A Whole New Mind

I have recently had the pleasure of reading two books about technology in the United States: Disrupting Class by Clayton Christensen and A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. I really enjoyed reading these books, because they informed me of new things in technology that I was not aware of. I have a satisfactory knowledge of how to use the Internet and software for tasks at work (research, presentations, spreadsheets, and documents), but lack insight on the latest breakthroughs and research.

After reading the Christensen and Pink books, I noticed some interesting similarities and differences. First, The two authors examine what they believe to be the future use of computers and the Internet. Christensen describes how technology in schools will help to change lesson plans and curriculum from teacher centered to student centered. On the other hand, Pink explains how we are currently experiencing a change from the information age to the conceptual age. I found it particularly interesting how he tied together the way in which the sides of the brain are related to the two ages. Also, he describes the six senses that will be needed to be successful in the changing world. After describing each of the six senses, there are a few grey pages that give ways in which you can explore the sense. Second, Christensen writes about education and technology, while Pink's exploration of technology looks at a variety of topics. Last, the books have different dates of publication, which can be very important when the topic is technology. Due to the constant change in the industry, a few years can make a difference. In this case, the dates do not make a big enough difference to invalidate the hypotheses of Pink.

Overall these two books provide some useful insight for educators. The Christensen book describes the upcoming dramatic change in education, while Pink book focuses on a dramatic shift in the use of technology everywhere.