For my first two C4K assignments, I was assignened to comment Aorta's blog. Although ,I ended up commenting on Adriannav's blog as well. Mr. Chamberlain had two assignments for the students that our class was to comment. First of all, an "About Me" assignment where they tell about themselves and their families. Aorta was a very interesting student because she was born on the island of Fefen and immigrated here when she was 5. She loves to hula dance and play volleyball which I told her was very unique. I thought that she showed much respect to her grandmother by saying she cherrished her the most. Aorta has had a little bit of a hard time with math, but she really want to be successful and learn by doing homework. I told her that the first step is having the great attitude that she has because she said the more they practice the better they will be at math.
The next assignment was a "learning manifesto". This is where the students must express in there own words how the decisions they make as a student will make them a better students. For example, Adriannav listed "I promise to show I want to learn". I think that is a great statement. And although, it should have been more specific/detailed, I loved the thought. I think that is very important as a student myself. Sometimes it is hard to want to learn something but I know from experience that it is a lot easier to learn something if you WANT to learn it!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Blog Post 5
Eagle Nest Radio & Class Blog
The first podcast I listened to was "Take a BITE Out of Shark Facts!". As soon as I heard the first little girl speak I knew I would LOVE it. One thing that might could have been changed was to lower the music level when the children were speaking. Although I could understand them, it was a little more difficult that it should have been.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This podcast explains the benefits of using podcasts in classrooms. Some examples were that it provides for a link for students to do work outside of the classroom and not just use pen and paper. I agree that podcasting is useful because it can be viewed anytime and anywhere. Although the beginning of the podcast was unique and attention grabbing with the sleeping baby, I thought it lasted too long.
I too agree that technology is growing and today’s generation is some of the first to realize that it is going to affect every area of our lives. As a student, I know that I use technology so much every single day. It is hard to imagine how I could ever get by without it these days. I think that this video showed that podcasts allow room for much creativity and I think that is what needs to be remembered in our own podcasts. Not only do they allow creativity to be expressed, but in the classroom they will be very useful when it comes to students being absent. When a child is absent they can be helped because a podcast would allow them to not fall behind.
This was a helpful podcast because it explained in detail the benefits of podcasts. It also represented specific instances that podcasts are used and I think that really proves the point of how helpful they are.
Judy Scharf Podcast Collection
This was a very interesting informational cite. It began first by explaining what a podcast actually is which is important because it is a fairly new piece of technology and not everyone may know what it is. It also explains that podcasts are very helpful for teachers and I believe I will most certainly find this to be true when I begin teaching. I am glad that I am learning now how to create podcast and also fortunate enough to view many other podcasts from other students, classes, and teachers.
Some things that I think are useful in my own podcast are allowing enough time. I must know that things are probably going to take longer than I think that they will or even should. I also loved her papers/instruction sheets she made to give her student with the assignments, there were some very unique, interesting, and captivating assignments that I think children will enjoy.
The first podcast I listened to was "Take a BITE Out of Shark Facts!". As soon as I heard the first little girl speak I knew I would LOVE it. One thing that might could have been changed was to lower the music level when the children were speaking. Although I could understand them, it was a little more difficult that it should have been.
I like that they recommended a book to read not only about sharks but other animals too. I had no idea that so many sharks were killed each year, and I'm not so sure that I would want to try Shark Fin soup. It's unbelievable that the fins are over $100 dollars each, which I'm sure causes the soup to be very expensive. Personally, I am not a very big shark fan, so the part of the podcast that was “anti-shark killing” wasn’t my favorite, although I would support most other animals! J
A very interesting segment was the one listing different shark facts. For example, sharks lived over 400 million years ago. It’s hard to even imagine their existence was even before dinosaurs. This podcast was very cute and I enjoyed listening to the kids. I think an important thing needed from these children in our own podcast would be the energy level and excitement. That is always very important to catch the attention of your audience.
The Benefits of Podcasting in the Classroom
This podcast explains the benefits of using podcasts in classrooms. Some examples were that it provides for a link for students to do work outside of the classroom and not just use pen and paper. I agree that podcasting is useful because it can be viewed anytime and anywhere. Although the beginning of the podcast was unique and attention grabbing with the sleeping baby, I thought it lasted too long.
