Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version

This brief video by Dr. John Strange is exactly what it says on the tin--it's a video of interesting facts. And by "interesting" I mean "overwhelming." Like the fact that the top 25% of India (that is, those with the highest IQ scores), outnumbers the United States. As in, 25% of India is more than 100% of the U.S. According to Census.gov, there are 312,968,665 people in the U.S. This number is so vast, so mind-boggling that you'd think this would be common knowledge. Another of the interesting/overwhelming facts is that, by 2025, there will probably be more English-speaking Chinese people than native English speakers in the world.

There are also facts about the average number of texts sent a day in school students, percentage of school students who own a computer, and other numbers. But the thing about China and India? I can't get that out of my head. You'd think with all the English speakers in China, and those learning it, that we would have a better relationship with them. Maybe we will one day. This makes me think of all the Sci-Fi media I've seen, where China comes to dominate/co-dominate the world/galaxy. I wonder if that's in our future.


Mr. Winkle Wakes

I was amused at Mathew Needleman's video at first, imagining that if Rip Van Winkle really did awaken in our time there would be wider repercussions than him simply wandering around, observing our technology. He'd probably be driven mad by the rush our society has become. Imagine a man who knows nothing about cars stepping out into traffic, or anyone simply letting a strange old man walk into a school or classroom without a word. But I understood the point of the video, that education is stuck in the past and we need to make use of technology, etc., etc.

However, I disagree. Education as we know it is much more advanced than a hundred years ago--good common sense says that. We've learned better teaching techniques, we know that hitting students probably isn't going to make them learn better, we know how to help those with learning disabilities, and we encourage students' individuality through their assignments--all in all, I'd say the teachers of a hundred years ago would find the way current teachers operate downright ludicrous. I will admit, though, that we could stand to use some of the technology developed in the last few years in education.


The Importance of Creativity

This video was the most enjoyable to watch, and I almost wish there had been more, that it had been longer. Sir Ken Robinson is a wonderful speaker, humorous and illuminating, and I'm sure my public speaking teacher would have taken to him instantly. He talked about how the educational system breeds out creativity for more desirable and "productive traits," like the knowledge of math. I loved his anecdotes about children, especially about the girl drawing God. But he pointed out something very intriguing about the educational system that I hadn't thought of, and yet it's the very reason I am going into education.

"Educational Inflation," (which is the perfect term for it) whereby you have to have a better degree now for a job that that, years ago, would need nothing more than a Bachelor's or, even better, none at all. I am going to be a teacher because I cannot be a librarian without a Master's in Library Science, but a long time ago you would only need the equivalent of a high school education to become one. I would love to simply work in a library without need of further schooling. It would be perfect. But that's not the case is it?

In any case, I really agree with many of Sir Robinson's points, not just about the Educational Inflation thing, but also about how schools now struggle to squash creativity because it is seen as something that won't lead anywhere productive, or that you won't be able to support yourself or have a "proper" life if you go into something related to the Arts. It's a shame that the educational system works like that, but completely true. I'm definitely planning on picking up the book he mentioned, called Epiphany at the time the video was made, but published in 2009 as The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.


A Vision for 21st Century Learning

I thought this was really interesting, I'll give it that. Incorporating video game technology into learning? Kids would go nuts, of course. But it doesn't really address how to do that, which is, I suppose, why the title of the video merely has "Vision" in it. It also has a few flaws. A lot of people think learning by computer, taking online classes, things like that, makes learning easier, but it all depends on the person doing the learning. I would be horrible at such a learning game, I can say that right now. Because I would be more interested in goofing off, exploiting glitches, and having fun than doing work. I would be treating it like a video game, because it is one. I don't associate video games with work, I associate them with fun. The temptation to just do what I want would be too great.

Just like if I sit down at my computer to write a paper, the chances that I will immediately get started on it and not pause to get on any fun websites is absolutely zero percent. Because a computer means fun to me. I associate it with doing what I want,  having fun, taking a break. I don't associate computers with work because I rarely use them for work. Of course I write many school papers on my computer, but I spend far more time goofing off on it than doing any serious work. I'm not saying the idea would completely fall apart, just that it would really need to be closely monitored.


Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

While I think it's cool, being able to learn through video simulation like this, I guess I just can't let go of traditional methods. It's all I've ever used, and just being forced to use eCollege irritates me. I do like the idea of some of the things Vicki Davis talks about, like using blogs, wikis, things like that. We had to use a wiki in my government class in high school, and while it irritated me to no end, having to check it every week and comment on what other students wrote, it wasn't so bad when an interesting discussion was brought up. And using a blog in this class hasn't been too bad so far. But as soon as I read that I would need Twitter, I couldn't help shuddering inside.

I feel like I should be excited about such innovations, but there's something about good old book and paper that appeals to me. Maybe it's like reading--doing it for pleasure is the best thing in the world, but as soon as I'm required to read a book for school it becomes a tiresome burden. The obligation seems to drain all the fun out of it.