It takes Cache to Educate

Cache

/kaSH/

Computers. a temporary storage space or memory that allows fast access to data.

Examples:

Browser cache (storing of visual and coded information pertaining to a website to allow it to be accessed quicker and more efficiently upon retrieval)

Disk cache (the storing of visual and coded information pertaining to files that are contained on a computer drive so that they can be accessed quicker and more efficiently upon retrieval)

Memory cache (the storing of visual or coded information pertaining to files or processes necessary for a program to function more efficiently when in use)

When considering the examples above, it is important to note that accessing cached information takes place in the background of the operating system as the computer user is using his/her computer.

The following is a project…

More specifically, a blogging project that discusses, analyzes, and reflects upon technology that has been used in the past to guide America’s K-12 educational system since its inception to the present day. This project is more than just a historical commentary; thoughts pertaining to the present use of technology are explored along with the implications of how future technology will ultimately shape the culture associated with how students learn within the twenty first century and beyond.

Without delving too much into what we already know, it is still important to state that technology drives our nation’s economy; many businesses have begun replacing human workers with machines, assembly lines are continuously upgraded to meet the demands of consumers, and a significantly larger percentage of jobs for all Americans require the proficient use of technology in some form. “Technology” existed long before America was founded. The first fire controlled and used by prehistoric humans changed the way in which hunters and gathered obtained food, roamed the land, and survived in a myriad of climates. Tools first used for agriculture allowed communities of humans to develop as it became easier to function in closed knit, stable groups. The printing press laid the foundation for the spreading of knowledge to cultures around the globe. The assembly line was implemented to produce a large quantity of products in a minimized amount of time. The personal computer and the internet has allowed all of us access to even the most specific of information that we request.

By simply looking at my own father’s Google Chrome browser history, I can verify that he taught himself “How to reset the low tire pressure light on a 2015 Toyota Corolla”.

While not immediately obvious, the development of technology has allowed all users of the technology new means of personal education. Prehistoric humans taught themselves how to harness fire in a controlled manner, use fire to keep themselves comfortable in harsh environmental conditions, and explore how fire can shape the landscape through the use of crop burning. The printing press gave humans the opportunity to learn how to read (opportunity does not equate to immediate access to all citizens but the foundation was there) and begin the spreading of knowledge and information in relatively quick way. The computer and the internet allowed my 68-year old father to reprogram a glitch within my car.

With technology comes information. With information comes the ability for all individuals using the technology to gain experiences with the technology in order to teach themselves how the technology can be used to improve some aspect of their lives (whew).

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the country's most important investment, our current educational system is not necessarily in aligned with the organic naturalistic ways in how technology drives personal learning.

In America, our students are typically placed in a classroom of rows as they are required to watch an educated professional lecture at the front of the classroom while they use their own pencils (wow, students these days are using mechanical pencils) and paper to take notes and complete homework exercises regarding the content that they are supposed to know. In a world in which technology has allowed a man of almost seven decades of age to fix a software issue in a car that is less than two years old, many schools are still requiring their students to remember facts, perform algorithms, and re-read their own notes in order to “learn” how to become productive members of society. The current generation of students, at their young ages, are not given the experiences needed to investigate how technology can be used to increase the amount of learning that takes place in a given academic school day. In other words, the United States’ educational system is ran in an eerily similar manner to that of Henry Ford as he was producing the first affordable car to the masses; our school systems, in general, are producing the lowest common denominator of student in order to be…thrown…head first…to the masses.

Make no mistake, I LOVE our current educational system, and I am not ignorant enough to think that America does not “churn out” some of the brightest individuals on the planet. I am not as hard on the current educational system as many other renowned figures who lead educational reform, but I am cognizant and experienced enough to see that we are utilizing an archaic system that did not even meet the needs for students who took K-12 classes during the Cold War era. Much like how the automobile has improved (safety, gas mileage, creature comforts, and affordability) over the last century, I simply want to see our educational system make equivalent gains as the common car.  

One of these changes, as will be stressed throughout this project, is the need to stray away from educators’ emphasis on facts and algorithms, but, instead, teach learners how facts and algorithms can be easily accessed and learned through the use of relevant technology. By relevant technology, I am referring to all technology associated with the capacity to increase knowledge for a given topic. With the use of relevant technology, students can spend more time “understanding” (concepts) and “doing” (skills/practices) rather than memorizing (facts and algorithmic regurgitation). As an experienced educator, I can state with confidence that students will automatically remember facts and algorithms if placed in genuine situations in which those forms of knowledge must be applied.

Now I must refer back to the apparently random placement of the definition found at the beginning of the post.

Computers store visual and coded facts so that the user of the computer can perform tasks in an efficient manner that is also quick. By the computer storing such information in a cache, the user spends more “doing” and increasing “understanding” and applying the cached information. America’s students need more experience caching their facts and algorithms (in their own brain or using relevant technology such as the internet) so that they can gain a deeper understanding of what they are learning, how the world works, and how to apply the cached knowledge to create authentic experiences that are modeled after what experts do within their own careers.

And with that, I want to welcome you to the project - The Curry Cache

Anything posted in this project is not meant to be memorized or committed to long term memory; the content of this project will forever exist in space and time. Instead, I encourage you to use this cache to understand, apply, and reflect on the various posts that will be made throughout the project’s lifespan.

Just let yourself be Curry Cached