Tuesday, June 1, 2010

My first blog

Hey everyone! Welcome to my first blog ever!

Wordle: crystal rutherford

Did You Know
Reaction and Summary

I found the “Did You Know” video to be informative and interesting. I don’t believe that I have ever seen a video which conveyed so many new and amazing facts in less than five minutes. It is hard to believe that the world is changing at such a rapid pace. People are becoming increasingly smarter with the advancement of computer technology.

I have realized; after watching this video, that I have a lot to learn and improve on. It will be very important for everyone to study and learn these continuous improvements. I believe this class will provide an opportunity for me to better understand the advancements in computer technology.









Mr. Winkle

The Mr. Winkle video is trying to state that schools are not preparing their students for the advance technologies for the real world. Everything from health care to business has changed over the last one hundred years. It will be more efficient if students can learn this in school instead of later learning it in the real world.

I think a lot of the older generation has more of a challenge in learning these advancements. Some people are set in their ways and believe that since they made it this far, that there’s no reason to change the way their doing things. I hope schools will better educate their students in giving them the skills they’ll need to enter the working environment.

Sir Ken Robinson



I believe that the “Sir Ken Robinson” video made a good point about the priorities of the modern day school system. Today’s schools prioritize math and science; however, I think other subjects such as art and drama should be incorporated to promote more of well balanced education for the student.


I think that students should get a well rounded education. This includes not only learning math and science but also being able to discover their artistic capabilities. I think it’s necessary for children to have a variety of subjects that they enjoy or are good at. In conclusion, I feel that a more balanced education will lead to greater success in life.


Vicki Davis Video Link

Vicki Davis Video

I enjoyed watching this video. She made it clear that teacher’s don’t have all the answers before they start teaching. It’s okay to learn from your students or other individuals. Students learn better by teaching others their experiences with information technology such as classroom blogs with students from different parts of the world.


Just because they live in a rural community doesn’t mean they can’t learn and get as good as an education as they would if they have lived in a big city. With the recent advancements in information technology, students are no longer hindered by what particular city they live in, school, or teacher. The ability to communicate worldwide with other schools and teachers greatly improves the students chances of getting a great education.

3 comments:

  1. You write: "People are becoming increasingly smarter with the advancement of computer technology." I'm not so sure I agree. I think we can use technology to enhance the impact of what we know. But "becoming smarter"? Maybe it depends on what we mean by "smarter".

    I also disagree with you when you suggest that "It will be more efficient if students can learn this in school instead of later learning it in the real world. " Think about the claim that we are preparing kids for jobs that don't yet exist. How can we do this? Won't they be required to learn on the job, in the real world? I think the apprenticeship model may be what we emphasize in the future!

    You will hear, as a teacher, that math and science are what count. You call for a more "balanced" approach. How do you convince the public, especially the business community?

    You write: "[Vicki Davis] made it clear that teacher’s don’t have all the answers before they start teaching." How true! And it is also true that teachers don't have all the answers even after they start teaching, or even after they have been teaching for 40+ years. "I don't know. Let's find out." is one of the mottos of this class. Not only is it "okay to learn from your students or other individuals." It is essential to do so!

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  2. As I read your post, it strikes me as very optimistic and full of hope for the future. I remember thinking of education as a world of untapped possibilities, and feeling anxious to dive in. At some point, cynicism has crept in and I have become somewhat pessimistic. You wrote "The ability to communicate worldwide with other schools and teachers greatly improves the students chances of getting a great education." What frustrates me is that we aren't using that ability.

    Did you think that Ken Robinson was promoting a balanced education, full of arts and traditional subject matter? Or was he suggesting some students should focus intently on areas like dance, to the detriment of math and science? I couldn't decide, but as a math teacher, I hope it was not the latter. Even the world's greatest choreographer should be able to balance her checkbook!

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  3. Thanks for watching Mr. Winkle Wakes. While it's true that older teachers sometimes have an aversion to technology, it does not necessarily mean that younger teachers are comfortable using technology in their classrooms. Teachers tend to replicate the way they were taught in their own teaching. There's not enough transformative use of technology in schools.

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