Special Blog Assignment

A World Where Grades Will Be Left Behind

In the article, “A world where grades will be left behind” by Mary Beth Marklein, Marklein sits down with Sebastian Thrun, the vice president of Google, professor, and founder of Udacity. In her interview with Thurn, Marklein discuss his new approach to education and how this concept of teaching will change education as we know it. Thrun says “you want learning to be as much fun as playing a video game,” and he believes this new way of teaching is a great start at accomplishing that goal.

There will be no classrooms, no one will be late, success is the only option, and all with little to no cost to the student. The idea sounds insane to me. How in the world can you make teaching as fun as video games with little to no cost to the student, allow the students to show up whenever and never have anyone fail? That doesn’t seem possible, but Thrun says it’s more than possible it is the future of higher education.

Thrun uses a small soundproof room to teach his lessons as his producer’s record him then add in fun special effects to make the lesson more fun. Tens of thousands of people sign up online to enjoy these lessons taught by Thrun and other state professors for free. Thrun says this form of education will allow “education to respond to you.” Education will no longer be the one size fits all system it once was. Those who truly want to obtain an education will have the chance to do so.

Personally I’m skeptical, I’m not sure this way of learning will catch on in a wide spread manner. Is it an amazing idea with great potential? Absolutely! Unfortunately, it is my fear that since education has changed so little over time that it will not take well to such a drastic change all at once. I completely agree that education shouldn’t cost as much as it does and that there should be some way to allow anyone who has the desire to further his/her education to do so.

I think that it is my responsibility as a future educator to use the resources I have available to me and my classroom. I think I would be doing my students a great injustice by not providing them with the best education I possibly can. I think that in doing these things I will most defiantly have to incorporate some of the ideas Thrun is suggesting into my teaching. I think learning should be fun and when it is it motivates our students to do their very best. It is my goal to always strive for the best, to allow my students to have fun, to be motivated, and to have no choice but success.