Blog 1: You Should Certainly Watch These Videos!

1.
Karl Fisch’s “Did You Know” video spawned more ambivalence than anything else. On the surface, it presents evolutionary statistics on the progression of technology. The numbers are indeed fascinating, and honestly, the information is highly overwhelming and a bit scary. Having said that, I believe it is necessary to consider a few things before discussing the video.


Fisch is comparing the United States to two other technically developed countries: India and China. First of all, the overwhelming population differences should be a factor when analyzing this video. China will become the number one English speaking country in the world simply because English is an international business language and China has 1.3 billion people compared to United States' 300 million. Sheer numbers lessen the shock of this factoid. Another thing to keep in mind is the differences in the people being educated in the three countries. It is true that China and India possess higher test scores than the United States. However, it is also true that the United States is the only country in those three that is required to educate the masses. For example, if school A is a college prep school, and school B is an inner city school, demographics explain the gap in test scores. If you mix the students in schools A and B, the test scores will even out. All of this garble is simply trying to explain that while our test scores are lower, it does not necessarily mean that students in the United States are dumber or not as well educated.


The rest of the video is on the development of technology in our world. It is indeed striking how quickly the evolution has happened, and is interesting to consider those people (me included) caught in the transition. I am one who has not embraced, discovered, or been made aware of the multitude of technology at my fingertips. While it is true that I have mostly avoided the information (on account of fear, disinterest, and lack of need), I do believe that in order for me to progress in this age I must at least be aware of the evolution. Brain functioning has shifted as a result, leaving us with shorter attention spans and without need to remember information. This will eventually cause two-hour lectures (a method my particular learning style actually prefers) to become null, and educators must be aware of alternate methods and quick transitions to keep up with the evolution of our brains “on technology”. I am but an infant in this sense (expressing such childish joy when I discovered wordle.net…how fun!), but I am excited to begin the journey into these “exponential times”.

2. Mathew Needleman’s “Mr. Winkle Wakes”
Mr. Winkle awakes from a 100 year slumber, obviously finding our planet drastically different! He is overwhelmed by the gadgets, doo-das, machines (and binary language —01 01 001—). He wanders helplessly, through offices and streets, overexposed all the time. Finally, he makes it to a classroom. Mr. Winkle feels much more at ease when he sees schooling is similar to before he was sleeping. Students sat all day, and were lectured to for hours on end.


I felt very sorry for Mr. Winkle! I can honestly empathize with the deluge of information in the present-day. Oftentimes the overstimulation is stressful. However, it is an interesting point that (with exception of some minor PowerPoint) education has really not evolved from the lecture-regurgitate method. Excluding technology for a moment, it is still proven that other methods (educational games, higher-order thinking questions, repeating and transitioning information, and noting relevance to present-day circumstances) help children far better than droning lectures. Since this class is designed to demonstrate other technological methods of teaching, it goes on to prove that while Mr. Winkle is an unfortunate soul, the structure of education should evolve alongside other fields of study in our technological age.


Having said this though, I must admit that I’ve been fighting this transition as much as any “old-schooler”. The difference is, though, that I am aware of the need for the progression, and am eager to discover, learn, and frequently mess up and re-learn the tools that are available to ensure success in my classroom.

3.
Ken Robinson essentially sums up the million problems with education in about twenty minutes, While his point may be extremely broad, it is spot on. Aside from the wit and charisma he’s equipped with, his message is important. I wholeheartedly agree that human intelligence is diverse, and that by focusing on skills for job preparation we are killing internal “artists” (whatever form that art takes).


While listening to this video, I was reminded of an overview an educator gave me about a PD (professional development) training seminar on the brain development of middle-school students. Essentially, the subjects we focus on in that range of our development are the ones we cultivate later in life. (A great example here is that when I was in middle school, I wrote a lot. Now, I have a number of published poems, and unfortunately for time management, my blogs will probably be way too long because of tangents like this one). It follows that if educators promote every subject equally, instead of with the hierarchy Sir Ken spoke of, we would produce well-rounded students who could contribute to society in more ways. Also, those people who can’t contribute in mathematics, technology, or language would not feel as though they have nothing at all to contribute.


Next comes attention spans. I absolutely love (when I say “love” here, I mean cringe) every time I hear the acronym ADHD. The idea that the mind is separate from the body should be outdated enough that we embrace the benefits of kinesthetic and diverse education.

4. Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students Digital Smarts
While this classroom seems like an anomaly, I’m sure that’s not the point of this video. I was impressed how she harnessed all the forms of technology available to teach lessons. In my field of study (history) it is easy to discard technology as a distraction. Obviously, I’ve had many teachers who would not even allow technological devices (phones, laptops, etc.) in class. This is negative not only because it bores the students, but because I think it makes them bitter toward the teacher and the subject.


The biggest impression I got from Davis’s video was something she said about educators. Teachers feel like they must know something to teach it. It seems like a pretty common assumption, one that I held up to now. But I really like the idea of learning (duh, education major) not only from educators and peers but also from students.