Mr. Winkle Wakes

Mr. Winkle is a man who awakes after 100 years to find huge advances of technology in the real world.  He walks into a hospital and sees x-ray machines and people being kept alive by ventilators.  He also sees computers being used to assist medical professionals with less paperwork.  He also attends a business office and notices sounds coming from phones, computers, and machines.  After he realizes the technological advances that have been achieved, he goes into a school classroom.  He felt right at home.  He saw students being lectured and taking notes by pencil and paper.  The teacher was teaching from the blackboard, and the students did not appear to be engaged in the lesson.

This video brings up a very serious problem in today’s education systems.  Real world jobs require students to possess the use of various types of technology.  Without these skills, students will not be prepared for the future.  The video suggest that we are still educating students as they were 100 years ago.  This assumption is not far off base.  Teachers are slowly beginning to use technology to teach lessons, but rarely teach students how to use the technology to learn.  As an educator, we must incorporate technology to better prepare our students because they are the future.  Students have the abilities to learn the technology, but schools and funding make it difficult to accommodate the students to use various technological devices.  Hopefully in the near future government and education systems will realize how far behind the use of technology is in the United States and will use all tactics to catch up in the technology fields.

http://youtu.be/lm1sCsl2MQY

SIR KEN ROBINSON SPEAKING ON EDUCATION AND CREATIVITY VIDEO

     Sir Ken Robinson's lesson on creativity is a very interesting video that would be beneficial for any current or future teacher to view.  Sir Ken Robinson discusses how creativity is being weeded out during education.  Robinson makes the statement, "We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it."  He also states, "Creativity is as important as literacy."
     As a future educator, I totally agree with Robinson's statement, "All kids have tremendous talents, and we squander them."  It is my goal as a future teacher to encourage, not squander any of these talents.  Another quote from the video that I really like is when Robinson said, "It is our job to help students make something of the future."  I think part of my responsibility as an educator is to allow my students to use their creativity that comes so natural.  We as educators must provide a creative environment in which students feel comfortable to express themselves.  I leave you with one last quote from Sir Ken Robinson, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with something original."

http://youtu.be/ga2CYYCrtNE

Teacher Education Reflection

     There have been several classes throughout my teacher education program that I felt I was just merely jumping through hoops.  There have been, however, a few classes which I have found to be very beneficial.  Within the first two weeks of  Instructional Design and Technology class, I have created a Portaportal, a KWL chart, and have raised my awareness of how U.S. students are falling behind technologically.
      The Portaportal I created will be a very useful tool in the classroom.   This could be used for multiple purposes, but one that stands out is having these sites readily available for extension exercises.  This is also a good way to allow students involvement with technology.  The KWL chart is something that could be used to get an understanding of your student's knowledge on a very specific subject.  This would be very useful in knowing where to start your lessons and what to include in your lesson plans.  Having been made aware of the deficiencies of technology in our country, I will try to incorporate as much technology into my teaching as possible.  While these are not the only useful tools I have learned, they are some of the ones that jumps out at me.