Week 1

1. Did You Know? 3.0 and Mr. Winkle Wakes
After watching the YouTube film entitled "Did You Know?", I found that there was many facts and figures I had never truly put into perspective. For example, "India has more honor kids, then America has kids". This fact at first seems alarming and may seem as though India student are overwhelmingly smart, which may be true however it really means India has a very large population to contribute to the academic achievements.

In addition to the other intriguing facts, "I found that today's learners will have 10-14 jobs before the age of 38." This statistic makes me laugh because one year I had 7 jobs, trying doing taxes for that! So far I have worked 12 jobs and I am only 20. However, you should keep in mind that I often worked two jobs at a time and move frequently. So, I honestly feel like this number estimate is even lower than actuality. In conclusion, I found the film to be very enlightening overall.

Along with the previous film, I watched "Mr. Winkel Wakes", an animated piece that depicts the journey a man goes through after finding himself awake 100 years later. Initially, I thought it was a little weird and then it got towards the end and I understood the point they were trying to convey.

Mr. Winkel went through the town and saw how things had changed as time elapsed. There were machines, computers, and big hospitals; All of which astounded Mr. Winkel. When the character finally makes it to a classroom he finds everything to be just how he remembered it. I believe this to be a little embellished, but I understand what they were getting at. Technology can be found all across the town but it hasn't made a large impact in the fashion in which children are taught.

2. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson's speech on "The Importance of Creativity", was not only filled with humor but a lot of important information. My two favorite stories he told was how Shakespeare was even once a child, and the girl drawing God.

I believe that we tend to forget that every genius, surgeon, and engineer was first a student and a child. Even Shakespeare was taught to read at one point, and educators aren't given nearly enough credit. Maybe we should praise or even thank the ones who encourage and inspire the genius for once.

I also loved the story about the child that sat in the back of the classroom drawing during an art lesson. When the teacher inquired about what she was drawing she stated that it was God. The teacher then informed the child that no one knows what God looks like, and the child cleverly replied that they would in a minute. I loved this story because there is nothing I admire more than the wit and cleverness of a child. It's when they make statements such as that without being a smart alack and just as innocent as can be. Which is the reason I'm choosing to spend my days around the positive energy of children.

In conclusion, Mr. Robinson's speech was filled with many good points and stories. I enjoyed the two in particular for the reasons previously stated. Creativity is so important and vital to the growth and development of children.

3. Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis's video "Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts" told the tale of how Mrs.Davis as an educator was able to use the electronic interests of her students and allow it to form into a teaching tool. She saw the window of opportunity and the interests of her students and combined this to capture the attention of her class.

Personally, I would have to agree that the techniques she was using seemed to be working. While watching the video, all I could think about was how I wished I had classes like that when I was in school. Being fairly young, this tells me that most students would feel the same way. There has been so many times where I have just been burnt out on the lecture and craving for some other way to learn.

Honestly, I can't tell you what I learned from hardly any lectures in high school but I could tell you what I got out of activities where I was engaged with assignment. I believe that if teachers focused on how to best convey the knowledge to the students and not the most convenient way, learning would be a lot more fun and it might actually even occur.