The Future of Learning

I found this video fascinating.  I really do think that our educational system is frustrating for everyone, and I remember loving the moments when I felt challenged, and hating it when I understood the concepts before the rest of the class because it was so boring to go over the same concepts over and over again.  Thus, I find the notion of revolutionizing education fascinating.    Knewton in particular really stood out to me due to its potential to help student engagement by customizing the curriculum to fit each student.  The thought of being able to reach every student and keep them interested, or at least focused, is fascinating.  Yet, I think that this would definitely have to be supplemented by actual classroom or face to face instruction because computers can handle multiple choice, but I really can't see them evaluating higher order thinking skills and deep understanding of content in any non-programmed way.  Anything creative requires a teacher, and thus, anything written requires a teacher to evaluate the qualities that simply can't be judged with logarithms and formulas.  I really do like the notion of learning going back to the concept of discovery and passing down passion and guidance from the teacher to the student.  By using technology as a tool to this extent in order to create a constructivist classroom environment, I think that we could create learners motivated by discovery rather than by getting through the school day with minimal homework and effort.
     I thought that it was also very interesting that the school system was modeled after the military and the factory system.  Yet, real, meaningful learning does not happen as frequently when students are being pummeled with knowledge than it does when they have the chance to experience and discover concepts for themselves.  Sydney and I were talking after class a few weeks back about how we both really don't think that the learning modality in which information is delivered affects how we as individuals learn half as much as being genuinely interested in the subject and relating to it in some way does.  Personally, I believe that while there are many different ways in which people learn, different modalities through which they best understand and different multiple intelligences, all the students who come through the doors of our classrooms are experiential learners, and they really need this opportunity to make connections and discover for themselves.  So, if we can figure out a way to reconfigure our educational system so that this individualization and focus on discovery come to the forefront (which also would help kids with learning disabilites who struggle to fit into the traditional learning model), then I think that the students and society would greatly benefit.
-Rachel