I too agree that technology is growing and today’s generation is some of the first to realize that it is going to affect every area of our lives. As a student, I know that I use technology so much every single day. It is hard to imagine how I could ever get by without it these days. I think that this video showed that podcasts allow room for much creativity and I think that is what needs to be remembered in our own podcasts. Not only do they allow creativity to be expressed, but in the classroom they will be very useful when it comes to students being absent. When a child is absent they can be helped because a podcast would allow them to not fall behind.
This was a helpful podcast because it explained in detail the benefits of podcasts. It also represented specific instances that podcasts are used and I think that really proves the point of how helpful they are.
Judy Scharf Podcast Collection
This was a very interesting informational cite. It began first by explaining what a podcast actually is which is important because it is a fairly new piece of technology and not everyone may know what it is. It also explains that podcasts are very helpful for teachers and I believe I will most certainly find this to be true when I begin teaching. I am glad that I am learning now how to create podcast and also fortunate enough to view many other podcasts from other students, classes, and teachers.
Some things that I think are useful in my own podcast are allowing enough time. I must know that things are probably going to take longer than I think that they will or even should. I also loved her papers/instruction sheets she made to give her student with the assignments, there were some very unique, interesting, and captivating assignments that I think children will enjoy.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Blog Post 4
Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Dr. McCleod is the Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. Dr. Mcleod, along with Dr. Joan Hughes established a national technology program, C.A.S.T.L.E. which makes sure that the education system is fulfilling technological requirements in the schools.
In his post, he expresses a sarcastic approach to technology proving that despite the parents who try to shelter their children, they will still be exposed. I think it is more important for parents to teach their children how to use technology, especially the internet, safely instead of trying to keep them away from it completely. Whether they like it or not, technology is a major part of society today.
The iScool Initiative
In his video, Travis Allen explains his idea of an “iSchool” in an effort to save the broken public education system. Some of the applications he mentions in which would be very beneficial are Email, Chemical Touch, U.S. Constitution, WorldWiki, U.S.A. Presidents, Star Walk, Formulae, Recorder, Scientific Calculator, Notes, Calendar, Classics, and iHomework. He proves that the savings made just by simply having this as a resource are unbelievable. Teachers, parents, and students would have access to school related things at all times. The iSchool would also have a positive impact on the environment which is definitely a priority.
After watching this video, Travis really made me consider his idea. He obviously spent a lot of time planning it out and researching how much would really be saved by establishing an iSchool. His statistics about how expensive it is to buy calculators, books, agendas, paper, and backpacks among other things are so convincing that it makes me wonder why this system hasn’t already been established.
Watch the Lost Generation
In this video, the very first two quotes caught my attention right off the bat… “happiness comes from within is a lie” and “money will make me happy”. So automatically I knew that this would be either a sarcastic video or a negative one. After hearing the speaker read the entire speech, I was kind of disappointed, maybe because I am afraid that for some people that’s how life is and may become. Although there are many statistics that prove it to be true, I personally hate to face that. As the speaker repeated the video “backwards” I was relieved because that is how I like to look at life and hope that it will actually turn out like that. I think that it was a really creative way to express what is or could be the reality of like…the video backwards or forward.
Eric Whitaker’s Virtual Choir
Watching this video and knowing that there were 185 different people from 12 different countries absolutely amazed me! It is so incredible that technology has gotten to the point that something as unique as this could be created. I think that it is also impressive that Eric Whitaker could even think to do this let alone make it happen. It just goes to show that because of technology people from any and everywhere can be united. In this case they created an unbelievable thing that I never would have expected was possible.
Dr. McCleod is the Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. Dr. Mcleod, along with Dr. Joan Hughes established a national technology program, C.A.S.T.L.E. which makes sure that the education system is fulfilling technological requirements in the schools.
In his post, he expresses a sarcastic approach to technology proving that despite the parents who try to shelter their children, they will still be exposed. I think it is more important for parents to teach their children how to use technology, especially the internet, safely instead of trying to keep them away from it completely. Whether they like it or not, technology is a major part of society today.
