EDAP+601

media type="custom" key="8026202" Voki media type="custom" key="8026290" Sir Ken's "Changing Education Paradigms"

Sir Ken's discussion of the changing paradigms fascinated me for several reasons. I find it intriguing how we still teach in the model in which we were taught. Are we scared of change in the classroom? I do not feel as if we are scared to change. I am convinced that we simply do not know where society is headed. For instance, as teachers, how do we prepare children for a world which we cannot comprehend? Obviously, reading, writing, basic math are important. However, the Arts, to which Sir Ken points, are just as equally important. I participated in the arts outside of school, as do many of my students. The arts are not seen as economically satisfying in schools, therefore they are dropped from the curriculum. The economic reasons outweigh the educational gains. The human resources, to which Sir Ken refers, suffer. And here we are, yet again, wondering where education went "wrong" and wondering what we can do to fix it after the fact.

Students today, are using creativity in ways that we did not. Students can multitask, create web projects, and write computer programs that are as technical as creative. Yet, we still expect them to "sit" and "get" in the classroom. I do not have the answer on how to meet the needs of today's students. I provide them opportunites for creativity in the classroom and challenge them with multi-media projects. My question is though, is that enough? At the level which I teach (4th grade), the more advanced the student becomes in areas that parents no longer understand, the more difficult it becomes to teach students. I end up teaching the parents as well or assuring them that their child is capable of creating and building media for school use.

We must gain confidence in our students today and allow them to create, write, build, and think out of the box. Allowing students to broach this type of thinking in the classroom can be bridges into the future that students can now only dream about. I greatly appreciated Sir Ken's final thoughts of moving from an industrial education to one that is organic, vital, and creative.

Digital Native?

I am not a digital native. Period. I broke out into a sweat when you said voki and wikipages. I am more comfortable with pen and paper and books than I am with computers, power points, and podcasts. I am dipping my toes into the digital age by asking my own children for help and by asking them to show me how to create and cut and paste at home. I even jumped off the cliff of the cutting edge at work and asked my 4th graders to make digital stories using MovieMaker. Even though I was stressed out, my students were having a blast and learning by leaps and bounds. However, my main challenge was the parents. The students were confident and willing to TRY while the parents were hindered with confusion and the need to be correct before trying. The one-minute videos were a success and I felt empowered to have directed 46 students to their film debut. I enjoyed learning with them....something that parents seem to have forgotten.

At this stage in the game, I guess I could say that I am in the toddling stage of becoming digital. I know just enough to get into trouble and not enough to know how to get out!

media type="custom" key="9148034" Sarah Jones is one funny lady. What I found to be the most interesting points in her TED talk are the ideas that we are a formation of those we surround ourselves with, whether we recognize it or not. Inventing oneself is not an easy task. It simply happens to us over time, usually without our knowing. I found it intriguing that Sarah Jones asks,"To what extent do we self construct?" I am not sure that I can answer that question. We are a collaboration of those who have gone before us, those whom we have been lucky enough to come into contact with, and those who will affect us only briefly. We are blessed by those who are willing to "expand our minds," allow us to "access" our potential, and by those who are "tolerant" and "open minded."

media type="custom" key="9148062" Julian Treasure's TED Talk was interesting in the fact that I have never really thought about how sound affects us, all of us. It is one of the universal experiences that we, as a people, share. There have been many times when I have been unable to watch a show or movie simply because the music is scary, regardless of what is happening on the screen. I admit that the absence of sounds worries me and that the chirping of birds signals that all is right with the world. The power of sound is limitless.

media type="custom" key="9148076" I found myself smiling as I watched "How to Make a Splash in Social Media." I know that social media has revolutionized how people interact and react to one another. I know that the phenomenon of Facebook and the likes have changed our views and viewpoints, but I had not thought of the power of social media in terms of Mr. Splashy Pants. I can commiserate with the idea of naming a whale a majestic name and being excited about the power of words. Mr. Splashy Pants does not fit the stereotype of the graceful creature that they wanted to portray. Yet, I get it! In the sense that people are looking for something, anything not so serious to divert them from their day. Mr. Splashy Pants fits the profile. The power of social media and the ability to reach millions of people in a small amount of time is overwhelming. And that is the crux of social media as social change.

media type="custom" key="9148090" After watching Johnny Lee's demonstration of Wii remote "hacks," as he calls them, I sit here amazed! As I am watching, I am exclaiming, "Noooo...," "Get out!," "Really???," "Huh!," "Who Knew??!!" My monologue ends when my 12 year old son says, "Play that again. How totally cool." I wish that I had the forethought, the knowledge, the interest in figuring out the "how" and "why" of technology. I am in awe at what can be created in the lab of one curious young man with a wii remote and a few infrared dots. Accessible technology is what is needed in classrooms and is also what Johnny Lee is offering. He made a point to say that he can offer 80% of the technology for 1% of the price. I am also intrigued by the idea of spreading lab work by youtube.com. Lee's point that the research community must embrace the likes of youtube in order to speed ideas to the greater population as a whole. I have no doubt that there are numerous teachers who would love this taste of technology in their schools, if they only knew it was available. Amazing stuff!