There is so much information in the book, “New Culture of Learning” by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown, so narrowing down the main point was hard to do. However, I think the main point of the book is to explain how students learn by collaboration, asking questions, and classroom environments. This book sparks the hope of a new generation of learning in schools that not only more effective, but also adaptable to the changing world we live in. Some main points that I found to be most important include embracing change, collaboration with peers, and creating a classroom environment that fosters active learning. This book challenged me to break out of the mold that the school system has created for us and make a leaning environment that truly fosters student imagination.
The first main point I want to discuss is how the book challenges teachers and students to embrace change as it comes. Out of everything that is changing in the world, the school system is something that has seemingly stayed the same. What we learn has been the same for years, even though knowledge is evolving every day. This book challenges the reader with the thought that learning takes place outside of the classroom more than inside the classroom. A large way that the classroom is changing is through technology, however, a lot of teachers do not allow technology in the classroom much at all. With technology, we have all the information we need at our fingertips, so change happens daily as people use the internet. Students are learning daily through reading on the internet by being part of an evolving story. Teachers need to change their mindset and look forward to change rather than pushing it away as it comes. This makes teachers in line with the ISTE standard of a learner who is continually improving his/her practice by learning and exploring. Teachers also need to remember that memorization is not the best way students learn anymore, we need to create a story from the information that fosters true learning in school.
The next main point that I found interesting is the importance of collaboration with student learning. This book brought a new topic to me called the collective, which is a kind of learning where students are learning by interacting and participating with other students. In a collective, all the students’ special skills come together to teach more than one teacher could by standing in front of the class. A collective helps students become the ISTE standard creative communicators that allows the students to clearly express themselves. Of course, this kind of learning happens with the use of technology and students being able to find any information they need. With a collective, students are focusing on topics that interest them which makes those students more excited to learn. Students are also able to discuss personal feelings about topics to dig deeper than just knowing the information on a simple level. The authors of the book compared group projects to social networking, except with group projects, learning is stressful, and the work is not usually evenly disbursed. However, with social networking, students are working together in a collective, but no one dreads them.
The final point that I found to be most important in “A New Culture of Learning” is the emphasis on the classroom environment. The first thing that is needed in a good classroom environment is a massive information network that provides unlimited access to information. The second thing that is needed is bounds in the classroom that allow students to experiment with things within those boundaries. An example of a good technological environment is shown with hanging out, messing around, and geeking out. Within hanging out, students participate in digital environments to learn how to be a good digital citizen, which is an ISTE standard. This is an important step where students are learning how to act in an interconnected digital world safely, legally, and ethically. In messing around, students focus on extending their knowledge through the technological environments. With geeking out, students are learning through communities that have domains of knowledge, practice, and participation. Students are utilizing the available resources for deep exploration.
Overall, this book discusses a new way to educate students so they are learning how to live in this technological society. The authors do this by discussing collaboration, asking questions, and classroom environments. This book opened my eyes to a way of teaching that I have never experienced or even heard of. My philosophy of education includes the idea that classroom should be a place where change is not only accepted, but it is expected, especially when students are benefiting from the change. I agree that schools should adapt to a system that allows students to explore and create.
I linked a website that has more information on the book and a cool video that explains what more of what a New culture of learning classroom would look like.
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