Update

Richard, Jermaine and I have worked fairly well together on our final project. I can see that they have a lot going on in their lives this summer, as I do and it makes it hard to find time to squeeze in course work. But, we have accomplished much her at the end of the week and are ready to move forward. We submitted our updates just in time and I feel like we have a good grasp on what to do to complete the project. It is a little difficult, not working in person with your fellow group members, but it is giving us valuable experience in using online technology to accomplish tasks. Here's to two more weeks, and as much as I've enjoyed the course, I'll be glad when we are done.

Final Weeks

For some reason, I missed knowing that my summer course had a 'final project' and to top it off, it is a group project. I'm rushing trying to get my part done so as not to let my fellow group members down. Having two losses in the family in such a short period of time has knocked me off my game, adding to all that is the fact that I started a new job. Here's hoping that things smooth out some.

PowerPoint Assignment

I'm not at all satisfied with my assignment. It probably is a "chicken"!! Had a hard time putting the movie into the PowerPoint correctly, but it's in there. I'll have to play with it some more.

Reading or Listening, that is the question...???????

My vote would be for reading. Listening is okay, but the problem with listening is that you have to pay attention. And many do not have a great patience for listening. Reading immerses me in the story, the lesson or the article. It challenges me to visualize the reading, to imagine it and to feel it. New technology presents many new ways to learn. Listening to podcasts will probably replace reading to some extent, but I think we would make a mistake by not encouraging young people to read.

My Education Tech Video Blurb

I enjoyed the video in my previous blog which is a brief history of technology in education, from overhead projectors to advanced computer technology. A nice commentary on where we have been, where we are and as the video states "this is just the beginning"

My "Interesting" Education Tech Video

>

Blog about the videos

My quick comments on the three videos. I really enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's comments. I too believe we have "squandered" creativity, throughout all of education and society. There are wonderfully creative folks in the world, and only a few are ever allowed the opportunity to let that creativity reach the surface.

The film "A Vision of Students Today" was the most disturbing to me. Nothing surprising or shocking, but simply another awakening to the idea that technology has not necessarily helped us to achieve a better life. To some extent, it has taken up more of our time. Most technology, especially in the beginning, was invented to free up some of our time and take some of the effort out of our lives. But, we seem to have less leisure time now than ever before.

In "The Machine is Us/ing Us" we see a mind-boggling look at how computer information has evolved. Is the Machine us? Is it using us? I hope not. I do not think I will ever allow the computer to be who I am. There are wonderful things to do on the computer and incredible amounts of information. But, it only uses a small fraction of our natural senses. We can see a beautiful, digital photo of a mountain sunset on the computer. We can not smell the pines, touch the cold stream, feel the cool mountain air or begin walking on the path that leads us to the mountain - just by visiting it on the computer. We must always look at technology as a tool, which when used properly can do a wonderful job.