When I first read Mr. McLeod's post I was a little confused I was thinking, we follow him on Twitter he doesn't think like this? I then saw he was being very sarcastic. I agree and disagree. I think that children should be taught technology and prepared for the future but I also think there is a breaking point. Children should be handed a book, and they do need to write with no short hand text. There is a time for children to go to the black/dry erase board and do problems or write the answer they got. I think that mentally and physically people need a break from technology. Kids eyes need a break I am sure hours looking at a computer screen can not be good every day. Mentally we need to escape the technology world. Do you not want to just turn your phone off every once in a while? But with that being said I know that technology is here to stay I know that we have to have it. I am just saying I do not believe that what we know should be left, we should just add more. Mr. McLeod's website is very impressive. I loved the setup and I hope to one day have the skills to have a website as impressive. I did not know that he was a professor at the University of Kentucky or the director of CASTLE. I am sure we will be hearing much more from him.
The iSchool Initiative
I have to say I disagree with Travis. With his plan I think, maybe 15 years after the iSchool Initiative is worldwide we will not need teachers. I don't know about you but I need a job. I think its a great tool and a great add on. I do not think that it should be the only means of schoolwork. Children need physical interactions with teachers and other students. We need social skills and just human interaction it is embedded in our brains to be social beings. When a baby is born it is instinct to want to be held and loved. We need to talk to people and have human contact and I am really afraid if the world goes this route we will not have that. What is that going to do to our country? If we don't need to teachers in the classroom to teach, where else can we cut people out? Grocery stores, movie theaters, where else? It just scares me, I do not want people to be a minority in the world. But like I said I think his idea is a great add on and should be used responsibly in the classroom not as a replacement but an addition. I admire Travis Allen in the fact he has taken this initiative and gone so far. He will do great things.
Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
There are no other words to describe that video but amazing! I did not even know something like that was even possible. I was very impressed. The whole choir did an amazing job and I know they are all very proud when they watch the video. Watching the video it takes me back to what I said before though. None of the singers every interacted with each other. I just can not help to see something wrong with that. People need people. All of those people were sitting in their own homes. If we can have an amazing choir without any of them being in the same room. What else can we do without seeing another person? The design of the video was amazing I do not think they could have done a better job, the singers were in perfect harmony, its scary what we can do with technology.
Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts
Yet again another great video. Mr. Roberts raises many questions on how to teach in the 21st Century. What are we going to do considering all the information out there at the touch of our fingertips. Well we will teach. Students do need to learn how to use these tools that is why it is important for us to learn how to use them first. I believe we are on the right path. Schools are starting to get iPads and do podcasting. Everything seems to be coming together. I really liked how the video was put together. It shows that we are not using the plain power point presentations anymore. He showed what can be done to make a lesson unique. I really liked what he said about "How will we monitor these new tools, the same way we do with pencil and paper" That is so true! Kids are going to get in trouble some how, there will always be that student that wants to test the limits. I remember when I was in high school and Myspace and facebook were blocked one student would find a proxy then that would get blocked we would find another and that would and so on and so on. It is going to happen and we will just keep pushing back. It is a crazy feeling to think that when I graduated in 2007 Myspace and facebook were banned and now they are growing to be almost requirements, in four years the world has changed so much. Just imagine ten.. Wow. Thank you so much for the amazing video I am going to keep those questions with me for the future.
Hey Brittany!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your review of Mr. McLeod's blog I agree with you. I agree with people needing a break from technology and learning with pen and paper. But I do think the iSchool is a good idea. Just because students can do homework assignments on an iPhone will not cut teachers. I think people still need teachers to teach them, then they can do their work on the phone. The Virtual Choir was amazing. I could not believe the people have never performed together before or even met. Everything was done on the computer.
Brittany,
ReplyDeleteYou do not understand how appreciative I am of the fact that you picked up on Dr. McLeod's sarcasm. There are so many of your classmates who do not make the connection!
I also appreciated your overall post. Way to think critically! I also think that these implementations (of technology in the school system) are important and necessary, BUT they SHOULD NOT completely erase the need for traditional methods (handwriting, and math computations without calculators). Technology is a wonderful tool given to us to further the lives of children, so let's use it to enhance the learning process!
Thanks,
Rebekah Lloyd
"...they do need to write with no short hand text. " I don't understand what you mean. No "short hand text"? What is that?
ReplyDelete" There is a time for children to go to the black/dry erase board and do problems or write the answer they got. " Does it have to be a " black/dry erase board"? If so, why? Just to escape from technology? It's harder than you think as you will find out later in the course!
You got the sarcasm in Dr. McLeod's post. As Rebekah said that was somewhat unusual this term since many students interpreted his post literally!