Blog Post 2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version

This video is more of an essay but a very informative essay. There are many statistics that are reviewed but they are statistics that pertain to many people I believe, including me. This video is such an eye opener in the sense that in everyday life we do not think about these facts. The first point presented about India did not surprise me. School in America is more of a requirement than an option. In India for most students, it is an option and therefore they will want to work harder and push themselves. The number of English speaking Chinese outweighing the remaining world also does not surprise. If you look at the population of China compared to the population of another country, China is highly overpopulated. Therefore if the Chinese continue to be over populated it would only make sense that they would be the highest number of English speaking Chinese.
It was not until the YouTube points that this video actually came into perspective for me. I knew YouTube was very popular but I had no idea it was that large of a number that were viewed a minute. One question I do have is "How do 48 hours of video get uploaded for every minute?" Next is the Google search which was not a surprise at all nor was the SMS messaging count. I was actually surprised that the message exchange took that long to relay. The computer slides were good to note because most teachers assume all students do not have a computer which can hinder many students from great resources. Lastly, the job points were interesting because once again that is not a topic that I often think about in numbers.

Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman

Watching this video, at first I was confused then I watched it again. Then I began thinking about it and this video is touching on the idea that we have changed everything in life, in my opinion to be better, except for schools. Schools have not changed in the idea of how the students are taught. Teachers still lecture while the students fall asleep trying to take notes. I have seen how some teachers try to change the process but many do not know any other way to teach.
The video is showing how Mr. Winkle does not like that changes made to society. He is most likely similar to the rest of the population in the sense that he does not understand therefore he rejects it. He does not like the tools used by the offices such as computers. I think that computers are a great resource that help us to do jobs more efficient and quicker.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity

Watch the entire talk The Importance of Creativity. Think about what you have heard. Write two or more paragraphs.From the beginning of the video, Sir Ken Robinson gains my attention by talking about how everyone has an interesting education. This is a very true statement that anyone can relate to because everyone has some kind of educational background. People take pride in their educational and where it takes them. He then discusses how all kids have talent but educators crush it because it is out of the box. I believe this is a true statement. Children will think of new ideas and as adults it is not our normal so we shut it down and crush children dreams in he process. Children are more likely to take a chance on situations because they are not afraid. They would rather do something and try than nothing and sit. You can't educate creativity therefore teachers educate creativity out.
On a side note, Sir Ken Robinson piece on Shakespeare and his father is quite funny but true. I myself have never thought of Shakespeare's father. A child thinking of an original idea or a new way to do something is better to me then doing the simple directions for the task at hand.

In light of the Mr. Winkle Wakes movie

In reference to "Mr. Winkle Wakes" these videos both refer to how the school classroom has not changed. The outcome after the classroom has been altered but the classroom it self has not. Teachers still lecture while students take notes. Later the students take an exam on the material lectured then repeat for five months at a time.
Students become so used to this cookie cutter schooling that we teach and when they enter the real world it is hard to learn the ropes. Bosses are not going to hold your hand and walk you through every step of a job. Most will tell you what needs to get done and then it is up to you. If you are a creative person this would be a little bit easier in the sense that you don't have to have step by step instructions to get a job done.

Pinterest

a. I already have a Pinterest account that I use so I was about to skip this step.
b. I am a firm believer in Pinterest for the very reasons listed in the article. I would use these ideas in my classroom because they are helpful and they work. Lesson Plans will most likely be the most useful to me. If I am unsure on how to have another approach to teach something, I can simple search Pinterest for it and options will appear.
c. I am going to choose to follow Kathy Schrock. Her board contains every kind of guide that you would need as a educator. In addition, when you click on the guide it takes you to a more elaborate and explained guide. She has many helpful tools and information for those who are learning to use technology either in or outside of the classroom.
d. I have watched the video.
e. I have looked at the linked provided.

Pinterest is a great tool for crafts, learning methods, and anything in between. It can be used for the classroom or outside of the classroom for personal use. Pinterest would be a tool that I use in my classroom almost daily. I may not pin or get on the website everyday but my lessons or activities very well may come from the site or my boards. Also, if I was teaching an older grade, I could have then sign up or create a board for each child an let them each pin something once a week just so the students stay involved.