Blog Post #2

"Did you Know?"
In this blog post I will be discussing "Did You Know? 3.0- A John Strange Version" and also the original "Did You Know?" by Karl Fisch and Scott McCleod. These presentations are about how quickly technology is changing, not only in our society, but around the world. Most of the facts given are directly related to the use of technology in American education.
Most of the facts given in these presentations are, to put it simply, scary. We rely so heavily on technology that one could easily see how movies like iRobot could become reality. There are computers in nearly every home in the United States; over 85% of high school students have a cell phone and I am sure they have their phone attached to them 99% of the time (the 1% being when they are in some body of water or their shower). At the end of "Did You Know?" by Karl and Scott, they stated that by 2013 there will be a computer built that will exceed the computational capabilities of the human brain. That is next year. I believe that this extremely fast pace at which technology advances puts a huge amount of responsibility on our shoulders as educators. Not only are we responsible for teaching children who will have jobs one day using a technology that hasn't been invented yet, but we must also keep up with what is current; and that could change in the course of a month.
"Mr. Winkle Wakes"
Here I will talk about the video "Mr. Winkle Wakes". I really enjoyed this video. The basic story line is a man (Mr. Winkle) awakes after sleeping for 100 years to find that everything around him has changed. Technology has advanced so far that he can not comprehend what he is seeing. So he wanders around the city, first to an office building which he finds to be filled with "strange machines and noises". Then to a hospital where "lasers perform surgeries". Feeling overwhelmed he wanders into a school. Here, he finds that everything is exactly as it was 100 years ago. Students at desks, using paper and pencils to take notes and a teacher lecturing to them.
I think this is a very clever way to point out the lack of advancement in our school systems. Although I am not sure how accurate it is. When I was in high school there were many courses offered that were related to technology. In fact, as a freshman I was in a course that was all about web design. Our main project was working on the school website. We created links, images, etc. I do agree that teachers need to include more technology in their lessons. If we as educators do not keep our lessons current with the technology that is available we do our students a great disservice. I think that is what this video is saying: we could even set them back 100 years.
"Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity"
I really enjoyed this video. In this video Sir Ken Robinson talks about how we (as students) are educated out of creativity. If you travel around the world, the hierarchy for educational subjects is the same no matter where you go. It has math and languages at the top and arts at the bottom. Sir Robinson talks about how this hierarchy was developed to meet the needs of industrialism and how this is now completely outdated and wrong. He goes on to talk about how the world is "engulfed in a revolution" based on creativity.
As I said, I really enjoyed this video. I agree with Sir Robinson about many things. I think that we as students are educated out of creativity. I have seen several friends through out the years who are great artists or dancers but they squash their talents to focus on something "practical" that will get them a job. I thought it was very interesting how he stated that a college degree means nothing now. Although I am currently seeking my degree, I do agree with this statement as well. When my grandfather or even my mother graduated from college, having a degree meant you got a job; that is not the case anymore. The highest number of people unemployed are those just out of college (with a bachelor's degree). As a parent, and a future teacher, I hope to always encourage creativity. I think it is a skill that is vital in our ever changing world.
"A Day Made of Glass"
This is an amazing video that shows several possible technologies that may be used in the future. It basically shows how technology will be improved in every setting by using glass "screens"; everywhere from the home, to the classroom, to a hospital.
I thought this was a very interesting video. Its intention is to show how technology is advancing. The products that they have shown in this video are interesting. I own a tablet and it seems to me that most of the products in this video are just large, clear versions of the current tablets on the market. I enjoyed watching the video "A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked...". It was interesting to see what we are close to having and what is still years away. I hope in my lifetime I can see the interactive boards in classrooms. We are already close with the smart boards currently available. I would really like to see the activity boards shown in the video. Those seem like a great way to get kids involved and I agree with the speaker, if they would've had those in classrooms when I was a kid I would've been excited to go to class!