Blog Post #4

1. Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please? By Scott Mcloed
I agree with Dr. Mcloed's point of view in this blog post. Children should be taught to efficiently use today's available technology to their advantage. Parents should first educate themselves and get acquainted with blogging and social networking, etc., then proceed to educate their children. Parents should not be afraid of what ills of the world the internet may expose their children to, but be more afraid of the vast amount of knowledge they are missing out on. It will benefit them in the long run.

2. The ischool Initiative
In this video, a high school senior claims that using iSchool is a solution to our country's education problems. The i School initiative is a program that eliminates all school textbooks, paper, pens, calculators, and other miscellaneous materials by using classroom ready apps on an iTouch, thus cutting a school's education cost per student. It allows students, parents, and teachers to all be more connected and aware of what's going on in the classroom on a daily basis.
I personally think this initiative is a great idea. It is a wonderful way to save money and the environment. It also allows parents to be more involved in student learning because it gives them an easier way to keep up with their child's progress. In a world where most people already have either an iTouch or smartphone glued to their hand, this program would be perfect for schooling. The question is, how do we get most schools to adopt the program?

3. The Lost Generation
I absolutely love this video! When it first started I was thinking to myself how much I disagreed with most of statements that were being made. But then when it began to go backwards I fell in love with it! I thought it was brilliant and the message of it was beautiful!

4. Eric Whitcre's Virtual Choir
Nice. I think I would have found this more captivating if the song were more interesting. A brilliant showcase of how the internet can be used none the less.

5. Teaching in the 21st Century
In the 21st Century, to teach has a whole new meaning. With the amount of information readily available for students to absorb at any given time, the role of a teacher has to evolve just as the role of the student must. Teachers used to be a student's primary source for facts and knowledge. Now facts can be found anywhere, and teachers must be able to teach valuable life skills to students, otherwise there is no real need for a teacher in the future.