The only roll most old school teachers would have ever thought of calling was the class roll, but now many have turned to the blog roll. According to one video, Vicki Davis, a teacher in rural South Georgia, has been a leader in technological interaction in the educational environment. A few years ago, the creative ideas linked to her computer savvy would have typically only been from those who specialized in computer technology. At first glance, Davis is just a typical teacher and her class just typical teens.
The speed of communication today is remarkable. People in Small Town, America are capable of connecting with others throughout the world for the sake of web classrooms, virtual discussions and research. Davis' example proves that through dedication to teaching, loving learning and caring for students, typical teachers can do some previously unseen things, assisting students in broadening the scope and level of their education by training them in the various methods technology makes available to us.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Schools Kill Creativity
I just watched an interesting talk presented by Ken Robinson. His premise is that schools kill creativity. According to Robinson, creativity is "the process of having original ideas that have value." By giving various humorous, yet provocative, examples, he illustrates the overbearing, restrictive nature of the public school system as channeling young people to think a certain way and to direct their lives in a certain direction. Not only is creativity lost, but so is uniqueness and individualization, as proven by the massive shift from most employers once esteeming a bachelors to now hiring with limitation only those with a masters.
Robinson made an analogy between stripmining and education. With all the work put into it, its purpose is to only search for certain commodities. Teachers look for certain traits and instill certain knowledge with the intent to eventually send the students into the real world marketplace. Creativity is not necessarily directed, and it is certainly not restricted. It is, arguably, not something that can taught at all. It comes naturally, from one's inclination toward useful ideas and innovation, but a great deal of freedom has to be provided for this to occur.
I must admit, I had not put much thought into this allegation until this video. Robinson builds a good case. Teachers, take notice.
Robinson made an analogy between stripmining and education. With all the work put into it, its purpose is to only search for certain commodities. Teachers look for certain traits and instill certain knowledge with the intent to eventually send the students into the real world marketplace. Creativity is not necessarily directed, and it is certainly not restricted. It is, arguably, not something that can taught at all. It comes naturally, from one's inclination toward useful ideas and innovation, but a great deal of freedom has to be provided for this to occur.
I must admit, I had not put much thought into this allegation until this video. Robinson builds a good case. Teachers, take notice.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Unbelievable Progress?
I just watched two videos: (1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8 and (2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm1sCsl2MQY. Both were about the twitter-paced technological advancements made over the last few decades to beyond the last century. They were both interesting and, for the most part, their statistics and the implications thereof indubitable, yet a certain uneasiness rests in me as to whether all this progress is really progress at all.
The first video, titled, "Did You Know," gives scores of statistics which the viewer is left to assume have been traced to truth. Regardless, the startling information gets one's attention. It's hard to believe India's honors kids number more than the total of America's kids. It's difficult to think the jobs with the highest demand did not even exist in 2004. It's also strange to think half of what a tech school student learns in his or her first year will be outdated by the third. Several statistics seemed random and disconnected. The last frame of the video asks the questions, "So what does this all mean?" That's what I thought, too. It suggests America is not only being outgrown numerically, but also educationally. Yet, Google, Facebook and iPod, all hailed by the video, were created by Americans. So, while I do agree with the premise that America is digressing intellectually, it might not be as bad as some describe it. On a similar note, criticizing America in one area and exalting another country in the same does not prove that that country is overall better than the United States.
There is nothing inherently good or bad with technological progress. I like it. I've got a computer and a cell phone. If I could afford more tech gadgets, I would probably buy more. But, if we've made it so far beyond Shakespeare as to have five times more English words today, then why do most young people struggle to read his? Computers are great, no doubt. Will we have a computer in 2013 that has the intellectual equality of a human brain? Will there be a computer in 2049 that will exceed the computational abilities of the human species? I don't know. Here's one thing, though--no matter how great computers become, they will always be inferior to the humans who create them.
Video 2. This video, "Mr. Winkle Wakes," pokes a little fun at the idea of progress. Our great-grandparents and great-great grandparents, if they returned today, would be shocked. It's funny to think that almost everywhere Mr. Winkle went, he was intimidated and uncomfortable. Yet, in his day, like our late relatives in theirs, he was smart and confident. But, don't worry Mr. Winkle, most people today don't know how TV or radio or internet works. They just know it does.
Of both videos, I appreciate the message of the second the most. Our young people need to be taught technology; however, we cannot stop teaching them much of the same standard curriculum that has been taught without tecnological assistance (computer or calculator) through the years. Mr. Winkle was happy to be at school, where things hadn't changed too much over time. Thankfully, this progress has not yet gotten us away from things not worth changing.
The first video, titled, "Did You Know," gives scores of statistics which the viewer is left to assume have been traced to truth. Regardless, the startling information gets one's attention. It's hard to believe India's honors kids number more than the total of America's kids. It's difficult to think the jobs with the highest demand did not even exist in 2004. It's also strange to think half of what a tech school student learns in his or her first year will be outdated by the third. Several statistics seemed random and disconnected. The last frame of the video asks the questions, "So what does this all mean?" That's what I thought, too. It suggests America is not only being outgrown numerically, but also educationally. Yet, Google, Facebook and iPod, all hailed by the video, were created by Americans. So, while I do agree with the premise that America is digressing intellectually, it might not be as bad as some describe it. On a similar note, criticizing America in one area and exalting another country in the same does not prove that that country is overall better than the United States.
There is nothing inherently good or bad with technological progress. I like it. I've got a computer and a cell phone. If I could afford more tech gadgets, I would probably buy more. But, if we've made it so far beyond Shakespeare as to have five times more English words today, then why do most young people struggle to read his? Computers are great, no doubt. Will we have a computer in 2013 that has the intellectual equality of a human brain? Will there be a computer in 2049 that will exceed the computational abilities of the human species? I don't know. Here's one thing, though--no matter how great computers become, they will always be inferior to the humans who create them.
Video 2. This video, "Mr. Winkle Wakes," pokes a little fun at the idea of progress. Our great-grandparents and great-great grandparents, if they returned today, would be shocked. It's funny to think that almost everywhere Mr. Winkle went, he was intimidated and uncomfortable. Yet, in his day, like our late relatives in theirs, he was smart and confident. But, don't worry Mr. Winkle, most people today don't know how TV or radio or internet works. They just know it does.
Of both videos, I appreciate the message of the second the most. Our young people need to be taught technology; however, we cannot stop teaching them much of the same standard curriculum that has been taught without tecnological assistance (computer or calculator) through the years. Mr. Winkle was happy to be at school, where things hadn't changed too much over time. Thankfully, this progress has not yet gotten us away from things not worth changing.
About Me
So, who am I? I'm a 27-year-old sophomore Secondary Education/English major. I'm originally from Tipton, Indiana, located in a rural county just north of Indianapolis. I've been married for five years to Amy, and I have two sons, Evan (4) and Lucas (1). I work as a preacher for the Bellingrath Road Church of Christ. I like sports, especially basketball (I even referee), football and running. I also do a little web-design. I'm at USA, first, to enhance my current career, and secondly, to enable me to teach high school English. Now, hopefully, you know me a little more than before.
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