The iScool Initiative
In his video, Travis Allen explains his idea of an “iSchool” in an effort to save the broken public education system. Some of the applications he mentions in which would be very beneficial are Email, Chemical Touch, U.S. Constitution, WorldWiki, U.S.A. Presidents, Star Walk, Formulae, Recorder, Scientific Calculator, Notes, Calendar, Classics, and iHomework. He proves that the savings made just by simply having this as a resource are unbelievable. Teachers, parents, and students would have access to school related things at all times. The iSchool would also have a positive impact on the environment which is definitely a priority.
After watching this video, Travis really made me consider his idea. He obviously spent a lot of time planning it out and researching how much would really be saved by establishing an iSchool. His statistics about how expensive it is to buy calculators, books, agendas, paper, and backpacks among other things are so convincing that it makes me wonder why this system hasn’t already been established.
Watch the Lost Generation
In this video, the very first two quotes caught my attention right off the bat… “happiness comes from within is a lie” and “money will make me happy”. So automatically I knew that this would be either a sarcastic video or a negative one. After hearing the speaker read the entire speech, I was kind of disappointed, maybe because I am afraid that for some people that’s how life is and may become. Although there are many statistics that prove it to be true, I personally hate to face that. As the speaker repeated the video “backwards” I was relieved because that is how I like to look at life and hope that it will actually turn out like that. I think that it was a really creative way to express what is or could be the reality of like…the video backwards or forward.
Eric Whitaker’s Virtual Choir
Watching this video and knowing that there were 185 different people from 12 different countries absolutely amazed me! It is so incredible that technology has gotten to the point that something as unique as this could be created. I think that it is also impressive that Eric Whitaker could even think to do this let alone make it happen. It just goes to show that because of technology people from any and everywhere can be united. In this case they created an unbelievable thing that I never would have expected was possible.
Additional Assignment #1
The educational implications of using Google Squared are that there is a table that can be adjusted to your need. Things can be added or deleted as needed. Information is presented in the style of statistics, summaries, and maps, among other helpful articles. The educational implications of using WolframAlpha are that it too provides a summary of information and statistics a lot like Google Squared. They are both very helpful because information can be easily compared. The cool thing is that instead of putting actual digits into WolframAlpha, you can put all words in order to get numerical data.
In the “Did you know?” video, the statistic about the number of smart people in India is more than the entire US population. Although it is true, it is misleading because the total US population is only 25% of what India’s is. The same goes for the fact that if China can get 25% of their people to speak English, they will obviously have more English speakers than the US because the US only has 25% of the population of China. This just goes to prove that statistics must first be completely considered before they are blown out of proportion. It is important to fully think about what information you are being given, it’s easy to just be sucked into random facts. Always be sure to investigate what you hear or read to fully understand it.
In the “Did you know?” video, the statistic about the number of smart people in India is more than the entire US population. Although it is true, it is misleading because the total US population is only 25% of what India’s is. The same goes for the fact that if China can get 25% of their people to speak English, they will obviously have more English speakers than the US because the US only has 25% of the population of China. This just goes to prove that statistics must first be completely considered before they are blown out of proportion. It is important to fully think about what information you are being given, it’s easy to just be sucked into random facts. Always be sure to investigate what you hear or read to fully understand it.
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Sunday, September 12, 2010
Blog Post 3
Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
I have definitely experienced some of the things from this video. I have had quite a few classes here at South that were auditorium seating where I knew no one. I would also agree that it is common for teachers to not know your name. I have bought text books on more than one occasion that I never even opened. I agree with the girl who wrote that her neighbor paid for class but never comes. I never understand why someone would spend so much for an education and not even bother showing up for class. I wish I could get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, but as a student-athlete, that is almost impossible. I will admit that I do sometimes spend 3.5 hours online, but more often than not it is doing school work. I definitely do not spend 2 hours on my cell phone, I am lucky to get a 15 minute conversation in with my parents.
