Hi Grace,

I think this topic is hotly debated among those who are interested in pedagogy. On one hand you have students who are struggling to keep up, in the other, you have students who need more challenges to keep them motivated.

I think it is great that you have openly discussed both sides equally well. I myself, if I had the power, would encourage all those who are seeking education as their vocation to continuously communicate and challenge their students based on their individual capabilities and abilities.

I was fortunate enough to study under such lecturers and teachers and I could honestly say it has helped me understand subjects far better than my colleagues in other classrooms.

It is always a pleasure to read your blog posts! I loved the questions, you posed for us, the reader, at the end. Sometimes I really do question why we read what the syllabus instructs us to. Besides the small fact that it is a requirement or ‘strongly recommended’, I also question the ‘why?’. Why are we reading this article, by this author, and in this class? Why does their voice matter over others? Of course, these questions usually pop in my head when procrastination kicks in, but also when I can’t connect what I am learning to the big picture. No matter when these questions come, I am glad my brain is developing them because that is an indication that it is exercising!

Kathryn,

Thank you so much for your comments here and other posts. I greatly appreciate your insights. I apologize for not responding sooner! I really appreciated your comments on moving to a collaborative learning environment – in moving students away from the “perform so I can get a degree” mentality. I don’t think it is easy and I’m not sure how to do it, but I am challenged by this class to work on it!

Thanks so much for your encouragement to “be messy”! You really help me to see what I may deem as “messy” as a way to connect with and show students that we are all messy and on a journey of learning together.

Thanks for the comment Zhanyu. Think of it in this way. You will not be able to eliminate competition from education totally. People will be free to specialize in subjects and skills of their choice. Think of Stack Overflow exchange. Yes people compete to write the best answers, but in the long run, they do tend to specialize in certain topics. Similar in the case of MMOG where people play with specific characters and acquire specific skills.

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