Blog Post 6

"You have to decide if your a Tigger or an Eeyore." 

Randy Posch

The assignment for this blog post was to watch Randy Pausch's Last Lecture from September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon University.   Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University before he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008.  The theme of his lecture is about "Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams."  In his lecture, Randy talks about enabling his own childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned on how to do both.

Randy's childhood dreams included being in zero gravity, playing in the NFL, authoring an article in the world book encyclopedia, being captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals, being a Disney Imagineer.  Randy says, "It's important to have specific dreams," because unlike popular American beliefs, some things can be unattainable.  I find this quote to be very true, especially when educating young people.  I don't think teachers should tell students that their imagination is the limit.  Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work that way.  However, with specific dreams, and people who work hard to realize them, it is more than possible to achieve said dreams.

The next thing Randy talks about is enabling the childhood dreams of others.  He says that becoming a professor is a great way to start.  He goes on to talk about creating a course called "Building Virtual Worlds" in hopes of helping students realize their dreams.  What stuck out to me the most, were the words "created a course."  I have no idea how much creative leeway I will be granted as a teacher in the public education system, but I feel it will be my professional duty to push the proverbial bubble as far as possible.  Incorporating creative teaching techniques in my classroom will be paramount in realizing my own dreams of helping young people live better lives.

Last, Randy talks about the lessons he has learned along the way.  He talked throughout his lecture about the proverbial "brick wall" that will try and stop you from realizing your dreams, and how each wall you face has a purpose for pushing you forward.  He talked about the importance of teaching students to be self reflective.  This is a very important point for me.  In my future classroom, self reflection and honesty will be a big part of the way I will teach.  There is nothing more important than being honest with yourself.  Another big thing I got from the last part of Randy's lecture was, the importance of keeping the fun.  Enthusiasm is contagious.  When I can make a lesson fun, I can give my students what Randy calls, "a head fake."  Learning will take place with students being unaware, because they will be having fun.  I want to be a "Tigger."

Here are some of Randy's Quotes courtesy of Cliffano Subagio's Blog.


Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome.

I probably got more from that dream and not accomplishing it than I got from any of the ones that I did accomplish.

You’ve got to get the fundamentals down because otherwise the fancy stuff isn’t going to work.

When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

Head fake learning is absolutely important, and you should keep your eye out for them because they’re everywhere.

The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.

It’s pretty easy to be smart when you’re parroting smart people.

It’s very important to know when you’re in a pissing match. And it’s very important to get out of it as quickly as possible.

Until you got ice cream spilled on you, you’re not doing field work.

I can’t tell you beforehand, but right before they present it I can tell you if the world (his students project work) is good by the body language. If they’re standing close to each other, the world is good.

If you’re going to do anything that pioneering you will get those arrows in the back, and you just have to put up with it. I mean everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

Somewhere along the way there’s got to be some aspect of what lets you get to achieve your dreams. First one is the role of parents, mentors, and students.

And he (Andy Van Dam) said, Randy, it’s such a shame that people perceive you as so arrogant. Because it’s going to limit what you’re going to be able to accomplish in life.

You just have to decide if you’re a Tigger or an Eeyore.

I have a theory that people who come from large families are better people because they’ve just had to learn to get along.

Loyalty is a two way street.

You can’t get there alone. People have to help you and I do believe in karma. I believe in paybacks. You get people to help you by telling the truth. Being earnest.

I’ll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short term. Earnest is long term.

Apologise when you screw up and focus on other people, not on yourself.

Don’t bail. The best of the gold’s at the bottom of barrels of crap.

Get a feedback loop and listen to it. Your feedback loop can be this dorky spreadsheet thing I did, or it can just be one great man who tells you what you need to hear. The hard part is the listening to it.

Be good at something, it makes you valuable.

Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.

Be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.

