The Johnson Reading

The Johnson reading has direct implications for education. However, I don't think what he's talking about in the book "EBIGFY" should be news to educators who know Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Breaking up lessons to apply to multiple learning styles and strengths should come naturally to seasoned instructors: and in fact, there ought to be very little "stand-and-deliver" instruction at this point. Most schools are supposed to be engaged in collaborative learning that engages students, not lectures. This is not always the case in higher ed - but it ought to be.

In a collaborative model, gaming and particularly multiplayer games which encourage group problem solving ought to be a learning tool. It might be worth having educators read the Johnson book just to shed light on what kind of learning games facilitate, and then play some educational games. Also, why not work in tandem with people who create games to develop new software? If I'm not mistaken, didn't the man responsible for the 'last lecture' make educational games for children? (Alice, maybe, was the name?)

I don't want young people to get the kind of 'education' offered in Feed. But I don't believe it's an 'either/or' proposition with learning. Everyone can learn, but the 'how' of learning varies depending on the individual. Educators and librarians ought to have every tool at their disposal to make this happen for students.