1. In the youtube video "Did You Know" by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod, they made alot of interesting points about the growth of the internet. I had thought the internet and computer technologies were growing at a fast rate, but I had no idea at how quickly the amount of knowledge gained and transferred between the people of the world was growing as well.
I think that it is about time that everyone quits putting their head in the dirt trying to hide from their fear of computers. I'm not really one to talk about others, because as of a few years ago I was one of them.
2. I the youtube video "Mr. Winkle Wakes" by Matthew Needleman, he makes an interesting point about how much the world has changed, while at the same time we are still trying to teach our children in the same fashion. Once it is layed out in this way we start to realize that we are doing a disservice to our next generation in preparing them for their futures.
This new way of teaching should be made more use of in todays schools. I think that this would better prepare our youth for tomorrow's job market. Hopefully, by the time I get to my own classroom there will be more computer based classes, and our students will be better prepared for the world that we are preparing them for.
3. In the video "The Importance of Creativity" Ken Robinson let the audience know throughout the speech that there is more that one way to reach children in their educational lives. He went on to tell the story of a dancer that was misunderstood in grade school and thought to have a learning disability. We as a society are so concerned about fitting all children in the same box that we often try to weed out what makes children individuals.
I also found it interesting that Mr. Robinson felt that our society was to quick to label children as different (ADHD), and that this often would destroy the future of more creative children. Personally, I feel that this generation is being stifled by this new way of thinking, and that it will end up being a detriment to our society in the future. However, I believe there are some children that are really in need of the help that comes with ADHD, but I think that some children are placed on these drugs when they really are just being cheated out of their full potential.
4. This video shows that the educational system in this country isn't creating an environment for our students to be successful on the world stage. I hope to be the type of teacher that can make my kids be more successful in the world to come.
5. In this video Vicki Davis has brought the EDM 310 idea to a rural High School in southern Georgia. I think that the students in the class were getting a leg up on their competition when trying to go on to college, or even the work force. in today's worldd you need to have some sort of computer skills to be able to find a decent job.
This would be a great class to make mandatory for all Middle Schools, or at the very least High Schools. But, the problem that always seems to arise is funding for such programs that are becoming more necesary in the grand scheme of things.
"...we start to realize that we are doing a disservice to our next generation in preparing them for their futures." Absolutely.
ReplyDelete"... I feel that this generation is being stifled by this new way of thinking" I don't follow your argument. What do you mean by "this new way of thinking"?
"... the problem that always seems to arise is funding for such program..." And what to buy. My own belief is that we would be much better off putting the tools in the hands of the students. Oh, by the way, what do we spend on football?
Jordan, I agree with you on just about every one of these posts. Especially the funding of these new technologies; everyone seems to think that we need the new innovations, but how will we get them. Most school systems just cannot afford these things.
ReplyDeleteDr.Strange, by "this new way of thinking" I may have dated myself, but when I graduated High School (1994) there didn't seem to be a lack of funding for the arts programs. But over the past ten years every musician and artist seems to be on television trying to save our art programs in public schools. So I may be incorrect, but it seems to me that this is something has just recently become an issue.
ReplyDeleteJordan,
ReplyDeleteThe arts have often been the first to feel the pinch of economic reality. I think times have been worse of late and may explain the differences you notice. But there are communities where the politics will not let the arts be cut. Ethnicity pays a part in that process. Just as there are places where you will get fired if you cut football (In Texas cutting football is a sure way to end your career as a principal or a superintendent.), there are also places like Brookline, MA (large Jewish population) where cutting the arts would only happen as a last resort.
I personally have no knowledge of the educational system of Brookline, Ma, so on that point I'll go with your expertise. I was just trying to make clear my earlier point on this being a relatively new societal problem to my knowledge. This is a problem to be sure, I believe that studies show that students that are exposed to the arts test higher in the other subjects like Math and English.
ReplyDelete