Blog Post #2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version is very informative on the numbers of those using technology. It cuts out every excuse of why a child does not have computer access when he states that “2 years ago 93% of 8-18 year olds in the United states had computers in their homes.”  There is a definite demand for technology in today’s society, and it is only growing. With the increase in statistics, based on the statistics given in this video, there is definitely no telling how much more advanced technology will be in 10 years.  As an educator, I know that I will need to be as prepared as possible.  It is crazy to know that over a million searches are going on a minute on Google, and that over eleven million text messages are being sent out a minute. This society is becoming more and more dependent on technology,

Mr. Winkle Wakes is a video about a man who has been asleep for 100 years, to wake up and find that everything around him has changed. He finds that in an office there are now things that have been developed where you can communicate with people all over the world, and see them on a screen which would be the computer. He travels to a hospital to find that people’s lives are being saved by machines. He then travels to a classroom, where he finds that nothing has changed. In the video the comment is made that he likes school because it has not changed.

 With technology increasing, and the latest gadgets in high demand, I feel that a good old fashion classroom is needed at times. It is a good asset to learning. I am all for technology, and using it to learn, but I feel that it makes things a little too easy now. When I was in Elementary School we did not have the smart boards like we do today, but I was still capable of learning. Yes, these things are great, but I still feel like lectures, and dry erase boards/chalk boards are also a good way of teaching! So I am with Mr. Winkle on this one for the most part!

The Importance of Creativityis a lecture video by Sir Ken Robinson. In this lecture he discusses the importance for creativity in the schools. He mentions that many find it important for at the core subjects such as math, science, history, but that the arts are found near the very bottom. As a lover of the arts, especially music, I find that it is important to have these areas of education available for students to take. In doing research for a speech last semester, I found that students in music classes are more likely to do better on their tests and in school than those who are no enrolled in music classes. The arts are a big way of allowing children to express themselves, and build confidence. I really do feel that creativity is an important factor for a child’s learning process.

A Vision for 21st Century Learning this is a video discussing how classes are today, and how they feel that they should be. The group that done this video is stating that they no longer want students to just memorize and have to listen to lectures; they want them to actually learn and experience things hands own.  Like stated above in another comment on one of the other videos, I feel that the way things are being taught now are great, but I am not totally against technology. Yes, with technology being in high demand students are going to want to use it to learn. So, as an educator, I will do my best to have a balance of both in my classroom.

Harness Your Students’ Digital Smart is a video about a teacher who takes technology and teaches it to students. She teaches them how to use the technology correctly. It is a good idea to teach students this just because it will help them as they grow in the future. Just as discussed earlier, technology is growing. I like the statement she made about not knowing everything but learning as she went. I think this is something we all need to keep in mind.