Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?

This video blew my mind. I knew that technology had come a long way but I had no idea just how much! We are living in an era of information overload. The job market has also come a long way. I found it interesting that we are training students for jobs that do not even exist yet. Everything seems to revolve around technology and electronics. Social networking has taken over. People rarely talk face to face anymore. Most conversations are done through text, twitter, facebook and so on.
Another interesting point covered was that Americans don't seem to value education the way other countries do. When we have a question we tend to just "ask" google instead of an educator. This video raised a lot of important points. As a future educator there is a responsibility to be technology literate and to keep abreast of the ever changing advances. We can't help and teach our students until we help and teach ourselves.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

This video showed the need for change and growth in American Education. There are so many new and amazing advances in technology that would be extremely beneficial to educators and students. I found it interesting how they showed the fact that Mr. Winkle noticed change everywhere BUT in the schools. Although many schools are taking advantage of the new technology, many still remain in the dark ages of education.
I think there is a refusal to change in some schools. Many feel we have made it this far using the old methods so there is nothing to change. I also wonder if many educators don't want to take the time to learn the new technology. This resistance to change hurts the student. If we want our students to succeed in the real world one day then we must prepare them. Technology is a part of our lives and we don't want to send our students out into the world feeling lost and confused the way Mr. Winkle did.

Sir Ken Robinson: Schools Kill Creativity

I really enjoyed this talk by Sir Robinson. He is so right about the fact that many schools and teachers do not nurture a child's creativity. Everyone learns differently and as educators we need to figure out a child's natural abilities and help them to explore them. The focus in schools is not on the arts. Children are taught to be focused on other subjects like math and science. When a child does not do well in such subjects they are often made to feel like they are not smart enough, have a learning disability, or won't succeed. Instead of being taught to learn from our mistakes we are taught that it is wrong to be wrong! I think technology can play a huge part in fostering a child’s creativity. There are so many options and possibilities provided by technology and it also makes learning fun!
Sir Robinson says everyone is born with creativity but we have to use and develop our creativity to keep it alive. Every person has a passion. Some are good at math others are amazing dancers. We have to focus on all the subjects so that each child can find an area to shine in. Every child should feel important and good at something. As Sir Robinson said, “we should be learning with our whole bodies and not just our heads.”

A Vision for 21st Century Learning

This video, though short, packed a punch! The idea here is to engage the student and to make learning so fun and interactive that the student does not even realize they are learning. Many students associate the word learning with boring and how can we blame them? What child, especially in this age of technology, wants to sit in a desk for hours at a time and be bombarded with facts and figures that they are expected to memorize and then be tested on? Once tested on a subject, does the student even remember what they have been taught? I know that I find myself forgetting many things I learned in grade school. It was not until college that I began to have a passion for learning. We are living in a digital age. People spend the majority of their time on computers, cell phones, and other devices. Children spend their free time playing video games and social networking. If technology is what is keeping a child engaged then does it not make logical sense to teach them in a way that is familiar and entertaining for them? I think it makes perfect sense. The video game demo they showed on the video was amazing. Even as an adult, I found myself completely entrapped in the digital adventure through the city of Rome. Think of the possibilities that technology offers education. I, as a future teacher, want my children to not only enjoy their learning experience but also to REMEMBER what they have learned. Teachers have a responsibility to prepare their students for the world and future ahead of them.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Wow! Vicki Davis is truly an amazing teacher! She is taking full advantage of the ever expanding world of technology and passing what she learns on to her students. She takes the time to learn new and interesting ways to incorporate technology into her classroom. She has definitely found a way to engage her students and keep them interested. I also like how she has her students learn things on their own and even teach her some new things. This allows the student to feel accomplished, proud of themselves, and learn problem solving skills. I admire the fact that she does all this from a rural town in Georgia where most people would not think would be so up to date with technology.
It's amazing that her class is connecting to people all over the world and they even took a trip to the middle east. Vicki Davis seems to really care about her students and wants them to succeed and perform to their full potentials. She focuses on her students' individual strengths and teaches based on them. This is something I am passionate about. I believe each student should be encouraged and allowed to excel in something whether it be Math, Science, Art, etc. I think all teachers could take a note from her teaching process. I know that I will carry what I have learned in to my future classroom. I explored the edutopia website and found it very interesting. I came across this video and it was another great example of how one school is integrating technology into their learning environments. An Introduction to Technology Integration