Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?

I love statistics. I actually stumbled upon this video about a month ago. It amazes me how much technology has changed over the years and how it continues to do so. Not only that, but the rate at which everything is advancing is exponential. I'm interested in how these statistics have changed since the video was produced.

At approximately 3:38, the video reveals that for a 4 year degree, half of what a student learns in the first year of study will already be outdated by the third year. This may seem a little discouraging. At the same time though, it kind of makes you realize that we will never stop learning. There will always be new advancements and technologies, and if we want our lives to prosper we have to advance right along with them.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

After he awoke from his hundred year slumber, Mr. Winkle discovered a world full of new technologies. This new world was very overwhelming for him. However, Mr. Winkle came across a school with classrooms just as he remembered, and there he found solace away from this new, highly advanced world.

This immediately grabbed my attention. Why, after 100 years, are we not incorporating the use of more technology in the classroom? When students graduate and enter the "real world," they are expected to be technologically literate. If they're not, there's usually plenty of other candidates to choose from. It's our duty as educators to help guide and prepare students for such competitive markets in today's society.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

What really stood out to me was that children are so creative because they're not afraid to be wrong. As an adult, I'm horrified at the thought of being wrong. This led me to a few questions. When did I start to become so afraid? Was I influenced by my parents, peers, or teachers? Are we really "educating people out of their creative capacities?"

After high school, I was so focused on finding a major that would land me a great paying job and also make the parents happy. I mean, my mom's been working in a factory for as long as I can remember and in recent years my dad's just been picking up odd jobs here and there. So of course they want their child to do something better with her life. But I switched from major to major never finding any satisfaction in what I was learning. I took a break and worked the front desk at a credit union for three years. Then my days just became so routine. What a waste!

Although I originally came to USA for Meteorology, I'm glad I finally realized teaching is where it's at for me. I always left this option on the back burner because it doesn't generate big bucks. But no one gets into teaching for the pay. It's all about the kids. They are our future, and I think we need to embrace their creativity. It doesn't make sense to try to condition them into something they don't like or aren't good at. How does one excel at something they really have no passion for?

Cecelia Gault's Interview

Cecelia is a smart little girl, and it's very encouraging to see her interest in the direction education is going in. If I had students like her, I would try to entertain their questions and encourage their creativity as best as I could. And it's important to rid this notion that creativity is limited to the arts.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I started to see everything tie together when Vicki Davis said if you only have pencil and paper, only certain students will succeed. I commend her for paying attention to each student and their strengths and interests, and then customizing the classroom according to that group of students. How ingenious! Because not every class is the same year after year.

I also noticed the students are being very interactive, learning for themselves and then teaching one another. That has to be a relief for them. It's hard to stay focused sometimes when you have an instructor that just lectures at the front of the classroom for the entire period. Some may learn that way, but others need to have that hands on experience, and a classroom setting like this really provides for that.