The student that held the paper that proved we don’t have enough hours in a day said it all. As students we have learned to multitask which I am sure has lead to the decline of production inside and out of the classroom. As a student athlete I definitely know this to be true. It’s sometimes hard to find time to even breathe. For this to meet my experiences I would add that I spend an average of at least 4 hours practicing every day. For this to meet the experiences of other students I would add something statistic for the students with children and the amount of time they spend with them.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Kelly Hines expresses that although technology is important in education, it is not the most important thing. What is more important is quality teachers. Teachers are all very different, but they are all important in the educational process. Teachers must be educated in the most recent subjects, but that doesn’t just come from workshops.
Learning is not the same for every teacher or every student. Having thousands and millions of dollars of technology is not very useful if it is not being taught correctly. It’s not all about the different things being used, it is how it is being used and by whom. Therefore it is not about the technology, it’s about the educators.
Is it okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher??
I really enjoyed reading this post. He first included a post which listed the standards for educators and those involved in the field. The standards placed responsibilities on teachers and principals that everyone should be technology literate and if they weren’t they should be very embarrassed and/or find a new profession. I find this to be true because to me it is apparent of how valuable technology is in education. It provides outlets for communication as well as research.
In the other part of his post he expressed how it seems acceptable to some people to be “technology illiterate”. He gives an example of a parent teacher conference where a parent admits that the “weren’t ever good at math either” like it was just accepted that their child not be good at math either and they are proud. Technology seems to be set at the same standard, some people are proud to not know much about computers. But what some fail to realize is the importance they have to society. Technology is involved in almost everything we do today and it’s almost impossible to get by without having some type of education about it. As a teacher today it is just as important to know how to use technology as reading and writing was just a few decades ago.
I agree that in order to teach something you too must have been taught it. In order for the children to be able to have the best education possible, learning from the best is essential.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
It’s astonishing to see how fast Gary’s count rises. It just goes to show how fast technology is growing and that social networking is a major part of it.
As a teacher, this means that I must be sure to always keep things as current as possible. With everything advancing this fast, it will be extremely easy to fall behind. I know that as a teacher it is my job to keep my students updated and the only way to do that is to stay updated myself.
I have definitely experienced some of the things from this video. I have had quite a few classes here at South that were auditorium seating where I knew no one. I would also agree that it is common for teachers to not know your name. I have bought text books on more than one occasion that I never even opened. I agree with the girl who wrote that her neighbor paid for class but never comes. I never understand why someone would spend so much for an education and not even bother showing up for class. I wish I could get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, but as a student-athlete, that is almost impossible. I will admit that I do sometimes spend 3.5 hours online, but more often than not it is doing school work. I definitely do not spend 2 hours on my cell phone, I am lucky to get a 15 minute conversation in with my parents.
The student that held the paper that proved we don’t have enough hours in a day said it all. As students we have learned to multitask which I am sure has lead to the decline of production inside and out of the classroom. As a student athlete I definitely know this to be true. It’s sometimes hard to find time to even breathe. For this to meet my experiences I would add that I spend an average of at least 4 hours practicing every day. For this to meet the experiences of other students I would add something statistic for the students with children and the amount of time they spend with them.
"It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines
Kelly Hines expresses that although technology is important in education, it is not the most important thing. What is more important is quality teachers. Teachers are all very different, but they are all important in the educational process. Teachers must be educated in the most recent subjects, but that doesn’t just come from workshops.
Learning is not the same for every teacher or every student. Having thousands and millions of dollars of technology is not very useful if it is not being taught correctly. It’s not all about the different things being used, it is how it is being used and by whom. Therefore it is not about the technology, it’s about the educators.
Is it okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher??
I really enjoyed reading this post. He first included a post which listed the standards for educators and those involved in the field. The standards placed responsibilities on teachers and principals that everyone should be technology literate and if they weren’t they should be very embarrassed and/or find a new profession. I find this to be true because to me it is apparent of how valuable technology is in education. It provides outlets for communication as well as research.
