Blog Assignment 5

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff!
I agree with Dr. McLeod 100%! I also loved the sarcasm in his post. I understand how parents and teachers might be apprehensive or even afraid to allow their children access to the internet. The problem is that they do not understand the internet and the wealth of resources available to the kids. You only have a reason to fear it if you do not understand it. It is the future and by denying children the opportunity to use technology, they are also denying them the opportunity to get better jobs, be more competitive and make more money. Plain and simple.
Dr. McLeod seems to be a leader and advocate for technology and education reform. He uses a lot of sarcasm in his posts to get his point across which I thoroughly enjoy. I think that his approach is real, refreshing, and all about common sense. I am now a follower of www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org. See, even his website has a hint of sarcasm. I love it!

The iSchool Initiative
I didn't realize how uninformed I was about what is already available in regards to technology and the classroom. WOW! I am blown away. I agree with everything Travis said, especially about the cost reduction in the public school system. Teachers are losing their jobs everyday causing class sizes to swell to unmanageable numbers. The administrative costs associated with education keep rising as well. Art and music programs are being cut. This is a solution to all of the problems. I'm sure that it won't come without it's own set of problems and issues that will have to be worked out, but it is a step in the right direction instead of inaction or ridiculous budget cuts. It reminds me of the old saying: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result." Things just have to change!

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
AMAZING! I think I've officially seen it all! This choir was completely virtual, yet it sounded as clear as if I had been in the same room. The performance itself was spectacular, but trying to imagine the logistics behind it is just mind-boggling. How would you even begin to put together a performance like that? And if something of this magnitude could be put together on the internet and thrown on youtube, what else awaits to be done? I never would have thought something like that would be possible. It kind of makes my "my sentence video" look like a box of tinker toys. Absolutely brilliant! I'm still in shock. This is definitely a video that I will have to share with others.

Teaching In the 21st Century
I have asked myself this question since beginning this class. With technology so available, what will my students need me for? Afterall, they will have access to all of the answers for any question they will ever have. I came up with an answer similar to that of Kevin Roberts. They will need me to be a filter. They will need me to point them in the right direction, teach them how to validate information, process information, and utilize it at the appropriate time. I think many people fear technological advancement because they are unable to see where they will fit into the picture. Teachers are invaluable.
Facts and dates, formulas and equations aren't cutting it anymore. I am a huge believer in complete curriculum change. If students don't know how to use the information given to them, it is pointless to have them memorize it for a test. For example, in EDM310 I am not asked to take tests, or memorize information. I am asked to take action. I am asked to think. I have been supplied with a host of information that I never would have stumbled across on my own. Then I am asked to process it, analyze it, and think about it. In turn I can see a path of how to use this information in the future to help me be a better teacher. Learning through self-discovery is more effective than anything else, in my opinion. Has someone ever told you not to do something because they think it's a bad idea, but you do it anyway? We all have. We have to learn for ourselves. Again, nothing is more powerful than self-discovery. This is how I see education in the 21st century and this is how I would like to run my classroom.