Blog Post #2

Did You Know?

This video had so much information in it. So much information,that in order for my brain to process it, I had to watch it twice! The video was interesting, but the music was a distraction and made it difficult for me to read all of the frames.

Aside from that, I can’t believe that China will soon be the number one country for English speaking people. That seems a bit strange to me considering that their first language is Chinese and the majority of people here in the United States can only speak English. Also, I found that 1 in every 8 people met on the internet. That says a lot about how many people in this world have access to a computer, which I believe to be a good thing. Overall, the video was good and it really got me thinking about things that I wouldn’t have given a second thought to.


Mr. Winkle Wakes.

How strange it was for Mr Winkle to wake after a hundred years to find that the world had changed so much. Technology has made huge leaps over the past hundreds of years and continues to do so everyday.

The statement about technology in schools not being used is so true. Although, there have been advances in that area, it is still not enough. How sad it is that there are many schools that do not have access to different kinds of technology. Sure, they may have computers, but they are not utilized in a way that would enable students to progress in this world of computers, gadgets and technology.

Another issue that was implied in the video, was that Mr. Winkle was intimidated by all of the computers and such. There are many “older” people who have never and will never get on-line with a computer simply because it intimidates them. Technology, as important as it is to the younger generations, is just not that important to the “older” generations, so they don’t feel it’s necessary to learn how to use it. My own aunt who had never owned a computer would come to my house and ask me to look up information for her and finally one day I asked,” why don’t you get a computer?” her reply was, “ because I could never even turn the thing on!”. With a little coaxing she bought herself one and has never looked back, which I think is terrific!


Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

This video was interesting. Sir Ken Robinson had many great things to say regarding creativity. As I listened, I couldn't help but to think about my own children's experience in the public school system. Having so many children, I find that I am in classrooms more than I am not and the one thing that all of their teachers have shared with me on more than one occasion is this: "Teaching is not as fun as it used to be. There is so much paperwork and tests, that we have little time for anything else." This comment seems to be universal, whether the child is in Kindergarten or 8th grade.

I think that schools should get back to the basics, when there was time for art and music and such. Instead of the 20 minutes of rushed creative activities. So much emphasis is placed on what grade the students make on their test as well as meeting AYP (attendance goal). How sad it is that our children are not allowed to express themselves as freely as in the past. We stifle their creativity with a bunch of lessons and tests and do not offer them any means of self expression. I am in no way saying that academic achievement is not important. However, I think that there should be some way to have a healthy balance of both.

Cecelia Gault's interview with Sir Ken Robinson can be found here Scholastic.com

My first response to Cecelia was, Wow! What a smart young lady, very articulate and bright. She asked some great questions!
What can I do with my future students to make sure they have as good an education as Cecelia Gault? First I think that staying up to date on the latest educational programs designed to engage students and keep them interested in learning is a great way to start. Another way is to have as much fun with learning as possible, allowing children to harness their creativity through a variety of interactive lessons. Also, I think that making children accountable for their own education is great strategy as well. I think that making some sort of educational goals set forth by the students (if age permits) and a weekly check on those goals is a great way of keeping the students organized and on task. There are many things educators can do to facilitate learning among students, but doing them in an interesting fashion is the key to getting students on the road to a better education.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts | Edutopia

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
I like what Mrs. Davis had to say in regards to technology and I agree with her. Technology changes everyday and there is no way that any one person could know everything about all of the different programs that come out on a daily basis. I like that she expects students to look up the information for themselves, instead of her telling them what a word means or how to do a certain activity. What a great way to get students to wear their thinking caps! Technology is the way of the world and I believe that students would benefit greatly if every school offered a class similar to Mrs. Davis'.