Blog Post #2

1. Did You Know? 3.0
 By: Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod
      
      In this five minute video, you will see how technology went from not being a necessity to almost everyone using some form of technology in their life. It shows how technology has grown and how it will keep growing. I love how in this video you see how much technology has grown just within the past couple of years. It shouldn’t be a surprise that technology has grown so much, because while the human mind grows, new ideas and inventions will be made. I also found interesting all the different stats the video gave.
      I think that children should keep up with the growing technology out there, because one day they are the future and will need to be able to keep up with things. There was one stat where it stated that the top ten jobs in demand did not exist in 2004. That stat sums up how the world is changing rapidly and children need to know all the different forms of technology to keep up with it. Like the video stated, we are preparing kids for jobs that don’t exist yet. They will need to be prepared to use technologies that haven’t been invited yet to solve the problem. I believe that children should be familiar with certain technologies to help them better in the classroom.


2. Mr. Winkle Wakes
   By: Matthew Needleman    
       
        Mr. Winkle is an old man, who wakes from a long slumber. He goes out to explore the world he just woke up in. He was immediately confused by this new world. He saw things he couldn’t explain, like small screen where people can talk to each other and see each other. Mr. Winkle saw weird machines that printed things out and made weird noises. Mr. Winkle felt sick in the world he woke up in and went the hospital. He then saw even more machines that scared him. He finally went to a school where everything seemed familiar to him. Things seemed familiar to him, because everything was like he remembered. Students sat in rows and listened to a teacher go on about different subjects. There was one machine that Mr. Winkle saw that looked like one he saw before, but it was dusty and turned off.
         This video shows how much the world relies on technology and it is important to have an understanding for it. Technology is everywhere we go. It’s at the doctor’s office, it’s at the dentist office, it’s at restaurants, it is used everywhere. The video points out how it’s at schools, but not necessarily used. I think that it is important that technology is used at schools. Kids are the future and need to have an understanding of it.


3. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
    By: Ken Robinson
         
         In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about the importance of human creativity. He believes every human is creative and has a vast interest in education. He states how every child has a tremendous talent, but we squander it. He believes that creativity is just as important to education as literacy. He then tells a story about his son being a play and how one boy messed up his line and even though he didn’t say it right and still tried. The point to the story is the kids might not get something right, but they will still try. This story shows how creative kids can get. After telling his story, Robinson goes on to talk about how kids lose the ability to be creative and go on to be adults who are scared to be wrong. He then goes on about how we are running education systems where mistakes are the worst to make. Robertson goes on state how he doesn’t understand why the arts aren’t taught everyday like math and English. He finishes talking about how intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct.
          I agree with Robinson on why creativity is important. I think many kids who are very creative grow up thinking they are not. They don’t have the support from the school like they should. If kids don’t get that support, they will just grow up thinking they aren’t creative. I also think parents should also show their support in creativity. I liked Robertson story about his son’s play. Even though the boy knew he was wrong he still took a chance. I do think lot’s of adults don’t like being wrong and won’t admit to being wrong. Schools need to let kids express their creativity more, instead of not at all.


4. Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
    By: Cecelia Gault
      
        When Cecelia asks Sir Ken Robinson about how education should change to meet the needs of the 21st century, he stated that first the curriculum in school needs to change. He then said how there needs to be a balance between the arts and science. He also believes that schools need to make better use of technology. Lastly, he believes there needs to be a stronger link between the school and the community. Robertson then goes on talks about the three myths of creativity. The first one is that not everyone is creative. Robinson states how he believes everyone is creative. The second myth is that you don’t have to be creative with certain things, that you be creative with all things. The third myth is that you are creative or you are not. He states how people can be taught to be creative.
         I agree that with what Robinson said about how our education should change. I think that schools should have a better balance between the arts and science. Also, I agree that there should be a stronger link between every school and community. I think it is important that communities support their school more than just attending a football game. They should attend more art shows or play put on by schools. Technology is also important for school to meet the needs of the 21st century. Teachers need to incorporate all the things mentioned by Robson. I know that when I have a class, I will support them in every way possible.


5. Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

        Vicki Davis is a small town teacher, who teaches her students how to use all different types of technology. She wants her students to have a better understanding of technology and hopefully use it to connect to the world. She states how every student has the ability to learn. She attends meeting in different counties to try and spread what she is teaching. She wants her students’ to understand the technology they use. Vicki states how some teachers need to know everything before they teach and how that is wrong. Davis and follow teacher Julie Lindsey are the founders of Digi Teen and the Flat Classroom Project. Davis wants her students’ to be connected to the world.
         I think Vicki Davis a great example of what more schools need. They need more teachers who get their students’ connected to the world. Students need to have a better understanding of how to use certain technology. They need to be familiar with it. I like her flat classroom project that she created. I wish that had that in high school. There were certain programs that I didn’t know how to use and wish that someone would have taught me. I think more schools should have a class that shows students how to use technology.