Blog Assignment 2

&Did you know?
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                              "Did you know" was a very interesting video. The numbers and statistics were all far higher than I would have imagined. The fact that India has more honors kids than America has kids total is insane. It makes me feel like we, as Americans, are very behind. However, you have to put population size into the equation. I thought it was crazy that one in eight couples married last year met online.

                When it comes to occupations, I couldn't believe that the top ten jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004. I also thought the fact that fifty percent of what technical students learn will be null two years later was impressive for technology and probably extremely frustrating for the student. I thought it was a well-produced video which was good at holding the audience’s attention.

MWinkle-
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&I was not as interested in “Mr. Winkle” as I was in “Did you know?” Mr. Winkle could be used in elementary schools to show students why it’s still important to learn to write. I think it’s more appropriate for younger children because of the music, animation, and language used in the video. 

           I agree that some things never change, but schools are well on their way. There are some schools which use laptops and computers regularly in the classroom. I expect all schools to eventually use laptops as their main form of note taking and having all text books on discs or online.

Creativity-

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&I loved the “Creativity” Speech. Ken Robinson is a great speaker and funny too. I completely agree with his idea that schools crush creativity. Schools prepare us for stable or reliable careers. They do not push us in art, music, and drama because a career in those fields is not a “sure” thing.

          I wish schools had better creative programs and hopefully one day they will. I love to sing and draw but I am not majoring in either of those because the careers I would want to pursue are more high risk. My parents also feel that I can pursue both of those careers without a degree in them. I also totally agree with the idea that schools crush originality by making a mistake the worst thing we can do. I would love to see Ken Robinson speak one day.

&Cecelia Gault- 

                   I found the article before the interview video to be very interesting. The fact that Finland’s dropout rate is less than one percent is amazing. America should really strive to reach a lower dropout rate. I also found the correlation between grades, dropout rates, and shorter school days to be something to ponder on.

             I loved that they allowed Cecelia to do the interview. I thought that she did a great job. Experience is the best way to prepare children for the future. It also teaches them to be more independent and shows them that they are capable of doing things by themselves.

Vicki Davis-

&I think Vicki Davis’s classroom is awesome. I wish I had had a class like that in middle school. I think all schools should be required to teach their students at least one technology class. The internet is a great way to connect with students from all over the world.

                  It is so cool that she and her students went all the way to the Middle East for a conference. If students learn how to become technologically literate at a young age, it will help them throughout their education and occupations. It could also help some students find what they’re really passionate about. Who knows, maybe they could be the next big video game or computer program designer.