Did You Know 3.0 by Karl Fisch
This movie was interesting to me. It makes you think about how technology has progressed over the years and how it is still progressing. As a society how are we able to keep up with all the changes? What will jobs be like in the future? What will our schools be like? What will students be required to learn in order to be successful in modern society? Will the United States be able to keep up with modern technology and education?
Fisch also made me realize how modern technology has improved communication. Information can be transmitted much quicker and to a larger population. Advertising can reach people all over the world. We can text message people instantly and get a quick response back. We don't even have to leave our homes now to meet a future spouse. It is amazing to see how many people have married as a result of online dating. Who knows what else will emerge in the future when it comes to modern technology.
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman
This movie was cute and made a good point. The world around Mr. Winkle was modern and new to him except for the school. How is a school like that supposed to prepare a student for the workplace? Yes, students will know basic reading, writing, and math but, they will have no idea on how to use a computer or any other device. I feel it is much better for students to use computers when they are young.
Also, Mr. Winkle is like many of our older adults. Mr. Winkle was not comfortable around the computers and many of our older adults are not comfortable around them either. He is more comfortable without any modern technology just like many of our older adults are. I know you have all heard of someone say, "I'm too old for this," or "I don't need to learn this." Mr. Winkle does not want to adjust to the changes around him, he is comfortable with the old ways. Unfortunately, many people are content in the old way of doing things and do not want to adjust to the future.
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
This was an entertaining piece with a serious message. It is true that most education systems do not allow any room for creativity. The core subjects are taught and students are pushed for perfection. I agree with Robinson that the education system forces students to lose their creativity. He said that if you are afraid to be wrong you won't come up with anything creative. I agree with that statement. How can a person come up with a new idea if they are just learning not to make any mistakes on the subjects that he or she is taught.
Another point that Robinson made was that the current education system was based on industrialization. The school systems were built to prepare students for the workforce. A bachelor's degree almost guaranteed a job, but now many graduates are unemployed. A higher degree is required for most jobs. Our education system is not on the same pace as the changing world. This makes me concerned with the future of education and makes me wonder what steps are educators willing to take to keep up the ever changing job outlook.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I think it is great what Vicki Davis is doing with her students. She is just not standing in front of her students lecturing, but she is letting each student get involved in the classroom. Instead of her just standing in front of the class lecturing, she is taking an approach where everyone is involved in the teaching and learning process. The class very interactive. The students are not being taught to memorize, but they are actually learning. If they don't know information, they know where to find it. I feel that is more practical than memorizing. It is impossible to memorize everything, but it is possible to know where to look for answers.
Vicki Davis' class is in a rural area. Under normal circumstances the students would not be exposed to other cultures and children from around the world. Using modern technology her students are being exposed to the world around them. Students should know about other places firsthand, instead of reading about different cultures out of a book. The experience is more personal. I feel that this type of exposure broadens the students' minds to endless possibilities for their futures.
Hey, I'm Katie. I enjoyed reading your posts. I really enjoyed reading your view about Mrs. Davis. I agree with you. I also think that the class is very interactive ,and I think it's great that the teacher is involved just as much as the students are.
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your responses to the videos, I am eager to see the rest of your input as the course progresses. Your questions show me that you are thinking about these videos critically.
I agree with you about children learning technology when they are young. It has become the most efficient way of distance communication and is essentially, a language in and of itself. Just like any other language, the earlier it is picked up, the easier and more natural it is to use.
THe most significant thing to me in your response was where you pointed out that Mrs. Davis is exposing her students to possible opportunities. If you honestly think about it, how many farm boys do you know that want to see the world? I would guess, not many. This is probably because they don't know what's out there. Technology is an affordable way to change that.
Thanks for your thoughtful responses,
Anthony
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI was very intrigued by your comments. When you pointed out how online dating has helped many get married, I was shocked and had to take a second to regroup. I have never thought about technology in that way. Your response to Mr. Winkle hit the head on the nail. We do need to progress more in the classroom by updating our technology. Classrooms should not be black and white where students are focusing on a teacher drilling information into their head. We need to provide multiple tools for gathering information and teach students how to use them so they can learn information on their own as it is in the real world.
Sir Ken Robinson movie was one of my favorites. Your response to his lecture was appropriate and on point. Schools have become industrialized and the creativity has been drained. Without appropriate interaction the system is doomed. We need to spark the education system into the 21st century. Technology is in our future! Should students be stuck in the past? Your response to Vicki Davis was very pleasing to me. I agree that she has taken the right steps in teaching our future work force to gather and process information through various technologies. Her students will far surpass ones that lack this type of skill set.
Thank you so much for viewing the video on my classroom. I am very proud of my students but do hope that one point for all to realize is that when we interconnect we destroy the stereotypes that tend to divide us. As shown in the statement "how many farm boys do you know that want to travel" -- well, we're rural but only about 15% are "farm boys" and these are exactly the types of stereotypes eliminated when connecting students to those around the world.
ReplyDeleteOne point to note is that most schools treat computer science as vocational and the college preparatory students often don't even have the opportunity to take keyboarding!! This is a travesty and it is so important that we advocate the importance of strong technology education in our schools.
Thank you so much for the honor of being included in your kind words and in your course! What a privalege and joy to find this in my rss reader tonight!
Thanks for helping me to realize my own prejudice Mrs. Davis. I am from a VERY small town as well-- and I do work on a farm, so from my limited exposure to outside environments like mine... I blanketed the assumption that most farm boys don't care to travel. Thanks for shaking my presumptions away!
ReplyDeleteAnthony