Blog Assignment 5

What are we without poetry? In some cases we are better off. However, Dr. McLeod's Blog is valuable due to the way it expresses many peoples' fear about technology, particularly the internet. His sarcasm throughout the poem is also important because it shows others' ignorance towards advancing our youth. I also appreciate how the poem was to teachers, parents, etc. This poem came across to me as a warning to these people. His ending, which was not sarcastic at all, claims he will have his kids on the internet and learning how to utilize it to their advantage.
Out of many of the comments, I agree with Katherine Perkins. She says, "the teacher or parent should talk with that child about the positives and negatives of the internet." Parents and teachers should be discussing these things with their children. This kind of discussion reminds me of sex ed. You were told what it was, the consequences of doing it, and why it's important to wait or use preventative measures. (Sadly, for many students this talk came to late or was the first time they had talked about it with an adult.) It also makes me think that just because we ignore technology doesn't mean it's not there or not happening. It's important to talk about it and LEARN from it. One way to do this is to learn from others in person or via socail networkings like facebook, twitter, and blogs! Technology may have a dark side, but the bright side far outweighs the dark. 
WHOA! Dr. McLeod is one of the co-creators of Did you know? 3.0. He is also a leading force behind technology in the classroom movements and was credited as one of the people who inspired Teaching in the 21st Century. His poem is probably a summation of experiences with people whose fears about technology prevent them from using it in a positive and helpful way.

WOW! That is the third time something has shocked me. I love this idea and that a high school student brought it to light. I think the ischool initiative by Travis Allen is great and has me thinking about investing in an ipad. The apps are great tools to use in the classrooms of kindergarten through college. I know many students who already use their ipads or pcs in class. They take notes and follow the lecture on these devices. I actually use my pc during organization meetings and for one of my classes. I believe ischool would be beneficial to schools and students for monetary, spacial, and technological reasons.
The other video by Travis Allen is inspirational. He is making a difference in the world today because of an idea he had back in high school. I really love how he held onto his idea. Now he has his own team, travels around the country, and is improving thousands of childrens' education, as well as improving the relationships between teachers and parents I'm sure. I am excited about ischool and I expect to work with it in the near future.

Guess what I'm listening to! A breath taking piece of art created in part by people with angelic voices and by technology. Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre is a beautiful example of the bright side of technology. The choir and director were not in the same location. However, due to technology, they were able to marry their voices to create a harmonious melody.
I wonder how much more difficult or easy it was in making this callaborative video versus traveling to a location and practicing and then having to record it. I know many hours of practicing is involved either way, but I imagine that not having to travel back and forth to a specific location only added to the choir's independent free time. I also think that the same amount of time was put into the technical work i.e. cleaning the voice recordings, combining different camera angles, and perfecting the video. However, I imagine that these things were easier to maintain because it could be done on just one computer.
This would be an interesting project to do with a classroom. Have everyone record themselves independently and then work together to combine the recordings into a sort of video collage. I will have to keep this in mind for the future!


Teaching in the 21st Century by Kevin Roberts is eyeopening, as well as eye catching. The video asks many questions but I think the most important question is what does it mean to teach in the 21st century. What does it mean? I believe Roberts is telling us that teaching today doesn't mean teaching burp back facts. You can find those in books, on your smart phone, or your computer. I think he is telling us that teaching today means to teach children how to filter information and how to utilize the tools they use to gain information to their advantage in all aspects of life. Basically, teachers should not be teaching the same way they did 50 years ago.  However, teachers are still teaching the same way they used to teach hundreds of years ago. Even some of the material that is taught in schools, in my opinion, is irrelevant.
I realize as a future educator that my methods of teaching are not and should not be limited. Technology is being embraced by children half my age and younger now (I am only 19). They are using it to gain various tid bits of information, but is that information relevant? They are using it to create so many different things, but are they using the most efficient programs to do this? They are using technology, but do they really know how to use it for their best interest? This is my job to help them answer these questions. I am not saying to dissolve the old subjects like math, science, etc. I am saying that the way we teach these subjects should change.