WEEK 4 - student self-directed learning

I have heard about Ted Talks on several different occasions and in various contexts, but never followed through in actually watching a video. Finally, I got to it as recommended in my Digital Technology for Learning course. The slogan for Ted Talks is "ideas worth spreading", and I agree with this statement and would like to spread an idea presented in one such video talk called Hole in the Wall Child-Driven Education.

This Ted Talk led by education scientist Sugata Mitra, followed his research which placed computers in public accessible areas within countries ranging in depravity. The concept behind this study was to see what would happen when computers with Internet access were built literally in holes in a wall, left unsupervised. In all of the studies mentioned, students by curiosity and self-motivated interest, were successful in not only learning how to use the computer but eventually were able to figure out how to play games, send emails,  and research science diagrams too. Ultimately, children left on their own will learn how to use computers, so long as there is some type of individual and or group curiosity.

Mitra also developed learning spaces called SOLE's (self-organized learning environments). These SOLES are small rooms that have a computer, high-speed Internet access and furniture  to host small groups. Within these rooms are large screens where a teacher or mediator can assist students or lead them through activities. What I found most interesting is how educating and facilitating learning can happen despite distance and language barriers.

Recently it has come to my attention that many of my colleagues in the education program, are considering uprooting themselves to teach overseas in countries such as Kazakhstan, Australia, Japan and Honduras. It is very inspiring to see their global approach to education. It is likewise encouraging to see in this video how long-distance education can take place via computers. Mitra began his video by stating a very real issue that there are great teachers, but these great teachers are unwilling to teach in such countries as the places he set up the computers. What I believe Mitra was getting at was that education can be global, whether an individual teacher is physically in the classroom or not. Students are also capable of directing their own learning in so much that there are some resources provided for them. We can take a lot away from this video in the sense that educators both in North America and all over the world should give more credit for children's natural curiosity to learn that is in many ways innate to them.