Blog Assignment 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? by Scott McLeod

In Scott McLeod's Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?, he talks about technology in the classroom. His way of getting the message across is quite interesting. After an initial read, I wasn't sure what Dr. McLeod was trying to say. It seemed as though he was discouraging the use of technology in the classroom. However, a few sections of his post made me think during this initial read where it seemed he was advocating technology in the classroom...that he was supporting it. In the end, I realized that this message had to do with understanding and learning about something, even if there are negative aspects to it. Technology presents many ways for students to be creative and to explore, so why not use it?

Scott McLeod is an Associate Professor at Iowa State University. He teaches in the Educational Administration program and is the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). He also co-created the video, "Did You Know? (Shift Happens)".

The iSchool Initiative

In this video The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning), a high school senior talks about his iSchool Initiative. This is definitely an innovative and revolutionary idea for how education could be in the future. I think that this type of a school would reach out to many of the modern students of today. However, I'm not sure how I, as a current student, would fare in such an educational environment. Sure, I would probably adapt and become accustomed to this method of learning (just as I have with the current methods), but I don't know if learning would have the same personal feel to it, if we took all methods of "old school" teaching and learning away.

I believe that a good balance of both methods would be most beneficial. I think that turning to a classroom with only an iTouch would be skipping that intermediate step of a good balance between "new school" and "old school". Also, I'll admit that the idea of so much change in a short amount of time is a little scary to me. Furthermore, being someone who is trying to reduce my carbon footprint everyday by recycling and being aware of my energy-use, this iSchool Initiative is certainly appealing in that area.

The Lost Generation



In "The Lost Generation", the speaker talks about the future, and what many believe to be true. In the end, the message literally rewinds to read the total opposite of the first message. I was very impressed with the creativity presented in this video. The ending message was very hopeful and optimistic, and I think that is extremely important. People need to believe they can change something they think is wrong. It is clear that this message says to believe in yourself, believe you are the change, hope for the future, stay true to yourself, keep loved ones close to you, etc. I really appreciate this video because its message could say something different for many people.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

At Jennifer Chamber's EDM 310 Class Blog, she posted a video of a virtual choir who recorded their performance via internet, having never met or practiced together. All I could think was "Wow" while listening to this virtual choir. I even got goosebumps! It was very relaxing, and it really amazes me in what can be accomplished via the worldwide web. It seems so unbelievable that this is possible. Clearly, it's possible. I think I may still be in shock that something so beautiful and amazing could be composed from all of the wonderful voices of these people who had never met or never even practiced together! It really makes me look at communication and connection via internet in a whole new way.