The difference between humans and machines, such as computer, is that humans are sentient beings. Computers can never replace that aspect. Feelings, background experiences, and genetics are important to what makes us individuals, so it is urgent for us to differentiate, not only between our students, but also in our –isms. Students need individual interaction. All –isms have their place. They are the starting point where we as educators can evaluate ourselves to improve on or teaching. We do “cherry-pick” our ideas; sometimes without even knowing they were ever a part of an –ism, until we study them. We do a combination of them daily. To disregard something, such as suggested by Stephen Downes, because it was disregarded by an era of thinkers in the evolution of education is ludicrous. I don’t think the Lancasterian Monitorial Method (Saettler, 2004) of the classroom is best for all because of the extremely huge class size, but there have been individuals for which it worked. Getting so many students in one area in which the Lancasterian Monitorial Method would be appropriate way to teach, would be nearly impossible. So why do some teachers continue to teach in lecture style? It is the same as saying that any group of students would connect to one –ism. Sure computers have taken over some jobs that require little more than the binary system, such as those ran by computers in a nuclear power plant, but that also is not the only way to do something. I partially agree with Bill Kerr (2007) when on his blog he stated, “_isms are important but use them as a filter, not as a blinker,” but instead of “blinker” I’d put “blinder.” With this I mean: the leather flaps that keep us (horses) from seeing the “whole picture.” It was said that we, even teachers, are all individuals. I wonder why it is not just as controversial that our “teaching preferences” has as much to do with an individual child’s performance as does the “cherry-picked” -isms in the classroom. If a teacher doesn’t like the subject matter, the students usually will not either.

Reference:

Kerr, B. Isms as filter, not blinker. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
Saettler, P. (2004). The evolution of American educational technology. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.