Blog Post #2

1. The video Did You Know? 3.0 by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod that came from the link Did You Know 3.0 was very interesting. The authors I believe in this video are trying to get the point across that technology is a thing of the future. Even though we have technology now it will be taken to a newer level before we even know it. Also they are trying to say that computers and technology in general are growing. Those who refused using technology are now forced to use it or be left behind.

My opinion on the video is that it is incredible. All the facts that are coming at you in that video are amazing and each fact proves the point of the video that technology is a continuous growing thing. I like how at the end of the video it talked about the babies that were all born during that video because it brought it all together to realize how many new people are being welcomed into the world and how many will change it through technology.

2. The video Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman that came from the link Mr. Winkle Wakes got its point across without just coming out and saying it. The video did not give complex reasons of why education should embrace technology, but simply gave the idea that businesses and hospitals embraced technology and were getting stuff done and saving lives but schools stayed the same and did not embrace. The school Mr. Winkle said was familiar because the teachers were still lecturing and the students taking notes. Through this simple video the author got his point across that schools should welcome technology not be scared of it.

My opinion of this video was it was genius because anyone who came across that video would get the main point; including people of all ages. I also liked the video because I agreed with it. Schools can no longer fight not having technology to teach children. Technology is something that children get excited about and will all have to embrace some day so why not give them those tools to do so.

3. In the video Ken Robinson says school kills creativity by Ken Robinson from the link Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity was funny but at the same time blunt about how school kills creativity. Ken Robinson  believes that schools should treat creativity just as important as learning how to read. Kids are not creative in school because teachers teach kids that mistakes are horrible so the kids in return do not try to try something new and be creative. In the educational system Ken Robinson said that something that does not change no matter where you go on earth is math and languages are at the top and art is at the bottom. This in turn makes kids think that art has less creditably the math or languages.

My opinion of this video is I agree with Ken Robinson in the fact that schools do not allow kids to be as creative as they need to be. Something that I don't agree with is that art should be seen as equal to math and languages. The reason I believe this is because math and language are center pieces of the world and must be taught to improve technology and life.

4. In the video Can U.S. Students Compete? by Cecilia Gault she ask some pretty smart questions to Ken Robinson. The question that caught my attention was "How does education change by meeting the needs of 21st century?" and how I would respond to that question is it needs to allow kids be creative in technology that the 21st century as brought them. What I would do to make sure Cecilia's in my classroom has a good education is I would do assignments on the computer that lets them learn to feel at ease navigating the internet.

5. In the video Harness your Students' Digital Smarts by Vicki Davis she taught in a school in rural Georgia, but connected her students to the world that surrounds them. Vicki Davis's main point was that teachers do not need to know everything to teach the subject because it empowers the students when they figure something out. She believed that when giving kids just a pencil and paper that only some types of students would succeed.

My opinion of what Vicki Davis is doing in her classroom is it is amazing. I love her method of teaching and letting the students figure things out because technology is always changing so there is no way you could know  all there is to know about technology. I also like Vicki Davis class because it teaches kids how to be comfortable with technology and teach them how to interact with other students through it.

Project #2

Blog Post #1

My name is Shelby Owen and my home town is Trussville, Alabama. I have lived in Trussville for my whole life; it is a small town most say, but I think it is much larger in fact it is my whole word. I have many interest but that one I base most of my life on is soccer. I have played basically every sport you can think: gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, and softball. I believe playing all those sports led me to the sport I truly adore, soccer. The reason I say that I base my life off of soccer is because I am here at The University of South Alabama  because of soccer. As I am sure you have guessed I play soccer for South Alabama and it wasn't the whole reason I chose South Alabama, but it was definitely the main reason. I also came here though because I did not want a big college, but I did want one large enough that I felt like I wasn't in High School anymore.

I have a very loving family that all love me very much, and I realize how lucky I am to be so blessed. I have one brother and one sister. My brother's name is Drew and my sister is Anna Grace. Drew is twenty-two and goes to college at The University of Montevallo. He was also going to be an elementary teacher, but he changed his major to business. My little sister just turned five and started Kindergarten. Most ask if my little sister was a surprise but in fact she was planned. My mom is a very loving person and loves to take care of other people and with me leaving for college she didn't want the house to be "empty" so to speak. I did not want a little sister at first because I did not like the idea of being the middle child, but I soon figured out things would not change. In fact, having a little sister led me to wanting to be an elementary teacher. I love little kids and why would I not want to spend my time with happy children all day. I look forward to the rest of my college time and eventually my teaching career.

What I learned watching Randy Pausch is plans might not go perfectly but if they do not it is not the end of the world, and it is okay to change a plan. Also I learned that if you have a lot to do in your plan for the day you should always do the hardest or "ugliest" thing first. Randy Pausch also said that you should not only have a plan for the day, but it is okay to go ahead and plan for the week, month, or semester. Things might change during that time period but at least you have a guide line. The first time I heard of Randy Pausch was last year in public speaking class. In that class we watched the video of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. In that video he talked about his childhood dreams and how he achieved them.