Week 4 Reflections

I like the videos assigned this week! I especially enjoyed the interview with Larry Rosenstock[1]. I viewed this particular video several times, not just to get quotes correct, but because the content is powerful. His point of view is very unique to education as I know it. Rosenstock understands that technology and academics can co-exist. He feels that we should not have a non-college bound track. I tend to agree with him; one of my friends was a special needs counselor at Lamar State College, Port Arthur, before she moved to Waco. Her job was to help special population students fit in and succeed. If we give all students the basics at the high school level, even our special populations studens can pursue the dream of a degree.
Rosenstock spoke of the following integrations:

• students across social class - the purpose of public education is to server the public and create a public,
• head and hand - understand derives from activity,
• school and community - wall as permeable as possible,
• secondary and post-secondary - students who ultimately won't go to college are better served if they are not segregated from programs that expect that they will be going to college.

I love that students at High Tech High are required produce and not just consume video and computer games. Rosenstock suggests that we "Wed the methodology of tech(nology) with the pedagogy of academics" to help students be successful.

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[1]Edutopia.org (nd). High Tech High Taking the Lead: An Interview with Larry Rosenstock. Retrieved on March 18, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-technology-larry-rosenstock-video