C4K Summary for February

BRIAN'S AWESOME BLOG

Today I wrote a comment for Brian's Awesome Blog.  Brian had won a contest sponsored by his teacher Mr. Avery.  The contest was designed to get family members from each student to leave a comment on the class blog.  The students with the most comments at the end of the month would get their own personal blog.  Brian made a wonderful blog complete with a slide show/video about he and his dog.  He has a great knowledge of how to implement widgets on his blog which is immediately obvious upon arrival.

In my comment, I congratulated him on his work so far.  I noted that I would like to implement some of the same widgets in my blog as well as the slide show/video idea.  I was blown away that a sixth grader could create such a wonderful website.  Brian is a very gifted writer and I hope he continues to build on his blog. I will be dropping in on his blog from time to time to check on his progress.

I got this response from Brian.

Dear Even Bailey,
Thank you for leaving a comment. When we did the Vegemite tasting I tried it, and I thought that it was OK, as long as you didn’t eat too much at a time. It is really fun, when we make math videos in Mr. Avery’s class (and we’re learning).
-Bryan


MELISSA'S CLASS BLOG

This week I wrote a comment on Melissa's blog contained in her classroom blog for her A.P. U.S. Government and Politics course at the Online School For Girls.  Melissa was taking her first online class ever, and in high school of all places.  She said she was very anxious about it at first, but soon found that online courses are easier than she originally thought.  In the end, she claimed to enjoy the fact that the internet can "facilitate meaningful communication" in what Dr. Strange calls the "global classroom".

In my comment I told her that I could relate to her anxiety with taking online courses, because I had taken many of them while attending Troy University.  I told her that I found more understanding and retention of information easier in most online courses I took.  Math was the only exception, and I told her I would rather be in a classroom for a math course.  I asked if she planned on taking online courses in college.

I was really impressed by the fact that she was taking an online course in high school.  I never had that opportunity in 2003.  That must be a reflection of how fast technology is moving into education.  I took Government (although, it was not A.P.) in a class room in high school, and it was the most influential class I had in terms of preparing me for what the world had to offer.

Melissa's class blog was different in format than any other blog I have seen in my short time exploring blogs.  I'm don't know exactly how to describe it, but as far as class blogs are concerned, I think this would be a great format for class blogs.  For anyone viewing this blog, I would invite you to check out Melissa's class blog just to see the way it is set up.

I got this response from Melissa's teacher.

Evan,

I thought I'd send a quick email to both thank and congratulate you on a fine comment on my student's blog post. The time and thought you put into it really shows, and will help Melissa tremendously.

Best of luck in preparing for your teaching career. If you have any questions about our course, or OSG, or about education technology in general, don't hesitate to email me. I'd like the opportunity to return the good energy you gave to my student's post!

Cheers.

Mike Gwaltney

OSG, AP U.S. Government & Politics

AMY'S POEM BLOG

This week I left a comment on Amy's Blog which is a part of Mrs. Garcia's Awesome Class.  Amy wrote a wonderful poem called "The Knewts" in which she recalls a dream.  She thinks the Knewts are out to get her and are coming from everywhere.  Finally, she realizes she is dreaming and wakes up to her mom asking if she wants some jam.  This poem is the work of an outstanding 4th grade writer.  The poem has a certain flow to it that just seems to make sense.

I my comment, I told Amy how wonderful I thought her poem blog was.  There was a line in her poem that said, "I would like to achieve."  This line was the focus of my comment.  I asked her about her dreams and what exactly she had in mind in terms of achievement.  Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Brock Lesner came to her class on Valentines Day, so I had to ask her about that as well.  Amy and her classroom blog is a great insight into what the "global classroom" can do.

I got this response from Mrs. Garcia.

