Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
Dr. Scott McLeod
I believe the post, "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?" does a fantastic job of revealing that technology makes a huge impact on our lives. There are both positive and negative aspects of technology. It can be dangerous, exciting, and even overwhelming. The end of this post is my favorite part. Throughout the post, Dr. McLeod lets everyone know about the negative stuff associated with technology, but at the end he lets us know that technology gives us a leg up if we use it, and I absolutely agree.
Dr. Scott McLeod is an education blogger and also the co-creator of "Did You Know?"
The iSchool Initiative
In the video, "The iSchool Initiative," a high school student offers up a way to save both schools and students money. He tells us that in the future, school could be linked to the iTouch. He gives us examples of applications already in progress, such as the scientific calculator and iHomework. He then points out that if applications like the ones just mentioned are already here, just think of what else could come. He claims this would only cost students about $150, while saving them around $600 overall concerning school costs. He calls this program the iSchool.
I personally don't think this will happen. I am fully aware of the progress technology can make in our lives, but this just seems out of reach to me. Yes, it may save a lot of money overall, but what about those families who can't afford the iSchool? Do they get left behind?
The Lost Generation
In this presentation, we are given examples of things that are supposed to happen in our lifetime. We are supposed to face divorce, hold money over family, and become "apathetic and lethargic." All of this may very well happen. It will happen unless we choose to stop it.
I loved the way this presentation was put together. The broken sentence pieces scrolled down like credits from a movie. At the end, the sentence pieces are being said in reverse, revealing that these aspects of our generation can be reversed just as easily as they can be left alone. Only we can save our generation from becoming lost.
Eric Whitachre's Virtual Choir
This made me think of our music business today. Because of technology, we have people singing songs on the radio together without ever meeting each other in person. Each do their own part in a studio, and the parts are pieced together. In this video, all 185 members of this virtual choir are brought together by the technology of the Internet along with videos and microphones. This is truly truly amazing. Because of technology today, you no longer have to be next to, or even in the same country as, another person to create a masterpiece together.
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Brittany Schneider and I am also in EDM310. I had a similar reaction to the required viewing and reading for Blog Assignment #4. However, my take on the ischool was a bit different. For what it is worth, my opinion is as follows. I see that using an itouch (or actually an ipad, due to size) may be a feasible option for high school students. The reason I say this is based on cost. Even though public school is thought to be "free", we all know that there are many fees associated with this so-called "free" education. I can't help but wonder if the purchase on an itouch on an individual level would either equal the money parents already have to spend or would be even less. Even the purchase of standard school supplies, such as notebooks, paper, pens, highlighters, etc quickly add up to well over $100 for one semester of high school. So many teenagers already possess some sort of i-technology. For those who don't, I wonder if school systems could make a deal with Apple to lower the cost to students? If it was a standardized practice of all the teachers at a high school and the itouch was the only "supply" the student was required to purchase, it may be worth it and a savings to the parents. Anyhow, that is just my two-cents on the topic. I was impressed though because I had not previously given thought to apps that would work in the school system. With a little tweaking, this may possibly be a great solution. Thanks for listening and good luck in school, Brittany
Interesting. I think the iSchool will happen, perhaps just in a different form. Next week you will learn even more about those possibilities in the second additional assignment!
ReplyDeleteBrittany, in her comment above, makes some excellent points about the costs of iSchool. I also feel, as Brittany does, that the cost argument is a bogs argument as far as iSchools go.