Ch. 8: Rethinking.............

With all of the advancements in technology, we need to find a way to monitor and "cope" with them.  How can we use these tools to our full potential?  What is their full poetential?  These questions will always have different answers but we can find a happy medium for what we are currently doing.  The idea of using computers for better standardized testing is a cool idea.  It would be great to focus in on all students strengths when testing them as a whole, especially when it could be for state and federal funding or determining their success.  It would be great to specialize the testing to what suits the student best and really challenge them on their skill sets.  Also, the curriculum can be more focused on what the student really enjoys learning about which would also increase their participation in class.  With an array of curriculums, each student could share their area of "specialty" and share this with the class.  The classroom can become an area for all units of studying and can even spark interests for other students.  This would also spark extra learning outside of the classroom.  A big problem is still the "divide" of technology services provided for students.  It is true that some students may not have the same oppurtunities outside of school to continue their learning but, with the standardized testing, they could test high enough to receive funding for more computers.  I like the idea of focusing on a students interests and what they want to be, but you cannot do that all the time in the classroom.  I think I would hold a unit or have a once a week day to work on something related to your interests and aspirations but I feel like you still have to follow a curriculum that is almost the same for every student.  It's not possible to focus on every strength of the student but let them find their strengths and in higher education (college prep-college classes) and then focus your learning on it.  Students of all ages constantly change what they want to learn and what they want to be.  It isn't fair or possible to always change your approach year in and year out with every single student.