In the other part of his post he expressed how it seems acceptable to some people to be “technology illiterate”. He gives an example of a parent teacher conference where a parent admits that the “weren’t ever good at math either” like it was just accepted that their child not be good at math either and they are proud. Technology seems to be set at the same standard, some people are proud to not know much about computers. But what some fail to realize is the importance they have to society. Technology is involved in almost everything we do today and it’s almost impossible to get by without having some type of education about it. As a teacher today it is just as important to know how to use technology as reading and writing was just a few decades ago.
I agree that in order to teach something you too must have been taught it. In order for the children to be able to have the best education possible, learning from the best is essential.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
It’s astonishing to see how fast Gary’s count rises. It just goes to show how fast technology is growing and that social networking is a major part of it.
As a teacher, this means that I must be sure to always keep things as current as possible. With everything advancing this fast, it will be extremely easy to fall behind. I know that as a teacher it is my job to keep my students updated and the only way to do that is to stay updated myself.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Project #3 C4T Summary
In the first post, “School Should Not Be Considered Work”, Intrepid Teacher explains how he read a student’s blog about learning and was very worked up by it. Instead of commenting the student directly, he simply writes his own blog expressing his thoughts. Although he isn’t necessarily downgrading the student’s thoughts, he questions her a lot about why she doesn’t look at the big picture. The way I took his post was that he had more of a “set” teaching style, so my comment was focused on the point that as diverse as our society is, it is important (in my opinion) to have many different teaching styles to meet the need of every child. I also believe that there is no right or wrong way to learn and going to school for 12-13 years is a positive thing because students can experience a variety of styles.
The other post I read and commented was called “Dream (Tweet) Team”, and I truly enjoyed reading and commenting it. The topic was whether or not a school’s success should be judged on the number of teachers that had a Twitter. I don’t think that a school should necessarily be judged by it, or looked down upon either way, but I think it would overall be beneficial technology to everyone at the school whether it was intended or not. I personally do not use Twitter, but if you would have asked me what I thought about Facebook when it was originally created, I would have not been an optimistic user, but now I could be considered a Facebook addict. It’s a great way to keep in touch with family and friends as well as keep up with certain class assignments. I am sure that Twitter is similar in that way which would be very helpful for teachers. Why not use all of the beneficial technology we can if we are fortunate enough to have it?
The other post I read and commented was called “Dream (Tweet) Team”, and I truly enjoyed reading and commenting it. The topic was whether or not a school’s success should be judged on the number of teachers that had a Twitter. I don’t think that a school should necessarily be judged by it, or looked down upon either way, but I think it would overall be beneficial technology to everyone at the school whether it was intended or not. I personally do not use Twitter, but if you would have asked me what I thought about Facebook when it was originally created, I would have not been an optimistic user, but now I could be considered a Facebook addict. It’s a great way to keep in touch with family and friends as well as keep up with certain class assignments. I am sure that Twitter is similar in that way which would be very helpful for teachers. Why not use all of the beneficial technology we can if we are fortunate enough to have it?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Blog Post 2
Did You Know?
This video clearly exemplifies how fast not only our nation, but the world is growing. It’s strange to think about how much is seems like our nation is expanding, when compared to other countries, the growth isn’t comparable. For example, in this 4:56 minute video, 67 babies were born in the U.S. which seems like a lot. Then I saw the statistics from other countries I was amazed. In less than 5 minutes, 274 babies were born in China and 395 babies were born in India. India’s birthrate is approaching a baby being born practically every second. Another comparison between population is the 25% of the highest I.Q.’s in India is greater than the entire U.S. population. That means India has more “smart people” than we have people in the U.S.
This brings me to my next astonishment witnessed in this video, the unbelievably fast growth of technology. The amount of new technological information in the U.S. doubles every 2 years. This means by the time a student is a junior in college, half of what they learned their freshman year is out of date. In some places students are being trained for jobs that don’t even exist yet. This is an obvious problem not only because college isn’t cheap and every student want to get the education that they paid for, but it hiders the job market as well. Older workers must be frequently retrained and sometimes even replaced by newly trained workers. Because if this, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that today’s student will have between 10 and 14 jobs before they reach the age of 40. Another fact that surprised me is that 1 in 4 workers have only been with there employer for less than a year and 1 in 2 have been employed for less than 5 years.
