While Dewey introduces us, broadly, to the idea of continuity, Gee identifies a particular issue that teachers face in meeting students at their different competencies while designing a learning environment that contributes to the effective progression of continuity among all of them. Bransford and Schwartz also recognize the importance of this continuum of learning, while suggesting new assessments that capture a more dynamic picture of the students’ progress in learning over time. Finally, Pea discusses the idea of using learning tools (as distributed intelligence) that students can leverage to progress their own learning trajectory to higher-level thinking. All of these would agree that learning in a single classroom needs to be designed in a way that builds on students’ previous knowledge, incorporates useful tools and sources from their communities, and effectively prepares students for future learning. Thus, creating a dynamic continuum of learning.

            Dewey’s idea of continuity highlights the importance of identifying a student’s previous knowledge and organizing the activities within the classroom to benefit the students as they attempt to build on it in the future. Dewey is sure to underline the role of continuity in the importance for a teacher to consider past learning while developing present learning environments that will effectively shape future learning.

Gee has decided to focus on the specific problem of academic learning acquisition and the role it can play in a student’s continuity of learning from his first day of class. The disparity of language between children from affluent and poor families often causes a rift between the successes of those students from the beginning of their schooling. Gee emphasizes the importance of drawing on students’ previous learning, while pointing out that the diversity of previous learning can create problems as a classroom assumes a specific academic language.

Bransford and Schwartz then identify the inabilities of certain assessment strategies to provide an idea of this continuous learning that a student experiences. Bransford and Schwartz discuss the static nature of assessment results that are unable to take into account a student’s learning trajectory (progress). They suggest implementing “practice for future learning” perspectives to focus on extended learning and more dynamic assessments for students.

            Pea’s article discusses the notion of distributed intelligence and its role in expediting and building the foundation for much of our learning. It is my (current?) opinion that distributed intelligence relies on and shapes the continuity of learning within an individual AND throughout history. This distributed intelligence utilizes these tools that “literally carry intelligence in them” to advance the learner more quickly to higher-level thinking and problem solving.