Blog Post #4

Response to "Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?" by Scott McLeod:

I agree and disagree with this post on many levels. In starts off by saying do not teach our children to read. Well first of all we cannot do that for obvious reasons. We have to teach our youth how to be literate otherwise our future will be... who knows? The article then discusses how we should not teach our children how to connect, no social networking or blogging or twitter. I agree in saying that the youth today are given way too much access to the world through the internet though social networks. There are many things that should be blocked from our youth, but there really is nothing we can do. However, as we have seen in our class there are many great things that can come from the internet and networking with other people. Cell phones are a hot button people with many people and I do not like kids having them today, because kids do not need a cell phone. I see a cell phone as a big responsibility and kids today are often not ready for that responsibility. However, cell phones can be a great tool in the end. I feel like the article makes valid points, but the reality is that there is nothing that can be done about any of it.

Dr. Scott McLeod is the director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE).

Response to "The iSchool Initiative"

My thoughts on this ischool ideas is neither negative nor positive. First of all I disagree with the idea entirely for one reason. If it happens and schools do not spend the money on books or paper then what will happen to these companies. These companies rely on schools for much of their business. If this iSchool idea did become a reality the economy would be completely thrown for a whirl. Many businesses would go bankrupt because schools would not be spending the money. And more than likely if schools were not spending money then they would get a lot less in their budgets to spend on the things that they do need to buy like food or teacher's paychecks.

Also I think about people that cannot learn through this single method. Through my personal expiereince I have found ways that I can learn and ways that do not work for me. They may work for me, but may not work for the person sitting next to me. I have found that I have some interesting methods to help me when I am preparing for a test or preparing music for a recital. We are all different and learn differently so having to use an iSchool to take notes, complete homework assignments, and talk with my teacher. Yes the idea is easier in many ways, but for the majority of people this will not work for them compared to the 'difficult' methods we use today.

Response to "The Lost Generation":

First of all I this has to be one of the coolest videos I have ever seen! The problem is that I personally feel like part of what was stated in this video is already true in today's society. I feel like a lot of people have their priorities out of order already. Looking around society today some people think to be successful you must be wealthy and have a steady income. Everybody does anything for an extra buck so they are away from the sit down family dinners. This is just one of several points that was made in this video that I feel is true today, but then again as it is read backwards I feel that the youth of today is exactly like it says. The youth of this 'Lost Generation' has many great things to look forward to and is highly under appreciated by the older generations because they are "going against the grains" with new ideas such as the iSchool idea.

Response to the "Virtual Choir" by Eric Whitacre:

Being a music major and a big fan of the music of Eric Whitacre I have already heard of this project from it's beginning stages. I thought that he has realized and opened a completely new world for not only music and performances, but for education in general. By creating this project Eric has shown how not only musical performance can be created outside of the usual concert hall, but that it can be fairly simple to bring people from all over the world together, teach these 'pupils' the necessary materials, and conclude with a great performance.