Blog Assignment #2

Did You Know?

I have actually seen the Did You Know video before, and I think that the rate at which technology is expected to change is amazing! When the video stated that "the amount of new technical information is doubling every two years" I was shocked. I don't see how it would be possible to keep up. I think that us, as future educators, have to keep an open mind and try to keep up as best we can.

I was actually having a conversation the other day about the amount of stuff people "google" everyday. "To whom were questions addresses B.G.? (Before Google)" I don't remember! You can find anything you need or need to know on the internet. There are websites to help you write a report, there are dating websites to find your soulmate, and you do not even have to leave your house anymore to get that Christmas shopping done! With all of that technology out there, I don't find it suprising that there will be a supercomputer that exceeds the computational abilities of the human brain within the next few years!



Mr. Winkle Wakes


In the video Mr. Winkle Wakes, Mr. Winkle wakes up after being asleep for 100 years. He notices how in offices and hospitals everything has changed. There are computer and machines that he has never seen before. He then goes to a school where everything is just the way he remembers it. Children are still siting in desks, listening to the teacher, just the way they had 100 years before! This shows how far behind most schools are with technology.

I feel that the reason most schools are behind in technology is the lack of funding. But, even with the lack of funding, there are still many ways that teachers can keep up with technology. I think that teachers need to keep up with technology. The rate at which children are learning to use computers is amazing. I have a seven year old that definitely knows his way around a computer. Therefore, as teachers I think that we have to try to keep up!



The Importance of Creativity

To me creativity is extremely important. Teachers have to be creative everyday. We are creative with lessons and the way we communicate information to our children, and if they don't understand it the first time, we have to create a new way to deliver the information so that they can understand. Yet we as educators, can crush a child's creativity. We expect children to sit and learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, but with the lack of funding in schools we are taking away art, music, and dance. Some children excel in math, while others excel in music or art. We need to let children have a creative outlet to do what they are good at. 


In Sir Ken Robinson's video The Importance of Creativity, he made a statement that will stick with me forever. He said that "creativity in education is as important as literacy." I feel that we need to let children that excel in music, art, and dance, have the same opportunities to do so in school, as those that excel in reading, writing, and arithmetic.



Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I think that this video showed a great example of a classroom where children were excited to learn. Like Vicki Davis said in this video, "when you have only paper, and only pencils, only certain types of children are going to succeed." I think that Mrs. Davis is definitely an example of a technologically literate teacher. She does not know everything that there is to know about technology, because who could keep up, but she is willing to learn, even if it is her students teaching her. Customizing the curriculum and what goes on in the classroom to fit the individual student, or group of students, is a great way to make sure that every child reaches their full potential. 


I believe that this group of students will be far ahead of their peers when they get into the workforce. The technology that they have learned will be extremely beneficial to their future employers. The way she is making them look things up and find out for themselves will help them rely more on their own skills, instead of having to be told how to do everything. I hope that as a teacher I can help my children to do the same.