Customer Reviews

Engines for Education

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We've all heard about paradigm shifts; here's your chance to experience one. This book delivers so much common sense backed by advanced research that it's hard not to be compelled to rethink our entire educational system. But don't be overwhelmed by Shank's conclusions, he has wisely broken his outrage and insight into bite sized portions. You can reflect intelligently upon his ideas without feeling swamped by the magnitude of the problem. Although, for what he proposes to become a reality in schools across the country significant changes in public thinking are required, Schank has included lists of things that can be done today to make classrooms more relevant, more engaging, more likely to foster the kind of learning that happens when a student actively pursues something of interest to him or her. As a teacher-in-training I am appalled at the student apathy and the ineffective teaching techniques that exist in some of the better classes in some of the better schools I have visited. Shank's insight and proposals are too good to not work their way into the educational system, for the simple reason that they leverage the most important learning device known to man: human interest and curiosity. However, in the meantime another generation of young people are doin'-time in our schools. Not only are they not learning much of value, more tragic than that is that they are learning to dislike learning. I'll conclude by letting you know how restrained I've remained while writing this review. I'm cautious of all hyperbole and have attempted mightily to resist the temptation to declare this book to be something greater than I dare. But suffice it to say that if you read Engines for Education with an open mind you'll actually see a glimmer of possibility, a genuine ray of hope in the otherwise sadly redundant world of education.

...and one might because he is quite persuasive and has a way with language. Also, many of us want to believe there are some ways to improve education in this country. I enjoyed this book, and found it a stimulating read. However, there's one major criterion on which I felt this book failed.

While motivating the need for remedying education, Schank takes the approach of preaching to the converted. Either that, or he acts as a demagogue, I am interpreting it politely. Basically, he establishes the need for change in education, by and large, anecdotally, without reference to relevant evidence, without reporting any research or non-subjective demonstration of the motivation for his proposed fix.

Also, one must accept the concept that this fix would work on a large scale on faith. Who knows? Maybe exponentially expaning computer-based learning could improve education in many ways. Would those improvements remedy ALL the ills of education he cites? Maybe... maybe not.

would there be negative side effects to expanding the role of computers in instruction? Schank does not consider these possibilities thoroughly enough. In short, a very interesting idea that is presented in an uncomfortably one-sided fashion. A reccomended read; but to be read with critical faculties as well as an open mind.

In a very simple way of saying things, Schank shows most of the flaws of the current educational system and not only proposes changes but shows how it is possible to do it with the help of computers to bring individualized instruction. And he shows the great software they have been doing in the Institute of Learning Sciences. This is really a great book with very strong points of view, something I haven't seen in the latest years. It made me think and and rethink about education and I expect to feel still more effects in the future. You don't need to buy the book if you prefer to see it on the Internet. But, for me it's nice to keep this book with me. It's a classic one.

Many teacher in the world are a little skeptic about what direction is education going. Just read this book and you will find your answer. Some teacher with many years in the system say; "The way I teach my class is the way I learned." Guess what, students have VCR, Cable, DVD, Computers, Stereo System, Dish, Web sites, etc. We must get with it. We must make the classroom a Multi-media enviorment. So we can keep students interested on our class. This book gives you an excellent guide to how to work it out. Keep the students interested in such way that they will line up in front of your class and don't want to leave. This is a must for old and new teachers around the world.