When I first began to read the article, I was uncertain about how the authors could dissect fashion trends objectively and then apply their findings to a seemingly unrelated area; education. It seemed to me that something as serious as academia could not be compared to such a changeable, subjective concept as fashion. However, after reading through several pages, I began to see how Henrikson and Wong (2008) were connecting the two. Through a logical progression, they began examining the appealing factors of the fashion industry using several different examples such as wearable technology, clothing and reality television programming. Reading further, I was drawn in by the honest tone and realistic approach provided. The authors indicated that they were not addressing moral or ethical issues that might arise from examining the fashion industry like the usage of celebrity to sell products (p. 189, 190). I also appreciated that Henrikson and Wong made a point of saying that they applaud anyone or anything that educators use to engage students to be interested and inspired about learning (p. 190).
I wondered about the effects of using these seemingly business-like strategies on ideas and education in the long term. Fashion trends and style seem so temporary. In our consumer culture, I question that if students are engaged in learning an idea or concept because it's cool today, what might the result be if they decide that it is not so tomorrow? How will knowledge be retained by pupils in a system that is based on such temporary foundations?
Wong, D., & Henriksen, D. (2008). CHAPTER ELEVEN: If Ideas were Fashion. Counterpoints, 338, 179-198. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.castable/4299288