Blog 4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

Dr. Scott McLeod works at Iowa State University as a professor. He and Dr. Joan Hughes established a national technology program, CASTLE, for secondary and college education. It helps to make sure that the education system is fulfilling technological requirements in the schools. Castle stands for the following: Center for the Advanced Study of Technology in Education. Also, the following was my comment on his blog post, "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?": Mr. McLeod,
I’ve been assigned by Dr. Strange to read this post. I really enjoyed reading what you have to say about technology! I agree to an extent. My parents got my brother a cell phone when he was 10. My parents did not do it because he is spoiled rotten. He never asked for a cell phone. My brother is very active and is always somewhere! When he goes to a friend’s house, we hate having to call the home phone to get in touch with him. When he goes to a football game with some friends, my parents don’t like having to give up their own cell phones so he can call us for any reason. So like I said, I completely agree on most levels! But for some things, I think it’s okay to incorporate technology in children’s lives. However, too many technical things is a little too much! Thanks for your post! I look forward to reading more from you. The following is a link to my blog: http://davisleahedm310.blogspot.com/
Leah Davis

The iSchool Initiative

I love the idea of iSchool! I am currently observing at Foley Elementary School. On Friday, I was in Mrs. Davis’ kindergarten classroom. Included in center time are four iPod Touches. In this particular center, four children are given each an iPod Touch and a set of headphones. Downloaded on the iPods are educational games for kindergarten students. Also included are songs that go along with learning like, “The Days of the Week” and “There Are Four Seasons and I Know Them All.” This provides the five and six-year-old kids with education and technology.
In college, we are already using “iSchool,” as all of our assignments, grades, due dates, and communication are through the internet. To avoid a complete culture shock and overwhelming feelings when students enter college, why not already have them introduced by including some of this in high school? It seems easier to navigate the iSchool than going to Google.com for everything we are assigned. For example, when sixth graders need to know what all of the numbers are on the periodic table, they no longer have to Google or Ask Jeeves anything else! All that is necessary is pulling it up on the iSchool and clicking on the elements! This is so much more convenient and less time consuming.
What is also nice about this is the fact that everything is in the kids’ hands. When a teenager goes out of town for Thanksgiving, they are certain to an assignment over the break. No more excuses on the following Monday! This way, kids can work while during the eight hour drives and not have to lug around four binders, enough paper, all of the handouts, the dictionary, and the necessary mediums. This is a great idea!

The Lost Generation

Wow! I am posting these first few sentences on the first twenty-three seconds. So far, it seems to be unfortunately true. Every time I meet someone new, I assume their parents are not together. When I meet a new adult, I assume they are recently divorced. How sad is it that we automatically assume that people get caught up in other things and their families are breaking apart? I just now hit play and quickly pause once again! “Experts say that in thirty years I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce.” According to statistics, yes, I will not argue that statement! What’s worse is that we will probably be “celebrating” it, and not still be in mourning over it.
I absolutely love that she reversed the speech! I was wondering if that was going to be done or not; I was wondering if she was going to go along with the statistics and the predictions, or she would fight them.
When I am sitting at the computer with the television behind me and all of a sudden I don’t hear anything, I always turn around. When I do, I see that it is a commercial that has no visual actors or images. The commercial is just flashing up statements. For example, there’s a commercial with a lady that walks into her home, locks her door, eats a piece of cake, and then pulls out a cigarette. At the end it says, “Now it’s time to protect yourself… from yourself.” How moving is that?? The advertisements without the most attractive women, the six-packed men, and the beautiful hair are the most eye-catching. This video was a great way to get attention. There aren’t any distractions; the message is easily getting across.

The Virtual Choir

This is so neat! To have anyone from anywhere be involved in this is so unique. This is truly showing that internet can really take away from being face-to-face. They say e-mails, text messaging and social networking are diminishing our ability to have people skills. I was never really sure I totally agreed with that. Yes, we are using them for convenience. However, we still run into people every day and still interact with others on a daily basis as we lives our everyday lives.
Seeing this video really is suggesting that it could happen! “It” being not having to see people every day for the rest of our lives! Even though it may allow us to be cooped up in our homes and on the computer, never in a million years did I think this could be performed by using technology! I think it is a positive regardless of what everyone else says! Bravo!!