kaz

Yes we decide - but we try not to make it dull and/or boring. I really believe that today's teenagers are different, and are so because they live in an instant gratification society. Want to talk to someone? - ring them on your mobile. Want to watch a film? - rent it or download it on dvd. Want to be a hero?Play on your PS2 for a while! I don't mean that instant gratification is RIGHT, but that it is often how they expect life to be. How do we teach them that some topics need to be thought about, developed, discussed? Not by pandering to their whims, but by making it relevant, pertinent and as interesting as it can be. kaz

I think the missing word in this debate is engagement. Whilst we might have been content to sit in school whilst a boring old codger rattled on about something we knew we needed to know, but found it dull, today's teenagers certainly won't just accept it. Imagine if you went to the theatre to see a play and the actors were word perfect, but had no feeling or emotion about the way the prsented it - you'd leave ! A moot point also is that a truly 'good' teacher is constantly examing the way that they present the information and how they assess it, so that it has maximum impact. Certainly doesn't mean tap dancing on the lab taps, but it does mean being interesting, or rather, making topics interesting and engaging! kaz