Dr. Scott McLeod is a professor from Minneapolis, MN and he runs the blog Dangerously Irrevelant. In a post from August 29, 2009, Dr. McLeod uses sarcasm to more or less challenge the reader to fuse technology into children's learning. I thought this post was very sarcastic in a very positive way. Most people don't take to sarcasm very well, but I, personally, loved this post. This was an excellent outlet to put his views out into the open and I thought that it was very much to the point. My favorite line of this post was this:
I think that this shows an excellent insight as to what some parents honestly believe about what their children are doing on the computer in today's day & age. Some parents, teachers, adminstrators don't realize what all learning opportunities are available online. I think Dr. McLeod posed a great challenge: "I'll let my kids use technology, but you don't let yours. We'll see which has the upper hand advantage later."
I don't want themcreatingsharingthinkinglearningyou know they're just going to look at pornand hook up with predators
The iSchool Initiative
In this YouTube video, Travis, who is a 17 year old high school student, introduces his idea of the iSchool to the internet universe. I think that the idea of having essentially an "educational iTouch" is an excellent idea. It would save plenty of trees by reducing the amount of paper used, the amount of broken No.2 pencils, and the amount of printed copies. In a sense, we are already using a version of "iSchool" now with this online blogging class. Everything that we need to know and turn in is done online.
However, it makes me wonder where the money for these applications are going to come from. While the iSchool is an amazing idea, who is going to pay for the applications needed by each student? The money adds up in the long run. Sure, buying a $.99 graphing calculator application is more reasonable than a $150 calculator from a store, but who is going to buy the $.99 apps for every student in the school system? Will it be on the parents or will it be on the school system's shoulders? I'm just simply curious.
Lost Generation
I loved this video. I was very skeptic at first when the words were scrolling like credits. It made me kind of angry, to be honest. Who was this person saying that they will tell their children they aren't the most important thing & saying that work trumps family? I was shocked, but I also knew that this is what our world could succumb to. But then, the words were read in reverse order --scrolling the playback in the opposite order it was just read in. This time, my thoughts were more along the lines of amazement, rather than appalling shock. My mood completely shifted. I think that this video was presented in an excellent manner. It is very thought provoking and simple. There were no distractions -just scrolling words. And it got the point across very well. Nicely done, AARP.
Virtual Choir
In Eric Witacre's Virtual Choir, composer and conductor Eric Witacre brings together an array of people from 12 different countries and creates a musical masterpiece. 185 voices combine to create a very beautiful piece of music. It's amazing to think that he composed this without ever meeting the singers -or I'm going to assume he hasn't met them personally. From Jennifer Chamber's comment, everything was put together through the internet. I think that is simply brilliant and it shows exactly what the internet is capable of today. People degrade the internet saying that it takes away social skills by putting up a 5th wall, but I think that this video shows quite the contrary. These voices have never met, but they can come together to create an ensemble of amazing music. I, personally, loved this video.
"However, it makes me wonder where the money for these applications are going to come from."
ReplyDeleteI think in the end that it will be cheaper for everyone in the long run, but my big question - along these lines - is where is the money going to come from initially? Sure, it will be cheaper, but schools already have a lot of the things they need, and buying all of this stuff upfront will be very costly!
Donna,
ReplyDeleteI agree that many parents do believe that their children are simply looking at porn, but reality is, porn does pop up on the screen. I remember being a kid and accidentally coming across porn. I strongly agree that children should be exposed to the internet and technology, but there should be someone to monitor it, like an internet security program or something. We cannot completely shelter them, but I do think we need to be cautious.
I was also wondering who would provide the apps for the iTouch. I think it is a great idea, but it still costs money. It could break, students could lose it, or there is not enough funding for it. I think it would benefit the students, but the idea needs to be planned out a little better.
You asked, "Who was this person saying that they will tell their children they aren't the most important thing & saying that work trumps family?" Well I do not want to sound negative, but I honestly do not think each individual child is the most important thing. YES, children are important, and if I ever have them I will most definitely love and support them, but I will not tell them that their ideas are better than someone else's. I think this leads to people being arrogant and condescending. Children should feel loved and important, but children do not rule the world and the world certainly does not revolve around them. Also, I know a lot of people who choose work over family. It certainly is not right, but that is the reality for a lot of families. Just this past month, a woman in Biloxi, MS left her baby in the car while she worked her 8 hour shift. While many do not go to this length, moms and dads choose work and money over children daily. My own father would never spend time with my siblings and me because he had work. We maybe saw him once a year, and he always chose to continue working while we were visiting. This reality does suck, but it is how many people live their lives. Hopefully, we can be the generation that is described in the end of the video.