students within an institution which will be introduced to this new curriculum.
In the subject area of Business Education three (3) ways in which a teacher could integrate technology in the teaching and learning process to aid in enhancing effective thinking, effective action, effective relationship and effective accomplishments are by:
1. The use of innovative software’s and strategies to introduce a lesson and that allows for the students to effectively think and engage in discussion about the lesson and get them involved in doing activities based on the lesson; whether individually, in groups or in peers to complete. For example, introducing the students to a blog that requires a discussion on a particular topic which will require the students to think about the topic then, be engaged in a discussion with their classmates that they are expected to complete by the end of the class; after which the students will be asked to give an overview of the lesson and their experience of using the blog.
2. Giving students a project, for example, to create a layout of a business that will require students to work in groups to use up their thinking skills to be creative and innovative with the use of technology to help them in the enhancement of constructing their project. By doing this the teacher would have helped to incorporate team work to enhance all four subjects that was proposed by Prensky (2013).
3. The use of computers within the classroom, the teacher can send work to the students that require them to do it on the computer and email it to the teacher. For example the teacher set a work for them to create a PowerPoint on the cycle of accounting which they will have to be creative in organizing and presenting the information. By doing this the teacher would have integrated technology in the teaching and learning process which aids the enhancement of the four subject matters that Prensky (2013-2014) speaks about.
Therefore in concluding it can be said that technology is indeed a powerful tool that enhances our capabilities in all domains and is relevant within the 21st century that we are currently living in today.
References
Prensky, M. ( 2013, March). Our Brains Extended. Volume 70, Number 6. Technology-Rich Learning Pages 22-27. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar13/vol70/num06/Our-Brains-Extended.aspx
Prensky, M. (2014, May- June). The World Needs a New Curriculum.
Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://marcprensky.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Prensky-5-The-World_Needs_a_New_Curriculum.pdf
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