"Our Brains Extended"

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar13/vol70/num06/Our-Brains-Extended.aspx

Mark Prensky says that, "Technology.. is an extension of our brains; it's a new way of thinking." Also, he says that we've always had external ways to enhance our own thinking such as writing tools, counting tools, etc. Prensky goes on to say that with our newfound dependence on technology, curriculum in the classroom must change in order to keep up. The "new" Common Core Standards simply do not relate to what children need to know in the world currently. We depend so much on technology, yet we teach children to do math problems without calculators and teach reading by writing on a board and using paperback, uninteractive books. Prensky also points out that we shouldn't look at technology as "the new way to do things." However, we should see it as a way to make us more efficient and capable. He says that the entire curriculum is outdated and should be focused into three main groups: Effective Thinking, Effective Action, and Effective Accomplishment. Many of the old, standard subjects like Social Studies, some components of Math, and other basic topics would be omitted completely.


Before reading Prensky's article I had never seen technology in this light. To me, technology is a necessary evil and humans are becoming way too attached. Just in my lifetime, society has gone from going to the library to do research on a topic, to having access to an unmeasurable amount of information- all at the touch of a fingerprint. It is mindblowing to think how fast technology has progressed over the last twenty years; however, I disagree that we should stop teaching kids the" pencil and paper" way of computing math problems, writing, etc. Yes, technology is a great thing, but it should not replace learning, and doing away with subjects that have been taught for hundreds of years is not the right answer. I understand that some ways in which teachers instruct their students are outdated; however, preparing children for the real-world is not solely what school is about. Helping children learn ethics, how to work as a team, and other various things are great, but none of these should replace whole subjects that we currently teach.