One of the biggest most universal technological advances was the production of computers and the Internet. It took only 4 years for the Internet to reach an audience of 50 million people. Social networking cites such as facebook and myspace have literally become the link to the world. In its first 2 years created, facebook reached 50 million people. There are over 200 million people that have myspace accounts which could represent the 5th largest country in the world. If that’s not shocking enough, I bet the fact that 1 in 8 married couples last year met online. This goes to show how advanced and important technology is to our rapidly growing world. The correlation between the two (population and technology) are obvious in that more people demand a wider variety of updated technology.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
This video also exemplifies the growth of technology in our society. Mr. Winkle awakes after 100 years to find a much different way of life. I think some of the things he witnessed are sometimes taken for granted for by our world today. An example is when he visited the hospital. Mr. Winkle was astonished seeing people literally being kept alive by machines. In the past I’m sure it was never considered that such a thing would ever exist. There are so many technological advances that I personally have unfortunately, nevertheless fortunately, used in hospitals. For example, CT scans x ray machines, MRI’s, and IV’s. It’s hard to imagine how people got by in the past without all of this and it makes me wonder what my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have someday. I’m sure they will wonder how we got by in 2010!
Mr. Winkle was extremely curious about the new advancement of computers; he witnessed them in the hospital, school, and office and realized that they are a very important aspect in the daily functioning of our society as a whole. Business people were shown having conferences with others across the world on computers. There were both video and voice features which comes in handy now not only for businesses, but for communicating with family and friends in other parts of the country and even other parts of the world.
The Importance of Creativity
This video was unlike the previous ones I have been discussing because it had one more specific subject. In his presentation, Sir Ken Robinson explains why he believes that schools kill creativity. I agree with his point that no one knows what the world is going to be like 5 years from now. We don’t know what jobs are going to be needed, yet beginning as children, we are trained to suit the current needs. What many educators fail to believe is that creativity is just as important as literacy. Creativity isn’t taught, it’s a natural ability that everyone is born with, yet the way that creativity shines or is brought out in a person can sometimes be blamed or associated to their surroundings. When children aren’t supported in their creativeness, it doesn’t shine. According to Sir Ken Robinson, you don’t grow into creativity but it’s grown out of more often.
A funny story he expressed in his speech showed how creative children really are. They have incredible capabilities and it’s amazing what they can come up with sometimes. The example he gave was a young child drawing a picture of god. His teacher tells him that no one knows what god really looks like, but he tells her “they will in a minute”. This is clear evidence that kids will take a chance on anything, they don’t mind being wrong when they are young and what they say doesn’t embarrass them very easily. Adults on the other hand are afraid to make mistakes. We never want to be wrong. That’s why creativity isn’t as common the older we get, people are growing out of their creativity.
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video reminded me a lot of this class (EDM 310). The teacher was obviously a great instructor who cared a lot about her students and their success in the classroom. She included a variety of activities to suit the needs of all of her students. I am a firm believer that there is no one right way to teach/learn. I think that it is important to always provide a variety of surrounding for students to help with their learning experience.
In this video the class used blogs and Google routinely as assignments and learning activities. You can clearly see that the class is not only helping each other as teacher to peer and peer to peer, but peer to teacher as well. Ms. Davis (the instructor) straightforwardly admitted that her students teach her so much. She, like myself, is willing to always learn something new. I look forward to becoming a teacher because I realize that my classes will teach me so very much. She is also very committed to assisting children who may have trouble with a pen and paper become successful with a computer.
This video clearly exemplifies how fast not only our nation, but the world is growing. It’s strange to think about how much is seems like our nation is expanding, when compared to other countries, the growth isn’t comparable. For example, in this 4:56 minute video, 67 babies were born in the U.S. which seems like a lot. Then I saw the statistics from other countries I was amazed. In less than 5 minutes, 274 babies were born in China and 395 babies were born in India. India’s birthrate is approaching a baby being born practically every second. Another comparison between population is the 25% of the highest I.Q.’s in India is greater than the entire U.S. population. That means India has more “smart people” than we have people in the U.S.
