I would venture to say most of us in the West do not know how to hunt a buffalo, skin it, prepare and store some of its meat for the winter, convert its hide to blankets and clothing, or make tools from its bones. I guess supermarkets have weakened our minds and we will never know the joy of the hunt or the satisfaction of a good feast after laboring for days. ;-)
My point is, I agree that new technologies make our lives more convenient and prevent our having to "think" or "learn" things the old way. But if we all lived 150 years ago and had to hunt for meat every month, we wouldn't be free for the creative pursuits in which we are engaged today... and learning NEW things. In other words, perhaps the convenience FREES THE MIND to delve into new territories. ??
What will we CHOOSE to learn since we can't know everything but we CAN know ANYthing?! (Post Modern) The rapid advance of knowledge enables us to personalize and specialize in arenas of thought that build our self confidence and identity. Within our personal learning networks (PLN), we will know to whom to turn for specialized knowledge based on their honed expertise, right? The need today is not learning for learning sake but learning HOW to learn as a mind-skill that will carry us into an unknown future where "explorers" are needed more and more. How do you create an inquisitive mind? That's the challenge before educators today. But not merely inquisitive; rather, critically (not cynically) inquisitive. (posted 9/19/09)
