Dive Brief:
- In an interview, author David Thornburg says he's not sure why we still use teaching methods — such as the lecture — that haven't changed since the 1300s.
- Thornburg also points out that often teachers use new technology to do old things better, rather than using it to do things truly differently (a case in point: the interactive whiteboard).
- He contends that teachers often give out too much information, rather than asking open-ended questions and letting students discover the answers.
Dive Insight:
Thornburg has written "From the Campfire to the Holodeck: Creating Engaging and Powerful 21st Century Learning Environments," in which he talks about four learning models: lectures, social learning, quiet reflection and life itself. Part of the title comes from an instance in which Thornburg helped create a Star Trek-style "holodeck"-type learning environment, where a large projection screen took over one side of the room and personal computers lined the walls. The book was also one of nine to land on our list of new books educators need to know about.