Did You Know? 3.0
The answer to the question for me was no. I did not know many of the statistics presented in the video. They shocked me. To know how advanced we are and are going to eventually be absolutely blows my mind! The one that blew my mind the most was when the video pointed out that by the 2040s, we could have a computer that exceeds the computational capability of the entire human species! The WHOLE species! That is absolutely impossible for me to even conceive right now!
There were many other statistics presented in the movie. They all seemed to drive home one point, though. Technology is rapidly changing, even as it has also done in past. Another point that was made that shocked me is that it is changing so fast that some technology will be outdated by the time a student finishes the third year of a four year program. Wow!! To think that some of the things will learn even today and in this course might change before we are completely finished with our education!
There were many other statistics presented in the movie. They all seemed to drive home one point, though. Technology is rapidly changing, even as it has also done in past. Another point that was made that shocked me is that it is changing so fast that some technology will be outdated by the time a student finishes the third year of a four year program. Wow!! To think that some of the things will learn even today and in this course might change before we are completely finished with our education!
Mr. Winkle Wakes
This is quite possibly one of the FUNNIEST videos I have ever watched. Imagine what it would be like to be asleep for so long, and then to wake up and find that everything is so different. Hospitals have machines to keep people alive. Streets are filled with cars. Offices are abuzz with chatting, printing, and so much more. I think of my great-grandmother, who is no longer with us. How would she feel if she came back to our world today (she has been gone for almost 11 years)? What would she think? How would she react to everything?
These changes are true of course until you get into the school. As future educators, we have to learn to adapt to and embrace as much technology as is appropriate to use. I do agree with solely computer based learning, but it is indeed a very beneficial and helpful tool. It is useful in teaching skills that are necessary for life and can provide educational entertainment for many during the downtime in between lessons. So teachers and future teachers out there, let's embrace technology and incorporate into our classrooms not only as a method of learning, but also as a way to bring balance and a variety of knowledge not just to our students, but to ourselves as well!
This is quite possibly one of the FUNNIEST videos I have ever watched. Imagine what it would be like to be asleep for so long, and then to wake up and find that everything is so different. Hospitals have machines to keep people alive. Streets are filled with cars. Offices are abuzz with chatting, printing, and so much more. I think of my great-grandmother, who is no longer with us. How would she feel if she came back to our world today (she has been gone for almost 11 years)? What would she think? How would she react to everything?
These changes are true of course until you get into the school. As future educators, we have to learn to adapt to and embrace as much technology as is appropriate to use. I do agree with solely computer based learning, but it is indeed a very beneficial and helpful tool. It is useful in teaching skills that are necessary for life and can provide educational entertainment for many during the downtime in between lessons. So teachers and future teachers out there, let's embrace technology and incorporate into our classrooms not only as a method of learning, but also as a way to bring balance and a variety of knowledge not just to our students, but to ourselves as well!
Are Schools Killing Creativity?
Sir Ken Robinson seems to think so. He talked about hierarchy of subjects in education, specifically in the arts - music, art, drama, and dancing. These subjects are very rarely taught in our schools today, especially dance. I think that is just plain shameful. Some students may not learn and be gifted in hard core academic areas, but they may have the chance to go very far in some form of the arts. But do the get these chances in most public schools? No. Students are simply made to sit through basic courses, board and frustrated with the material.
This is simply not right! Sir Ken made an excellent point as he said that some are discouraged from these fields because they can't make a job out of it. "You can't play music. You're not a musician!" was one of the quotes he used. Sure, there may not be opportunities abounding and they are hard fields to get into, but to discourage children from pursuing their interests in the arts is just wrong! I hope that somehow when I have a classroom of my own that I can incorporate all modes of learning and doing...even those that are, well, less conventional!
This is simply not right! Sir Ken made an excellent point as he said that some are discouraged from these fields because they can't make a job out of it. "You can't play music. You're not a musician!" was one of the quotes he used. Sure, there may not be opportunities abounding and they are hard fields to get into, but to discourage children from pursuing their interests in the arts is just wrong! I hope that somehow when I have a classroom of my own that I can incorporate all modes of learning and doing...even those that are, well, less conventional!
Harnessing Digital Smarts
A classroom in Georgia uses mainly computer means of working, with a lot of student-led teaching. They uses wikis and blogs to share the information they learn. The teacher even confessed that she did not know how to do one of the things the students were doing until the day a student taught the entire class. A quote of hers that I will remember is, "The whole idea of turning school upside down and empowering students to share with one another...you will have a much better classroom."
Student-led teaching is not always the best thing, BUT it can be a very effective tool. Letting students know that they are valued enough to trust them with that responsibility is always a good thing. It can foster learning in their lives, the lives of fellow students, and the lives of the teachers they come in contact with. Teachers do not know it all. I know I sure don't! Let's learn from our students. Who knows? We might be inspiring the future of the profession for which we spend our lives doing!
Student-led teaching is not always the best thing, BUT it can be a very effective tool. Letting students know that they are valued enough to trust them with that responsibility is always a good thing. It can foster learning in their lives, the lives of fellow students, and the lives of the teachers they come in contact with. Teachers do not know it all. I know I sure don't! Let's learn from our students. Who knows? We might be inspiring the future of the profession for which we spend our lives doing!
Your views on "Are Schools Killing Creativity?" are very well spoken. I agree with you 100%!
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about pertaining to the fact that technology is evolving very rapidly is the way we learn rather than what we learn. In this class you will learn about a multitude of different technologies that might be out of date when you enter the teaching field. That is not a problem if you learn how to learn about technology. You will then have the skills to more readily learn new technology as it comes out.