Ian Jukes

The brain research is very interesting and in hindsight it seems very reasonable that our experiences throughout life would rewire our brain. Other body organs are able to adapt to changes in our environment; it should not surprise us that our brains have similar qualities. Its one of the beauties of life.

I agree that armed with the technology of today and the knowledge of how today's kids are different, teachers should really focus on our delivery methods in the classroom. This will be hard work for teachers, finding creative and innovative ways to engage kids in the learning process takes a tremendous amount of time. Even with ample time other factors exist that make change difficult. Making a change like this is much like asking someone to teach a subject they know well in a different language. I know science but if you were to ask me to teach science in German it would be an incredible challenge. For many teachers my analogy is very similar to their reality. If we are to improve our educational system two things need to take place. First, and this is by far the most important one, teachers need to accept they must change and need help to do so. Secondly, communities, including administration and boards of education, must establish clear and reasonable goals for their teachers for implementing these new techniques.

On the other hand I would like to take issue with the speakers issue on a kids ability to multitask. The reality is our brains don’t multitask well. It is why so many accidents occur when drivers are on cell phones or eating while driving. Today’s youth may be better at switching between tasks but they are not multi-tasking.

Kids should have this information as well. They should know how they are wired and use this knowledge to better themselves. Knowing this shouldn’t be a crutch or an excuse for a child not to be able to learn or to be engaged. It should be used as a guide for what I need to work on or what ways will help me learn things the best.