This brings me to my next astonishment witnessed in this video, the unbelievably fast growth of technology. The amount of new technological information in the U.S. doubles every 2 years. This means by the time a student is a junior in college, half of what they learned their freshman year is out of date. In some places students are being trained for jobs that don’t even exist yet. This is an obvious problem not only because college isn’t cheap and every student want to get the education that they paid for, but it hiders the job market as well. Older workers must be frequently retrained and sometimes even replaced by newly trained workers. Because if this, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that today’s student will have between 10 and 14 jobs before they reach the age of 40. Another fact that surprised me is that 1 in 4 workers have only been with there employer for less than a year and 1 in 2 have been employed for less than 5 years.
One of the biggest most universal technological advances was the production of computers and the Internet. It took only 4 years for the Internet to reach an audience of 50 million people. Social networking cites such as facebook and myspace have literally become the link to the world. In its first 2 years created, facebook reached 50 million people. There are over 200 million people that have myspace accounts which could represent the 5th largest country in the world. If that’s not shocking enough, I bet the fact that 1 in 8 married couples last year met online. This goes to show how advanced and important technology is to our rapidly growing world. The correlation between the two (population and technology) are obvious in that more people demand a wider variety of updated technology.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
This video also exemplifies the growth of technology in our society. Mr. Winkle awakes after 100 years to find a much different way of life. I think some of the things he witnessed are sometimes taken for granted for by our world today. An example is when he visited the hospital. Mr. Winkle was astonished seeing people literally being kept alive by machines. In the past I’m sure it was never considered that such a thing would ever exist. There are so many technological advances that I personally have unfortunately, nevertheless fortunately, used in hospitals. For example, CT scans x ray machines, MRI’s, and IV’s. It’s hard to imagine how people got by in the past without all of this and it makes me wonder what my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have someday. I’m sure they will wonder how we got by in 2010!
Mr. Winkle was extremely curious about the new advancement of computers; he witnessed them in the hospital, school, and office and realized that they are a very important aspect in the daily functioning of our society as a whole. Business people were shown having conferences with others across the world on computers. There were both video and voice features which comes in handy now not only for businesses, but for communicating with family and friends in other parts of the country and even other parts of the world.
The Importance of Creativity
This video was unlike the previous ones I have been discussing because it had one more specific subject. In his presentation, Sir Ken Robinson explains why he believes that schools kill creativity. I agree with his point that no one knows what the world is going to be like 5 years from now. We don’t know what jobs are going to be needed, yet beginning as children, we are trained to suit the current needs. What many educators fail to believe is that creativity is just as important as literacy. Creativity isn’t taught, it’s a natural ability that everyone is born with, yet the way that creativity shines or is brought out in a person can sometimes be blamed or associated to their surroundings. When children aren’t supported in their creativeness, it doesn’t shine. According to Sir Ken Robinson, you don’t grow into creativity but it’s grown out of more often.
A funny story he expressed in his speech showed how creative children really are. They have incredible capabilities and it’s amazing what they can come up with sometimes. The example he gave was a young child drawing a picture of god. His teacher tells him that no one knows what god really looks like, but he tells her “they will in a minute”. This is clear evidence that kids will take a chance on anything, they don’t mind being wrong when they are young and what they say doesn’t embarrass them very easily. Adults on the other hand are afraid to make mistakes. We never want to be wrong. That’s why creativity isn’t as common the older we get, people are growing out of their creativity.
Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This video reminded me a lot of this class (EDM 310). The teacher was obviously a great instructor who cared a lot about her students and their success in the classroom. She included a variety of activities to suit the needs of all of her students. I am a firm believer that there is no one right way to teach/learn. I think that it is important to always provide a variety of surrounding for students to help with their learning experience.
In this video the class used blogs and Google routinely as assignments and learning activities. You can clearly see that the class is not only helping each other as teacher to peer and peer to peer, but peer to teacher as well. Ms. Davis (the instructor) straightforwardly admitted that her students teach her so much. She, like myself, is willing to always learn something new. I look forward to becoming a teacher because I realize that my classes will teach me so very much. She is also very committed to assisting children who may have trouble with a pen and paper become successful with a computer.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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