Blog Post 2

The "Did You Know" video was so intimidating! I'm already extremely intimidated by technology and the degree to which it so vastly expands. The information put out in this video is unfathomable and just makes me want to crawl in a whole. I realize all these growths won't necessarily be visible to us while we're busy living our everyday lives and going about our daily activities, but when you stop and try to comprehend those statistics to their fullest, for me... INTIMIDATING!
At the same time of scaring the daylights out of me, the video was also intriguing! It is crazy to think that our world is changing and metamorphasizing as much as it does without the majority of us even being aware of it! I had no clue! I can't say I remember all the numbers that were thrown at me but what I did learn is that, everyday, something is changing and shifting and growing to become the next best thing and if we aren't careful and paying attention, the world will pass us by! As a future teacher I must take this into consideration and realize that I too must change, shift, and grow with technology for my students!
When it comes to Mr. Winkle I believe he's got it all figured out! I can totally relate to Mr. Winkle with his simple persona. He wasn't a fan of the loud noises and crazy machines that do weird tasks that he didn't understand. I'm right there with him. I am not a fan either; would rather be in the old days with a black chalk board for the teacher and one slate for the student. Those were the good ole days. So, at the end of the clip when it says "Mr. Winkle felt better when he recognized something familiar," and that "something" was a "school," I let out a sigh of relief and felt better myself. And then I turned it into a lesson to walk away with... Always remember where you came from and the roots your'e attached to and never lose sight of what "used to be!"
Sir Ken Robinson is my new favorite person! My favorite part was when he said "We are frightening our kids out of being wrong!" and we're "educating people out of creativity!" That is some good stuff! I never would have come up with that on my own and/or thought about this concept as what's wrong with the education system but now that it has been called to my attention I can't get it out of my head! One reason why I am so enthralled with this (new) notion is because I am one of those students that was diagnosed with a learning disorder, very fidgety in class, talkative and constantly moving and looking around. In the video, Sir Ken Robinson mentioned Gillian Lynne, director/choreographer/creator of cats and her childhood story of how she was in a classroom and while watching this my jaw dropped open because I am the exact same way! I was shocked! Like Lynne, I think more clearly when music is on and my body is moving to the sounds and beats of the rhythms! I also feel the healthiest and most comfortable in this moment, and am at my happiest when I'm dancing! For me, it is the ultimate release and a great way to let off some steam, not to mention a great card workout and calorie burn! It makes me sick to my stomach to think that not all kids are able to partake in activities like dance, to develop their motor skills, hand eye coordination, increase there health and metabolism, strengthen their muscles, teach them about the arts, and like Robinson said, boost creativity!!! Right now, in this moment, I vow to be the teacher who allows, appreciates and lifts up all forms of learning such as academically and physically!
What can I do to make sure the Cecelia Gault's in my classroom have as good an education as the Cecelia Gault in the video? I can travel more! I completely agree with everything Sir Ken Robinson mentioned about creativity and it's myths. I never considered myself to be very creative in high school but now that I sort of know who I am and what I'm good at I can say I'm a very creative person! It all just depends on what subject, topic, area or field I have to work with. Therefore, everyone has a little creativity in them and I will keep that in mind when I'm working with my students in a classroom and one has a temper tantrum because he/she is getting frustrated with the assignment. I'll just have to come up with a round about way to dig out that information that I know every student possesses! How will I do this? By broadening the students' and my horizons with different culture and endless opportunities, stemming from the ends of the Earth! The world is my oyster and I intend to eat it!
"You do not have to know everything to teach!" was my favorite quote from the "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts" video. I liked this quote because often times one can get so caught up in teaching certain material a specific way and can get stuck in that routine that he/she may forget that every experience can be a learning process or that every day you "learn something new," and even that one might not know absolutely ALL there is to know about a subject matter. New bits of information are discovered every day and some things can even be debated, leading to a difference in opinions, which in turn leads to a different view point or another way of looking at whatever the subject may be! These were all things that popped into my mind while listening to the video and taught me yet another attribute that I would like to carry over into my teachings! Thanks for that!