Blog Assignment 2

"Did You Know? 3.0"
Karl Fisch

While watching "Did You Know? 3.0," my mouth dropped in awe. There are so many things about our country compared to that of others that I never considered. Let's start off with some sizes. The videos states, "If you're one in a million in China...there are 1,300 people just like you." Do the math. The video even informs you about the number of births that occur within the 4 minutes and 56 seconds of this video. These numbers are as follow: India bore 395 babies, China bore 274 babies, and the U.S. came in last with 67 babies. Is it just me, or do those other countries procreate more than we do?

The education and technological information in this video are also mind blowing. The video predicts that China, not the U.S., will become the number one country in which you will find English speaking people. It seems to me that China is readying their people for the real world. Education and population go hand in hand when it comes to India. According to the video, "25% of India's population with the highest IQ's...is greater than the total population of the United States." All I can say is wow! India houses a lot of extremely smart people. I'm not degrading India's education system, but I can't help but think that the IQ numbers wouldn't be where they are without the population numbers.

I feel like our generation is a generation of technology. If it's computerized and easy to access, it's more than likely going to get our attention. This is why the iPod took as little as 3 years to reach an audience of 50 million. We don't need the radio because we have MP3 players. We don't need the television because we have computers and cell phones that play movies and television shows for us. We rely more on electronics than anything else. It's sad, but it's true. I think countries, such as Japan, have so many technological advances because maybe they're using this technology to further themselves instead of worrying about what television show they missed last night. Don't get me wrong because I'm sure they keep up with entertainment as well, but Japan is creating a computer that can do more than the human brain can. That says a lot.

Technology is changing everyday. The world of technology will never stay the same from one minute to the next. You will always have something new to learn, and in my opinion, I wouldn't have it any other way.



"Mr. Winkle Wakes"
Mathew Needleman

"Mr. Winkle Wakes" is a short but to the point video. Mr. Winkle wakes up after 100 years to find that almost everything around him has changed. There are buildings with people using printers, computers, and web cams. The hospitals have new equipment assisting them in saving lives. Mr. Winkle is overwhelmed by all of this. In other words, he's totally freaked out. I would be too if everything I had known was different.

However, when Mr. Winkle comes to a school, he realizes that children are still learning. This video is a good example of how learning will always be a part of any world. Things may change around us, but we will always have something new to learn about. Besides, life would be completely boring if we knew everything.



"The Importance of Creativity"
Sir Ken Robinson

I love the way Sir Ken Robinson entertains his audience while making his point. He does just this in "The Importance of Creativity." He is so funny, and because of this quality, you want to keep listening to what he has to say. He talks of how people are growing out of creativity due to education. Education makes it hard for people to not be afraid of being wrong. We see this in children today.

I have to completely agree with Robinson's argument. I have been a substitute teacher going on 3 years now, and I can see students not stepping out of their comfort zones for fear of being wrong about something. Robinson talks of the importance of educating the whole being, and he is absolutely right. We can't suppress one part of a child because it's not the academic aspect of them. We have to let our children, our leaders of tomorrow, feel free to be themselves.



"Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts"
Vicki Davis

In "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts," Vicki Davis is shown using technology to connect her students from Southern Georgia to the rest of the world. She teachers her students to be comfortable with technology, and let's face it, technology is what our world revolves around. She customizes the curriculum based on the needs of her students, and this is an amazing aspect of her teaching techniques.

Davis, in my opinion, embodies what a real teacher should be doing. She is getting her students ready for the future. She empowers her students. She teachers them to be thinkers. There should be more teachers like Vicki Davis.