DID YOU KNOW? 3.0 by Karl Fisch
It can be found by clicking this link
This video is mind blowing. Honestly. Technology is moving so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up. Earlier this year I was asked if teachers being technologically literate was important. After watching this video my answer is yes. When you take on a job like teaching you have to realize that in order to teach you must first learn. Learning is the never ending job of the teacher. Our world is moving at such a fast pace, even the brightest of people could easily get lost in this techno logic translation.
At the end of this video the question it leaves you with to ponder is "What does all this mean"? I believe this means that technology is not going to stop it is only going to keep increasing and at a faster pace. In fact even this video is now extremely out of date. To me personally it is a little bit frighting but I have no choice but to move forward. I also disliked the prediction of humans creating a machine that is more intelligent than all of the human race. I believe it will be possible but I hope we do not ever create something like that. Have you ever seen the horror movies? Humans should never create something that they do not have the ability to control. Over all this video was amazing and a little breath taking. I think everyone should watch this!
Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman
It can be found at this link
I only feel sorrow after watching this video. The fact that all of our hospitals and businesses have advanced so drastically is great, but our schools are still using the same methods as one hundred years ago? What does that say about the education departments and systems? We really need to try to update our schools. This lack of technology in the schools is only hurting our children. We as educators are supposed to be preparing our students in every way possible to be ready to face the world and future jobs. If we our not "teaching" technology which is now a part of life then we are not doing our jobs.
I believe that Mr. Winkle Wakes really is a wake up call! To us! School systems need to be updated. I am not saying that we should never have lectures or personal connections with children in the classroom. I am just saying that teaching them the fundamentals of survival through jobs is our primary job and if that calls for them to learn technology (which it does in today's world) than we should. Education has been changing so slowly which was shown in Mr. Winkles trip to the classroom when he did at least "see" a lap top there. We need to move towards using the technology that we have to teach our children with. I think we are getting there but we need to catch up!
Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
It can be found at this link
I believe anyone who has any relationship with children should see this video. This video shows just how important it is to realize that some children are born to be different. No one in the whole world is the exact same. We all learn, feel, and experience things differently every day. So why is it that so many children in the education system are held to the exact same curriculum and standards? Not every child was meant to be a doctor or a dancer. Creativity is important because for some children that is where they thrive and shine.
By limiting children to only academic ideas and standards we are killing their potential. The story that he told about the little girl who was meant to dance was truly touching. So many parents in today's society would have put her on medication and thrown here back into a classroom where her creativity and need to dance would eventually die. Then she would be forced to struggle to keep up with children who were meant to be in academics while she was not. I believe finding what your child is good at is so very important. Not only for their happiness and potential but for their self esteem. When a child is really great at something and they know it that is when I believe they can reach their true potential.
Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This link should take you to it: link
After watching this video it only intensifies my want to be the best teacher that I possibly can be. In one part of the video Vicki says "children should be thinkers" and I could not agree more. Children need to learn how to do things for themselves. They are not always going to have a parent or teacher there to do everything for them. They need these skills to have a job and live a full life and when teachers do not teach but do all of the work for them they are only hurting the child. It is always okay to help but you should never "do" anything for a child.
I also love it when Vicki says "I do not need to know everything". I think this is a common misconception that teachers should know everything before teaching. Teachers are also learners. In the education field you are constantly learning and re-learning materials. It is okay when a teacher simply says "I do not know but we can find out". I think this video was wonderful and really shows what teacher dedication is all about. Go Vicki!
The “Did You Know” video is defiantly interesting. I totally agree that technology is moving at an alarming rate and it will be difficult to keep up but as teachers, we have no choice but to keep with the latest technology. First, new technology will enhance the learning experience for our students. Second, the current generation of students is very well informed about new technology. As a result, a current generation teacher will have to be up to date about the latest technology to relate with the students. In this day and age, a teacher has no choice but to be technology literate to survive. On the other hand, I am not frightened by the thought of a computer that is more intelligent than the entire human race. For humans to create such a thing will reveal how intelligent we have become. Most importantly, we are only using up to 10% of our brain; we can’t stop there because the possibilities are endless. It may take a machine that is more intelligent than the entire human race to come up with the blueprint to build a ship that could travel the speed of light to explore universe in more dept. All in all, the idea is one that I would welcome. There is always a risk in technology, the invention of the airplane was great but the possibility of crashing with a high mortality rate is horrible. There is always a negative when looking at new technology.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that Mr. Winkle Wake should set off an alarm in the school system. Alabama in particular has one of the most underfunded public school systems in the country. Some classrooms have little or no computers, outdated textbooks, and uncomfortable desks. Students experience technology everywhere they go now but when they come to school, it’s almost non-existence so it’s important that school systems become up to date to accommodate today’s students.
Concerning your comments about “The Importance of Creativity,” you hit all points with your perspective. I also believe that creatively is important if not as important as some of the other learning standards. Creativity will teach students to use their minds and knowledge that they’ve already accumulated. I think by simply relying on the four major academic subjects to determine a student’s ability is simply wrong. Students will become more involved in the curriculum by installing more opportunities for creativity.
Finally, “Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts” was a very inspirational video for me as well. Vicki Davis has become an effective teacher and it truly shows in her methods of teaching, I think every new teacher should adopt a model of some sort like this to incorporate technology into the classroom.
Tiphanie,
ReplyDeleteThis statement is very powerful ... We as educators are supposed to be preparing our students in every way possible to be ready to face the world and future jobs. EDM 310 is based on the fact that we need to prepare future teachers to do exactly what you said.