The video was very interesting because he did actual experiments with computers and children. I thought his idea to place a computer in a hole in the wall was odd at first. It was amazing to watch how the children interacted with the computers and each other. I was surprised at how they were able to learn more as a group than alone and how one child became the teacher. I was also amazed at how fast they were able to find the answers to his questions in the Italian school.
Sugata Mitra's experiments showed us that children are capable of learning so much with computers. I wish our students could use computers more. I know at me daughters school, she does not get to use the computer daily. Some of her classes do study island and sometimes they look up information to write papers. But I do know that each of those projects are done independently. They are not allowed to work in groups. We have so much to learn to help our students learn more.
Most teachers don't have the knowledge or confidence to use technology regularly in the classroom (not to mention the lack of accessibility most classes have to computers).
ReplyDeleteThere is the perception that students working in groups don't accomplish much. This is no doubt because it is true. When the assignments the students are supposed to do as a group are boring or not relevant to the students, a lot of undesirable behavior occurs.
While my students don't work in small groups in my lab, they have the option of wandering the room and asking for help or seeing other students' work. I prefer seeing my classroom as a community instead of as a bunch of small cadres.