A key portion of yesterday’s debate between New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his opponent Bill Thompson focused on education. According to Bloomberg, state statistics show that students are performing better in key metrics, but Thompson argued that the metrics themselves were flawed and that schools need to cultivate student’s critical thinking skills over and above simple memorization.
We of course believe it is necessary to encourage students to apply what they have learned in class to the real world. Critical thinking requires objective distance from information and confidence in one’s own reasoning abilities. Our educational interface enables students to gain real world experiences relevant to what they learn. The DaVinci Interface provides opportunities for students to have first-hand service experiences, which in turn offers the perspective and confidence necessary for critical thinking skills. And while they are developing these skills, they will be making the world a better place.
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I think a critical aspect of a service-oriented educational interface should be to encourage students to develop their critical thinking skills by trying to solve real world problems. It seems like many schools that claim to have their students complete a ’service’ component are content to just provide the students with a ‘volunteering’ or ‘community service’ experience. While this is important in helping students develop as conscious citizens, I would suggest something more. Over and beyond simply volunteering with non-profit organizations on the initiatives that the organizations themselves have created, the students should be encouraged to think hard, work together (with one another, with teachers, and and perhaps with partner non-profits), and come up with their own ideas and initiatives geared toward solving big problems.
Getting students invested in and committed to a big problem leads to a kind of active learning and problem solving that traditional community service programs in schools have, for the most part, not been able to deliver.
This presents a great opportunity for Fractor to step in and remedy the situation.
Yes! We think the key will be providing teachers with the best possible tools for creating such an environment.