Synopses & Reviews
In his classic 1915 book Schools of Tomorrow, famed educator John Dewey made the case that education needed to adopt new instructional approaches based on future societal needs. In one of his most widely quoted commentaries, he predicted that if we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow. Nearly a century later, that analysis still resonates in the Digital Age: If schools do not reinvent themselves to engage students and train them with new skills, it will become even more difficult to produce the results that are needed for competing in a global economy.
In this insightful new book, Darrell West examines new models of education made possible by enhanced information technology, models that will make public education in the post-industrial age more effective and more relevant.
Pilot programs all across America are experimenting with different organizations and delivery systems. In particular, West examines personalized learning; real-time student assessment; enhanced teacher evaluation; distance learning; special education; blogs, wikis, and social media; and video games and augmented reality in K?12 and higher education.
Imagine schools where students master vital skills and critical thinking in a collaborative manner; where teachers assess pupils in real-time and social media; and digital libraries connect learners to a wide range of authentic informational resources. Teachers take on the role of coaches, students learn at their own pace, technology tracks student progress, and schools are judged based on outcomes. Rather than be limited to six hours a day for half the year, education moves toward 24/7 engagement and learning throughout the year.
Technology by itself will not remake education. But if public education combines increased digitization with improvements in organization, operations, and culture, we can overcome current barriers, produce better results, and improve the manner in which schools function.
Praise for the work of Darrell M. West
If you want to understand the next wave of digital technologies, then Darrell West's The Next Wave is a must-read. Read, learn, put it to use today and tomorrow. --Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Everyone knows our immigration system is broken, but West provides the kind of facts and analysis we need to move the issue forward in Washington. --Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, on Brain Gain
Synopsis
Nearly a century ago, famed educator John Dewey said that if we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow. That wisdom resonates more strongly than ever today, and that maxim underlies this insightful look at the present and future of education in the digital age.
As Darrell West makes clear, today's educational institutions must reinvent themselves to engage students successfully and provide them with the skills needed to compete in an increasingly global, technological, and online world. Otherwise the American education system will continue to fall woefully short in its mission to prepare the population to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
West examines new models of education made possible by enhanced information technology, new approaches that will make public education in the post-industrial age more relevant, efficient, and ultimately more productive. Innovative pilot programs are popping up all over the nation, experimenting with different forms of organization and delivery systems.
Digital Schools surveys this promising new landscape, examining in particular personalized learning; realtime student assessment; ways to enhance teacher evaluation; the untapped potential of distance learning; and the ways in which technology can improve the effectiveness of special education and foreign language instruction. West illustrates the potential contributions of blogs, wikis, social media, and video games and augmented reality in K-12 and higher education.
Technology by itself will not remake education. But if today's schools combine increased digitization with needed improvements in organization, operations, and culture, we can overcome current barriers, produce better results, and improve the manner in which schools function. And we can get back to teaching for tomorrow, rather than for yesterday.