Blog Assignment # 2

Part 1 Did You Know? by Dr. John Strange
I really didn't know that I was so far behind the times. I know that China and India are the two fastest growing countries and economies in the world but when you look at education and put it in the perspective that the video "Did You Know" does it really gets one thinking. What are the qualifications of a superpower? Is it economic power? Is it net worth? Is it technology? I tell you if the status of a superpower depended on education the US would not be on the short list I am afraid. I think that if the US would put as much interest on the educational inequalities between these respective countries as they do on economics or weapons I think the US would be in a much better place and probably the world as well.
I definitely was not aware of how fast technology is changing. It is really hard to believe that technology becomes obsolete in 2 years. That is incredible! The rapid growth of technology just during my lifetime has been staggering but trying to imagine what the future holds is downright mind blowing. How do we as teachers prepare our students for the? I think Dr. Strange has the answer and that is to teach them to be self reliant when it comes to learning and to always seek the next level and not be satisfied with the statis quo.
Part 2 Mr. Winkle Wakes by Mathew Needleman
Wow to a lesser degree I really know how Mr. Winkle feels! I have been teaching in a private school overseas for the last 7 years and have been in a kind of time bubble when it comes to technology. We don't have the best internet supporting equipment or the best internet connection so to come back and see what the rest of the world is doing is amazing. I do have a video projector in my classroom and use Power Point and other programs all the time but I realize now that I am way behind and I have a long way to go to catch up.
I can also relate to Mr. Winkle's experience in school because even though I see what is being done at the university level what is being done at the elementary and to a large extent the secondary regarding technology and its use in the school is insufficient. What is being taught in schools and when may have changed but the way it is being taught is very much the same as when I went to school. I have seen progress but we have a long way to go if we are going to prepare our students for the technological future depicted in this video.
Part 3 The Importance Of Creativity by Sir. Ken Robinson
Sir. Ken is a very entertaining speaker who believes that the schools of today are doing our children a disservice. He says that schools today are weeding creativity out of children. A young child is full of creativity which schools often tend to squelch because the area of creativity is such that it is thought not to be conducive to succeeding as the world currently defines success. I like Sir. Ken's analogy of schools tending to teach to the upper part of the body most specifically the brain and one side of that. This sort of teaching limits if not eliminates creativity according to Sir. Ken. We can't all be college professors!
I totally agree with Sir. Ken when it comes to the importance of creativity. So often as teachers we smother creativity in order to get a student to conform to what we think will help him or her succeed in this world and this has to stop. Teachers today are not totally at fault because they are often themselves the products of a faulty system. Teachers are at fault though if they are not willing to wake up,to change, and get with the program of fostering creativity. Creative students are usually productive not only in their areas of creativity but in all other academic areas as well. We as teachers need to be able at an early age to recognize creativity and promote it to the best of our abilities regardless of our personal beliefs or those beliefs that were taught to us!

Part 4: A Day Made Of Glass 2; A Day Made Of Glass 2(Unpacked); Project Glass
I don't know what to say about these videos besides WOW! I have seen technology similar to this in movies but had know idea that much of it was possible. Glass is something we use everyday and most of us take it for granted. Thankfully there are some people out there who do not! It is hard to fathom the possibilities for the application of these technologies in the future and having watched these clips I don't think anyone could. This is a great example of what our students have to look forward too and what we as teachers have to prepare them for. Poor Mr. Winkle would really been blown away if he had woken up in an age where these brief glimpses of the future that I have seen today were reality!
The possibilities for education are endless and unimaginable to say the least. Just the possibilities that were shown blows my mind. I would love to have a classroom that was so user friendly and hands on to teach Science! Think of everything I could do with my class and the places we could go and see all while still remaining in the classroom or better yet at home! Imagine how much a 3D model would spice up any science lesson. The possibilities are endless and I hope I am around to see them implemented in classrooms everywhere!