Hi Evan
I just wanted to stop by your blog to thank you and your classmates for commenting on my students' blogs. It is very exciting for them to know that someone is reading their work. Please thank your prof for me. I am so glad that he assigned this task to his class. (or her class???) Obviously he understands the value of writing to an authentic audience.
The students were quite impressed to have Brock here to read to them. He and his brother own land in the area and he can be seen around the town of Virden quite frequently. Several families in town are friends with him so his appearance was the worst kept secret in town! Besides reading a funny story he really has some important messages for our students about working hard and not always being a winner. We truly enjoyed his visit.
By the way, the time lines you have done are very cool. I will have to investigate this program. Thanks again.
Lorie Garcia


I got this response from Amy.


Hi Evan,
I would like to be an actor. When I wrote that poem I thought it would be something you would have a little laugh at. Evan I also have some questions for you. What is a EDM? Sorry, I don’t know that it’s just that I’m 9 and your like,19. I do like to write funny and goofy stories I’ve written about 20. Some of them are on the blog as you can see. Having Brock read to us was awesome. He read us the book called “walter the farting dog” it was funny. My friends dad actualy set the whole thing up because my friend and brock are close friends. How old are you? Please read some more of my stories on the blog. Maybe I’ll post some more, please comment! 
Thanks for the time, Amy. 



E6 SUPERSTARS
This week I left a comment on Mrs. Graham's class, the E6 Superstars at Eastern Hutt School in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.  In their newest blog, entitled E6 Super Star Readers, they read a story together about Greedy Cat.  The author is Joy Cowley and the illustrator is Robyn Belton.  I would assume that Mrs. Graham posted the video of some students in her class reading the story.  They read very well to be so young.  Good things are happening at Eastern Hutt School.  

I commented on the wonderful books in their reading list posted on the blog site.  I also left a comment about an earlier post in which a puppy named Fred visited their class.  I like the fact that Mrs. Grahams class blog allows the parents of these children to keep in touch with what goes on at their child's school.  

Timetoast Project B

EVENTS LEADING TO AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

Blog Post 5

I left Dr. McLeod a comment on his blog post, Don't teach your kids this stuff please!  Check out his blog post and then check out the comment I left for him below.  It's worth it.  To learn more about Dr. McLeod click here.


Dr. McLeod,
My name is Evan Bailey, and I am a student in Dr. strange is EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. You are absolutely right about computer skills being right up there with reading and writing. Your style of sarcasm within the message, was right up my alley, and really touched my sense of humor. I know many people who are afraid of what technology may bring into their homes. The fact is, humans inevitably resist change. I read that in a sociality book. Another thing is, our young people view the world differently than we did at their age. While technology may not have a satisfactory home in our school systems, a percentage of our young people use mass amounts of technology in their day to day lives. In my opinion, it will be my job as a teacher to try and keep up with contemporary technology. I have no illusions about whether or not I can keep up with technology at its current pace. I know all I can do is to try and keep up well enough to facilitate learning. How do you feel about the pace of technology, specifically communications technology in general?

The iSchool Initiative 
I highlighted this in red because I feel like this is the future.  Travis Allen has got to be the smartest guy on the planet.  In the video contained in the red link above, Travis explains his vision of the future of education.  In his vision, he says that schools can employ the use of an iPod touch in the classroom to take the place of many outdated and expensive learning tools.  He says that the iPod touch is already set up with apps that can be implemented into classrooms right now.  The beauty of this is that with customizable apps, teachers can customize their own lessons and make them available instantly online. Although, Travis makes a better case for his initiative by explaining the economic benefits of iSchool. According to Travis, schools spend at least $600 per student per year. He says the iPod touch is only around $150. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest ideas I have heard to date.

 When Travis Allen made the video I have linked above, he was 17 years old and still in high school. Now, he is in his twenties, and is on a campaign for his initiative that cuts a swath across the United States. He has a new website: iSchoolinitiative.org. There are some videos on the new website about his tour.  If you believe in productive technology in our schools, I would highly suggest taking a look at all Travis' videos.

Eric Whitacre's virtual choir is a breathtaking use of technology.  The way he has taken individuals and molded them into one voice is amazing.  This is innovation at its finest.  The one thing about this video that stuck me the most, were the ending credits.  There were people literally from everywhere in the U.S. and abroad.  This is the kind of creativity that makes me want to teach.  Check out his introductory video as well.  He talks about where his idea came from.  Truly awesome stuff!

