A quote I adhere to most often, "Everything in moderation." Not true when it comes to knowledge and the pursuit of it. I know all of the videos enhanced my eagerness and desire to help build a better education system. My trilemma is determining three videos to focus on and discuss. TED, the U.S. Education Problem, and Adult Literacy shined above all the others, when it came down to deciding. I do agree, due to my experiences with technology, that digital engagement is the turnpike into the hearts and minds of digital imigrants and natives. Largely by the digital route, we as teachers will see a change in our pedagogical dna. If I were prinicipal and applied the content from the videos to what my school would look like and how it would be run, then I believe people would say that goes against the norms and the invalid standardized testing that takes place every year in U.S. Schools.
Mr. Baraniuk and Sir Robinson would be my left and right hand consultants at Lambwood Leadership Prep High. Yes, that is correct, I have a named already picked out for my private high school of leadership. The possibilities are endless for acquiring knowledge and high-level learning achievement; open source learning, a knowledge ecosystem, and where a student becomes an educational DJ. A place where every progressive source of knowledge is continuously harvested and made available to all. For example, imagine no more math text books, digital texts instead with every equation available for practical usage anytime anyplace. I like what Mr. Baranuik said about creative commons, it needs to be used and free to all for use. By having such an institution, a learning revolution of innovation would take place that would feed the spirits of these future leaders. I agree with Sir Robinson's notion that we need to create this agricultural model of education, through which an organic process can proceed, personalizing education to the individual. All of this accomplished with technology in and out of the classrooms.
The video stated, the U.S. Education Problem, discusses jobs being outsourced and how we need to incorporate interlocalism support, a two way street of educational altruism. At LLPHS, we would develope and support interlocalism through encouraged volunteerism, community outreach, and technological donation. In my opinion, only through this kind of support can an educational system get to a high level of success and achievement. My school would support the community infrastructure, so that we can be progressively building from the inside, that would eventually lead to securing the outside community. As mentioned in the video stated, Adult Literacy, through the rigorous academics and project based learning at LLPHS, we would conquer embarassment trumped by bad behavior, facilitate the language of content areas, and develope leading student facilitators. LLPHS would be run by PARR; Participation in community, Altruism toward all, Respect for all cultures and climates, and Responsibility for others first, then thyself.
Since I am a chair of math department, it is only fitting that this video and its many statistics be added to our class video library, you've got love numbers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPO_HGafBsE
My thoughts:
The video asks one question at the end...what does this all mean? To me...hope, infinite probabilities, optimization of time and resources, a more complete cognitive planet. As we know though, equations have balance...there is a book I am currently reading called the The Dumbest Generation; Don't Trust Anyone Under 30. In the book, Dr. Mark Bauerlein from Emory University, discusses the shocking statistics concerning young adults and teens not interested in having educational leisure. He mentions that in todays world there are far more places of information access than in the past century, and our youth and young adults today, don't care to use the technology, books, and museums, for example, for educational purposes. This is a scary notion...yes, technology can help, but you have to know how to use the tools available. If we as country don't embrace the digital gadgets our students are using, in and out of class, then we will become the Dumbest Generation(s) for not fighting the good fight with our student's digital weapons of learning.
