Did You Know 3.0
I watched this video on youtube.com by Karl Fisch titled Did You Know 3.0, and I have to say I was a bit overwhelmed. There were so many facts and numbers and statistics flying at me, I felt like I couldn't keep up. What I did manage to comprehend is that this day in age is an ever changing cycle of technology. Who knew that half of what we learn in our first year of college is considered outdated by our third. How do we keep up? How can the United States of America keep up with the growing population of China or India? They have almost 2-3 times more babies in four minutes than we do here in the United States. We are no longer the technological capital of the world. It's time for us to catch up with other countries like China and Japan. Is it sad that the amount of text messages we send and receive in a day could total the population of the planet? Has technology gone too far? Are we still able to converse and have intimate or personal relationships with people without using technology to the extent that we do? What about in the years to come? It's said supecomputers will be built that exceed the computational capacity of the human brain. Is it just me or does that make anyone else nervous and excited all in the same time? I feel like I can't keep up with the ever changing technology, but the truth is, I want to.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needlemen addresses the absence of technology in the schools. As I mentioned before we are in a world that is ever changing through technololgy. As scary and nerve-wrecking as it may be to learn, it is important. Our students should know the basics of technology. It should be a part of their daily lives in school. Whether it's to assign a reading assignment online or to present a powerpoint presentation in class, technology should be just as important to education as the teachers who are teaching it. There should be required classes for students of all ages to take part in the technological change of education and of life in general. How long before, we as educators and parents, go without showing our children the importance and usefullness of technology, as well as including it the classrooms?
The Importance of Creativity by Sir Ken Robinson
Expanding a child's creativity should be of utmost importance to educators. Creativity should be as important as literacy according to Robinson. There is a huge interest in education and it goes extremely deep within people. Education is meant to take people into a future that we can't grasp. Like mentioned before things we learn now aren't going to be important in three years. Don't we try to teach our children to express themselves in different ways? So why is it that teachers/educators supress all creativity? Like Robinson said about the ballet dancer. Her teacher's were continuously trying to get her to sit still and stop fidgeting when really she just needed an outlet for her creativity. You hear educators say there is a time and place for creativity and that is PE. Why not incorporate creative exercises in your classes as well as PE? Let's give the students an outlet to express who they are and who they want to be. Let's allow the students to be creative with the hierarchy subjects such as math and language arts. Include creativity in every class and subject and see if you can't get the student's attention. See if the student's won't be more in tune to the subjects and to the variety of ways their minds can think out of the box. As adults we strive for perfection. As educators we strive for perfection. Perfection doesn't exist. Robinson says that we are educated out of creativity. Educators need to teach student's that mistakes are okay. It is a way life. If we don't make mistakes how else will learn? Allowing a child to show their creative side allows for the child's innovation to show through. Without creativity how else are we going to know our children or students?
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video by Vivki Davis is amazing. She has the ability to take a small school in south Georgia all over the world through the use of technology. The way she allows her students to teach the class as well as teach her new things is very empowering. There comes a time when school is just boring. As Dr. Strange would say, they burp-back everything that is taught. They aren't learning. In Vicki Davis's class they are not only learning, they are teaching. These students receive knowledge way beyond the knowledge I received in high school. The attention these students showed towards Vicki is astounding. She really gives these students the reigns to do as they please. She allows them to show creativity. Which coincides what was mentioned before. Notice how all of her students intently listen and demonstrate what they have created or learned. The websites and blogs these students do at age 14 is very interesting. They really understand the importance of technology and the ways it can help you keep up with trends all around the world. Can you imagine if everyone shared the same enthusiasm that she does about the correlation between teaching and technology?
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