Kevin Roberts' video, Teaching in the 21st Century, was very thoughtful indeed.  I think his big vision is that teachers are there to facilitate learning as a filter for the information coming from technology sources.  Teachers should teach the ethics involved in using internet sources as a means of learning.  Teachers are also there to teach which sources are reliable and which ones are not.  I think Kevin has a pretty solid fix on part of what it will take to be a 21st century teacher.  However, I don't feel like the internet can ever take the place of a teacher teaching general basic knowledge about the subject matter at hand.  The student has to have a basic understanding of the subject matter before he or she can dive deeper into it on the web.  It would be hard to look up a word in a dictionary if you could not read.  Reading, writing, and communicating in a meaningful way, involves much more than any internet site can offer.  Although the internet is still a very important tool in the modern classroom, it is still just a tool.  Let's not get carried away here.

One thing I have always believed is that the ability to read is the most paramount thing in the modern world.  However, before I visited the Reading Rockets website, I did not realize how extremely difficult learning to read really is for children.  The teaching of the fundamentals of reading is ultimately the responsibility of the parents.  Children must be exposed early and often to everything involved with learning to read.  One of the videos I watched on the website talked about the parental responsibility of relaying positive vibes about reading.  Even if the parents are not readers, they must find ways to make their child feel like reading is fun.  One of the experts on the website said that by simply taking your child to the library before they start attending school, can greatly increase their chances of being a fluent reader.  Furthermore, the library can be just as much of an adventure for that child as going to the park or playground.

In today's world there are so many distractions technology can create that it can inadvertently keep a child from wanting to read.  This goes back to the point I was making earlier in this post about teachers teaching basic skills before a child can be turned loose on the web.  Without reading and writing skills, the internet is  nothing more than entertainment.  There is no true and meaningful collaboration with others.

Experts and figures on the Reading Rockets website exposed the fact that not all children pick up on reading skills in the same amount of time.  Why does our system continue to push these kids through to the next grade year after year with this no child left behind nonsense? I had a sixteen year old in one of my classes at Foley High that could not read.  This is unsatisfactory.

Timetoast Project

BIG EVENTS OF MY LIFE

Blog Post 4

I began preparing for this post without the faintest idea about what a podcast really was.  I visited the sites Dr. Strange provided for the class, and found out that podcasts are not as difficult to do as I had imagined.  By viewing Judy Scharf's tutorial on podcasts, I learned that a podcast is basically a broadcast of information about anything you can think up.  She provides many downloads to help the novice podcaster to get started.  I would suggest any first time podcasters take a look.

In preparation for this post I also learned the many benefits of podcasting in the classroom when I watched Joe Dale's video Podcasting In The Classroom.  I learned that that while a podcast is an audio broadcast, a vodcast is a podcast that incorporates video in the overall experience.  Both of which, can be downloaded onto an iPod or other similar device for various uses.  Joe also provides links to many helpful videos and resources for anyone who would like to podcast.  

Now that I have a pretty clear idea about what podcasting is all about, I think I will have to agree with all of these sites that are pro podcasting in the classroom.  One of the sites I viewed talked about integrating reading assignments with podcasts so that the students can hear the dialog of the different characters in the story.  This stood out to me the most, because all to often students will get the characters mixed up and won't know who is saying what.  With a podcast integrated reading session, the teacher can alleviate this problem.  Another great benefactor is the teacher.  Once he or she creates a podcast, it will be available to use over and over again to the benefit of future classes.  This could save huge amounts of time and effort having to rework lesson plans.

I think another great use of podcasting could be in extracurricular activities such as sports.  High school football coaches already use highly advanced video communication software like Hudl, but this software is super expensive.  Podcasting is virtually free.

Google Presentation Project #5

(Special Note) I was given an extension on the due date by Dr. Strange.

