Blog Post #2

In watching the "Did You Know 3.0", ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY ) I learned a great deal of information. It is very interesting to me how extensive the numbers were for so much of technology. I never realized how fast computers and internet usage updated and spread. If you would have asked me 10 years ago, if I would have a laptop, I would have answered, "No". Today there is so much technology that we would have never thought of years ago.

Who would have ever guessed that a phone would be made and all would have to do was touch the screen to use it? Who would have ever thought that we could be on the internet on our cell phones? When I was in school I didn't even have the internet at home, and not until I was at the end of middle school, I had never even heard of a cell phone.

"Mr. Winkle Wakes" by Mathew Needleman is a very strong example of a school that has been unchanged by technology. Sometimes, technology scares me, as I have always been more comfortable with things that stay the same. I have come to learn that the world is always changing and if I don't "change with it", I may not be able to function smoothly in society in the years to come.
Mr. Winkle wakes from a long sleep and realizes that everything in his life and world has changed. I could never imagine waking to something like that. I am extremely grateful to be learning all that I am now, about the computer and all the unique features of it, as well as the internet. I think in the future, I will find many of the resources I have learned about to be useful in my own teaching career.



In Sir Ken Robinson's: "The Importance of Creativity",                                                                                  ( www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html ) he brings up many valid points about the diminishing of creativity in schools. The schools now are primarily focused on certain subjects, such as Math or English. There is a great deal of importance attached to children learning these subjects and doing well in them. Art and music are used for an "elective" (maybe something that is not even required in school) but there are not given the level of importance that other subjects are given.
It seems as though creativity is put on the "back burner" when it comes to education. No one is looking for things that are original, anymore. They are looking for who may be the smartest or know the most information about something, but not for the art or creativeness in it. I believe it is absolutely true that in five years we will have no idea what this world will be like. It is up to us to encourage students to use their creativity and imaginations. They may even be grander than our own, and even be beyond our abilities to believe!

In Cecilia Gault's - Interview of Sir Ken Robinson, I see how very important it is to educate students about the use of technology. Each year it only gets more complex and also more common. The only reasonable thing to do is to educate our children and students at a very young age about technology. The earlier they learn it, the more they will learn and the better off they will be. ( blogs.scholastic.com/kidspress/2010/09/breaking-creative-myths.html  )

"Harness Your Students Digital Smarts" ( www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis-video )
In today's world, technology is a very important resource. So much of the world can be accessed from a computer or telephone. In this video Ms. Davis had the students using computers and virtual programs to connect with other students all over the world. This is a very good technique, as it gives the students a unique opportunity to interact with other students and cultures.
In doing this, the students also become extremely educated about computers and the vast technology that is available through them. This approach opens a students mind to the many opportunities available in the world. It also gives them knowledge of how to use these opportunities to their own advantages.