January 17, 2010

Did You Know 3.0?

I was shocked and awed by the data in this video. Technology is booming becoming better and more advanced, reaching more and more people at enormously fast rates. I found the rate at which technology is growing to be scary and somewhat unsettling, mostly because it seems impossible to keep up with. The idea that a computer could be made that could "exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human race" is unreal. The whole world of technology is so much bigger than me or anything that I can imagine. The fact that if MySpace were a country it would be the fifth largest is absolutely startling to me, that there are that many people using one social site.

I find it sad and disappointing that American citizens are so behind technology wise as well as educational wise. The fact that India has more honor students than there are kids in America is depressing and frightening and yet unacceptable to me. Americans need to get up to par with the rest of the world. With more and more people using so many different technologies for so many different things; school, work, and even down to an alarming number of couples meeting online there's no getting around it, technology rules the world and knowing about it has become or at least should become a way of life for all, and for many it already has.


Mr. Winkle Wakes

I feel that this video had an important message and a great and funny way to portray that message. Schools have remained the same for 100 years, and have not technologically advanced with the rest of the world. I find it disheartening that schools have not progressed from 100 years ago, especially considering all the technological advances that are available and that could be useful to students. Technology in classrooms to me is an excellent way to keep students interested in what they are learning in a new non boring, exciting way. Let's progress from 100 years ago!

I think that if businesses and hospitals are up to date with technology then why wouldn't schools be teaching and using technological tools to our youth who will one day be America's doctors and business people using advanced technology. The moral of the story is schools need to get out of their old-fashioned ruts. Using technology can turn learning and education from dull to thrilling. Granted there are many other ways to make learning fun without using technology, but since technology is used all around us and there is obviously no getting around it that it has become a livelihood for our society why not incorporate it into to classrooms.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

This video was utterly moving, and Sir Ken Robinson was hysterical. I felt completely inspired by it. I think it is atrocious that teachers and schools are "educating people out of their creativity." I think that being creative and original is just as much as a commodity to have as being a genius in math and science. Children are incredibly imaginative and that creativeness and innovation needs to be honed. Children are fearless, can you imagine if that fearlessness could remain with them as adults? That ability to not be afraid to be wrong and corrected. I feel that so many wonderful ideas and creations could come from that, making our world a better place to live in.

It's sad to know that people are teaching students skills that are mainly important to get a job and that if you're better or would rather do something more artistic such as, dance or music, it's frowned upon and not valued. I agree that we need to rethink the way we educate people. Teachers need to value the importance of uniqueness and imagination as well as or in conjuction with the other school subjects.

Viki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts


I think Davis' vision that using technology in classrooms empowers students is a wonderful idea. I enjoyed the fact how humble she was in saying she had her students teach her, that she admitted she did not know it all even though teachers are stigmatized to be expected to know everything, but she was willing to find out and learn. I find this incredibly admirable. I liked her approach on having her students look up the answers to words they did not know and finding out for themselves instead having her tell them what everything means, and give them the answer.

It is marvelous that even though she teaches in small town, rural Georgia, she still managed to bring the world to her classroom and students using technology. I think this is useful for students to see that there is a bigger world out there then where they live and then what know. I feel that this is an important concept that students should learn, and technology makes this possible on great scales. I agree with her notion that not every student can excel when they are limited to learning with a pencil and a piece of paper, and that incorporating technology can help students shine.