My Sentence Movie

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Blog Post 3

On Writing a Peer Review
I chose to send my peer review via email.  In my opinion some information is meant to be private.  In a comment on someones blog, I think it is important to always be positive and sort of add ideas here and there.  However, in a peer review, while it is important to be nice, I think I would be doing someone an injustice if I weren't also firm and honest.  Let's face it, some people are just not very good writers, and it may be embarrassing for them to be critiqued in the public eye.  I know I would not want to be.


I watched Lacey Cook's video on Technology in Special Education and I was floored at the progress she was able to make with those students.  I have worked in special education before and there was a big difference in my classroom as compared to their classroom.  I've been that para out in the hall with the student having to read the text while the student follows along.  One thing I found out quickly was that many of these students are embarrassed when the instructor has to sit and read with them.  They don't want that any more than a grown man wants to be in a situation where he can't take care of himself.  The implementation of iPods with audio books not only frees up the instructor, but it allows that student to be an independent learner.  There is a certain amount of dignity we all require to feel human.  The prospect of building a students dignity and confidence through technology is a wonderful thing.

I have also worked with special needs kids who suffer from extreme disabilities.  It was truly a sad situation in the classroom I was in.  The only real technology available was cable television.  In many cases the only thing some students did all day was watch Animal Network.  There was no real engagement with anything other than the television.  I'm not saying that computers would help all these students, but in many cases I think it could be tremendously productive.  I my opinion, what Lacey Cook has done for her students, is allow them to live a meaningful life.  Is that not what we are all looking for?

Today is honestly the first time I have ever been to the Apple Education Apps website.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  I have always been a big watcher of educational television like the Discovery Channel.  Just the thought of being able to pull up an app and journeying through a volcano or to the center of the Earth is  amazing.  Where were these things 10 years ago when I was in high school?

I'm a history buff, and looking back on my world history courses in high school, I remember myself always longing for more pictures in the text.  I have always been a visual learner, and with pictures or video I was able to categorize events in history in my brain as well as understand them better.  It's hard to imagine what I would have been able to retain and understand if I had a virtual reality tour through the streets of Ancient Rome or some other place.  In all the apps I saw on the website, the 3D tour stood out to me the most.  Instead of just talking about the Coliseum or the Circus Maximus, I will be able to actually show it to my students in a fun and exiting tour.  I know there are grade school students out there today that are just like I was.  Eager to learn, but just not able to fully grasp what the words alone have to offer.  To me, this is truly awesome stuff.

Social media today is obviously moving at a breakneck pace.  I've never considered myself to be the most social person ever.  Although, EDM 310 has opened my eyes to the many platforms available for social uses.  After I saw Gary's Social Media Counts, I came to realize that there is no way to get caught up on everything available in terms of social technology.  Everything is adapting and changing so fast that it would almost be impossible to try.

I think at the end of the day, all we can do is attempt to try and harness this awesome technology to make our lives easier and more social in our own way.  When I become an educator, I will do my best to implement the globalized social media into my classroom for the befit of my students.  Finally, we should all aspire to be as Dr. Strange puts it, "Life long learners."

A Vision Of Students Today is a great little video.  There must be some students out there that feel as swamped this semester as I do.  I took an exam today and made a "D" after I had studied for hours.  I had attended every class, taken notes on the lectures, and read all the text.  I don't know what else I could have done.  The professor said I shouldn't try and memorize definitions, but that I should try and understand the concepts.  (I feel like I do understand the concepts.)  If that is true, why couldn't I use the definitions on the exam?  I may have done a lot better.  I've never been to a job where you couldn't use a reference if needed.

Yesterday, I worked on EDM 310 from nine in the morning to ten at night.  Believe it!  Don't get me wrong, I love this course.  I'm learning things here I never thought I would be able to grasp. I wish I could have taken this course when I had a smaller course load.  However, I have found that I can't do all the things I would like to do without neglecting my other courses.  This is just an unfortunate reality of college; I guess.  I'm going to give it all I have and hope for the best.    

