January 17th Assignments

Did you know? by Karl Fisch was an interesting video. He talks about how the US has a smaller population then China and India, and he thinks that China will one day be the largest English speaking country. Video # 1

According to the information I found India has a larger percentage (10.66%) of English speaking population then China (.77%) does. The next part of the video he talks about how as teachers we are preparing students for the ever changing workforce; trying to teach them not only our subjects, but how to use their knowledge to function in an ever changing technological world. The next segment of the video talks about how the internet has changed our world. We have changed how we approach meeting new people, and keeping in touch with exist friends. Social networks, online dating, texting, gaming, and cell phones have changed how we live, play, and work. The amount of available information is crazy, we can access information with a touch of a button, it beats sending a week at the local library after school to work on a paper or project. My six year old asked my husband what it was like when he was a kid, he told her he didn't have a computer until high school, no cell phone, and no internet, her response was "No internet that's just crazy! Your making that up" she asked me if Daddy was telling a joke. If we have 5 times more words now the Shakespeare did can you imagine what he would write today. The author of this video states that in our lifetime that computers will advance to the point were they will be better then the human brain. I don't know enough about the computer industry to know if that's true, but that's kind of scary if it is.
I did know some of the facts on the video, and others I didn't. I think the video's producer's a little concerned about the population difference between the Us, China, and India.


Video # 2


Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman is a cute video. Mr. Winkle wakes up and goes out and explores his surroundings, he is a little overwhelmed by the changes he sees. The computers, phones, and other electronic devices seem to scare him, so he goes to the school and is happy because it seems to be the same as it did hundred years ago. I know that all schools are not where the should be, but this video is an insult to schools everywhere. I have a six year old and I am involved with her school, They are always raising money and applying for grants to improve the school's equipment and computers. They are currently working on getting smart boards for every classroom, every classroom has at least two computers, and the is a computer lab, which the students go for
computer class, even the kindergarteners. Mr. Needleman, I don't know who you are, or what you do for a living, but if you are worried about the state of you local schools, do something about it, call they and ask them how you can help; trust me they well take all the help the can get. If your problem is that the schools aren't teaching students how to use technology; that's a harder problem to fix. The school administration are the ones who enforce the teaching standards and the older administrators don't know how to use the technology themselves so the don't require their teachers to use it; I think that as the older administrators and teachers are retiring and new ones are coming in the problem will fix it self.
Video # 3

Vicki Davis video was very informative. I agree with her in that there is a way to teach any student, and that you just have to find out how to reach them. I think she has done a great job and I thank her for all her hard work in connecting students and teachers from around the world. I look forward read more about the flat class room project, I think her approach of having the student teach is great, I know I have always learn better my doing something then just hearing about it.