Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version

Today I was required to watch Dr. John Strange's YouTube documentary Did You Know which was based on Did You Know 3.0 by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod. The video that Dr. Strange posted was a technological eye opener for me. The majority of the topics that were addressed in his video I had no clue about. The great number of English speaking Chinese people astonished me beyond belief. I have always been under the impression that different people groups would never as a whole learn the language of another country. I always imagined that cultural pride would be the key thing to hinder other people groups from adopting the English language, especially a people group as large and technologically advanced as China.

Another statistic that floored me was the fact that 23% of the population in India with the highest IQ's out numbers the entire population of America. I knew of how advanced and over populated China has been, but I never suspected that the Population of India was so high, nor that India had such a vast population of individuals with high IQ's. I was educated through this video about Chinese, and Indian advancement, but I also learned that the numbers of individuals in the world with access to technology is greater than I ever suspected. Overall for me the video was very enlightening and I have no problem whatsoever agreeing with the facts that Dr. Strange stated in the video.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

In addiction to the required viewing above, I was also required to watch Mr. Winkle Wakes. Mr. Winkle Wakes was an interesting video posted by Mathew Needleman. This video started out an old man "Mr. Winkle" who has been sleeping for one hundred years. Upon waking Mr. Winkle went walking through a modern city, and was not pleased with the advancements of technology in the business world and in the medical field. Toward the end of the film Mr. Winkle stumbled upon a school and was very pleased with their "old fashioned" way of teaching children.

This video was intended to show that schools are not incorporating technology in the classroom. I do agree with the film to a certain extent. I do believe that using technology for learning is appropriate in the classroom. I am also a strong proponent for excluding the use of technology in the classroom. I believe that moderation is key. Technology is a great door to a world of information for the student, but with technology should come an adequate amount of discussion and lecture. My opinion is to incorporate technology in the the classroom but not allow students to be consumed with technology to the point of distraction and interaction with peers and the instructor. I did find the video to be very informing and very educational.

The Importance of Creativity

The video The Importance of Creativity by Sir. Ken Robinson was an extremely entertaining and shockingly accurate video showcasing how modern education is destroying the creativity of children. Ken Robinson made some outstanding points in his twenty minute speech. Robinson stated that "we are educating people out of their creativity" and that "creativity is as important as literacy". Schools across the nation are primarily concerned with what children can't do academically and ignore the things that children can do. Robinson stated that every education system has the same subject ranking across the board with Math and Science at the top and the Art's at the bottom of the list.

Robinson went on to include that the goal of education if to create University Professors who use their body as a means of transportation for their heads. Because of this the whole process of education is shifting and as a result we are in academic inflation. I very strongly agree with Sir. Ken Robinson, and I believe that schools should focus on the child as a whole and not on one certain side of the brain. Again, This was a very interesting film.

A Vision for 21st Century Learning

The video A Vision for 21st Century Learning was a very interesting and also what could be termed a controversial video, concerning the future for learning. The video had a negative outlook toward the traditional lecture atmosphere of teacher's lecturing and children memorizing terms and facts. The video argued the point that we need to innovate our learning methods and that teachers should become "mentors" rather than "teachers".

As I mentioned in my review of Mr. Winkle Wakes I believe that moderation is the key when it comes to technology. I feel that we should include technology in the class room and use it when necessary and appropriate to aid in a child's learning experience. I strongly believe that in order to create the best learning experience for a child, one must incorporate a combination of lecture, discussion, and Technology. Without one of these I personally feel that a child is being robbed of the education that he or she deserves.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I found the film Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts to be extremely informing. I appreciate the way that Ms. Vicki Davis is incorporating technology in her classroom. Ms. Davis is proof that technology can be incorporated in a rural school system and is not restricted to the urban school settings. I also appreciate the way she puts the burden of learning and research on the kids in her class room. I do not find that it is the teachers job to spoon-feed students, but rather the students responsibility to seek knowledge.

I feel that the form of educating she used in her classroom is very effective for certain settings, but I know from personal experience that too much technology in a class room can be distracting. I do not feel that students should use technology via Cell Phone in a classroom, nor that students should have a computer in front of them at all times. The use of technology in the classroom is a powerful tool, but I personally feel that it is only productive when it is used appropriately.