C4T # 1

I left a comment on Javi Lucero's blog Jam Session Part 1: The Indie... in which he creates a metaphor that explains the similarities of the independent jam session in terms of music and the independent classroom in terms of evading the norm.  He goes on to explain the indie jam session as well as the indie classroom as being a "thing of beauty" relative to the social and individual benefits they both can create.  This very well written blog dives deep into the dynamics of creation and the creation process in the classroom environment.

In my comment to Javi's blog I note that in my opinion experimentation and debate are very important learning tools in any classroom.  I also noted that one concern some people may have is that with experimentation and debate in an extreme independent environment, can come lack of productivity due to an input of multiple ideas without viable solutions.  I ask a question about dependency on mediation or structure within this environment being an inevitable issue necessary to promote the learning process.  I hope to hear back from Javi soon.


I also left a comment on John T. Spencer's blog 10 Reasons Why Most Tests Lead To Lower Standards.  His list is as follows:
1. Extrinsic Motivation
2. Cramming
3. Time is Wasted
4. Low-Level Thinking
5. Slow Feedback
6. Excuse for Avoiding Formative Assessment
7. The Bell Curve and other Deflators
8. The Wrong Feedback
9. Risk Aversion
10. Complacent Teaching

In my comment I noted that if I were to create a list like his, our lists would be very similar.  I talked about how there seems to be a trend in the latest generation as well as mine to take on a kind of multiple choice mentality in terms of solving all the big questions of our lives.  I feel extremely strong about this when it comes to the way our government operates in day to day business.  I asked John how he felt about the literal teaching of test taking skills to students as well as telling students the odds of choosing "C" on their next multiple choice exam.  I really enjoyed this blog as well as all the other blogs related to this website.  The website is Education Rethink, and its definitely worth a look.

Blog Post 2

Dr. Strang's Did You Know video is a real eye opener.  Let me get on my soap box for a moment.  I was a para-educator at Foley High School in Foley Alabama from late January 2011 to December 2011.  I was working within the special education department with students who were supposedly behavior deficient.  When I first got there, I noticed the students were using computers that I was using back in 2000.  They were all scheduled to be working on a credit recovery program for a specific subject each block throughout the day.  The first problem was that there were not enough computers for each student, so some students would sit idle while others worked.  The second problem was that the computers they were working with were so old that it took forever for the internet to do anything, if you could get it to work in the first place.  The third and worst problem of all was that the credit recovery program itself (called A+) was formatted in the same old "burp back" education style of teaching that most of us grew up with.  There would be a lesson that would read just like a text book which would be followed by a multiple choice test.  It was archaic and based on memorizing the content versus actually understanding what the content was talking about.  The students would actually end up opening a google window after copying a test question and pasting the question into the search box.  (I actually thought that was kind of resourceful.)  They would press search, find their answer, and check the box that contained the answer on the test.  The only thing I felt like they learned was how to copy and paste.

At the end of the day, I am all about technology in the classroom.  However, I think the fact that it is being used in a second class manner in our public schools is giving our students another outlet to be lazy.  I don't think that just throwing technology at this problem is the answer.  We must use the new technology in a dynamic and thoughtful way for it to be effective in the classroom of tomorrow.  In this new generation of student that is determined to let technology do all the work, we have to find a way to integrate traditional fields of study in a way that the information that is important can be retained to a degree that that student can be an effective communicator.  No one likes a boring conversation, yet that seems to be the trend were all heading for.  I don't care how many Chinese or Indians or even Americans speak English.  If the conversation is boring, who wants to talk to them anyway.       

I laughed out loud when I watched Mr. Winkle and his awakening, or maybe I should call it his non awakening.  I was swept away by the fact that this is exactly what I was just speaking of in my response to the previous video in the previous paragraph.  I'll bet Mr. Winkle was very comfortable in that school.  

One thing that many people don't know is that had Mr. Winkle actually logged on to that dusty old computer in the classroom like he did in the office building, his web experience would have been censored to limit his communication with others.  In Baldwin County Alabama schools, every computer connected to the internet is under the watchful eye of the county board of education.  You Tube is blocked from the web.  My space is blocked as well.  Our board of education is so worried that there might be an inappropriate conversation that takes place between the minority of immaturity, that it censors the majority of mature responsible students.  It seems to me that our board puts very little faith in the ability of the majority of our young people to behave in a mature and professional manner in the pursuit of a dynamic learning experience.  Unfortunately, this sense of worry that our leadership in schools feel in terms of what our kids should be exposed to will only go away when we wake up to the fact that it's a different world than it used to be and the internet is not the devil!


The first thing I thought about when I watched the Importance of Creativity video, was a student in my classroom at Foley High School.  For discretional purposes, I'll call him Bob.  He very rarely turned in any of the assigned work.  However, he could almost recite the text word for word.   He was a quiet and extremely smart student, but his personal hygiene practices were something of a concern.  All the other students would pick on him about the way he smelled until he would lash out and become violent which was unacceptable within the normal  high school environment.


One day Bob brought his guitar to school with him and he asked me if he could play it during some downtime. I reluctantly said yes, but honestly I was really not interested in hearing someone just pick around.  To my surprise, he was actually pretty good, and able to play full songs.   I listened to him play for a few days and decided he needed to be in a class for music.  I took the matter to the special education department head, but they told me this was not possible because he would be a distraction to other students in general population.  I thought it such a shame that someone with so much talent and had been self taught, was refused the opportunity at some education in the thing he really loved.  I guess our education system did not care very much about Bob, because he did not show the potential to be “strip mined" by the system.  I really enjoyed this video, and I think it should be required viewing for all teachers throughout the United States.  

     I can't tell you how many times I've sat in a classroom and listened to a student reference a piece of history or some other subject from a video game or a television program. Often times, the information being referenced is incorrect or skewed to some extent for entertainment purposes. Many of my students believe that most of what they see and hear on television and in video games has a large bit of truth to it. Don't get me wrong, there are many programs within the realm of multimedia that are very accurate in terms of history, science, and reality. One thing that is important to remember is that we would have to teach our students to be able to distinguish between what is entertainment and what is viable information. I love the idea of introducing interactive software into our classroom environments as a visual referencing tool, especially in specific subject matter such as history and science.

Our education system needs to step up to the plate. I don't understand why our education system and our multimedia industry can't come together and find a way to integrate viable media into our classrooms. Television channels such as the History Channel and the Discovery Channel have vast archives of quality programming we could integrate into our classrooms today with little effort. Why should teachers have to spend their own hard earned money to bring in media outlets to their classrooms? I would be willing to bet that with the amount of money it takes our school system to furnish one student with books, we could furnish that same student with a laptop computer.

The Digital Generation Project seems like a wonderful way to get students connecting with other students and sharing ideas with each other. Students that are able to interact, learn, and then teach each other what they have learned through interaction have truly understood the information that they have been taught. It seems to me that this is the goal we as future educators are trying to achieve. Students that take in the information and are actually able to apply that information with understanding of that information is paramount in the new generation. It's almost too late for a student to come to college and be thrusts into a global learning environment without ever having experienced that environment before. I think it is important to start students out in the global communication environment early and often.

As always, the problem with introducing young people into the global communication environment is trusting those young people to interact in a mature and professional manner. Introducing young people into this environment requires that we teach things such as ethics, maturity, and professionalism when interacting with other people. I think this also requires a certain amount of supervision in the classroom. We would have to rethink our common disciplinary action in terms of what we do when certain individuals deviate from mature and professional interaction. However, I think as we integrate our classrooms into this new way of doing things, each new generation would become accustomed to proper communication, and we as educators could slowly phase out this new although important curriculum.