It is very obvious technology is rapidly evolving. It is more important now more than ever that professors and teachers incorporate and integrate technology into their instruction. Students are driven by modern technology and it is important education is up to par with the learning capabilities of their students. Three videos bring this concern to the forefront: "Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?," "A Vision of Students Today," and "The Machine is Us/ing Us." All three videos imply the importance of design instruction and integrating technology in instruction.
In "Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?" (TEDtalksdirector, 2007), Sir Ken Robinson discusses the fact that "children have extraordinary capacity for innovation" (2007, 2:49). In the video he states that "all children have tremendous talents, and we squander them pretty ruthlessly" (3:10). He emphasizes the fact that "creativity is as important now as literacy" (3:21). The reason being is because technology is taking us on a path where we no longer can ignore how important creativity is in education. We must nurture our children's creativity and imagination early on. Children are not afraid of being wrong or making mistakes. But throughout their young lives society literally squanders their creativity and makes them afraid to make mistakes. Education now makes children afraid to explore their creative sides and to be innovative. Sir Ken Robinson also emphasizes the fact, "if you're not prepared to be wrong, you won't come up with anything original" (5:55). Our society "stigmatizes mistakes" (6:05) and in doing so we prevent possible Picassos and Gillian Lynnes to blossom into wonderful advocates of the human imagination. It is possible to integrate technology into instruction by way of the internet. Students can create their own blog accounts and personalize them. They can also share pictures, events and video on their blogs. With this capability students are able to read and interact with other students via blogs while still allowing for their creativity to flourish.
In "A Vision of Students Today" (mwesch, 2007), Michael Wesch goes as far as to use his students to convey a message. The message is that of students today and "what they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes and dreams and what their lives will be like and what kind of changes will they experience in their lifetime" (2007). The video begins with a camera panning an empty classroom (0:25). Statements and questions are scribbled on the back of chairs and on the walls (0:32) begging the viewer to think about the importance of the messages. The video poses the question, "what is it like to be a student today?" (1:10). A document is edited by 200 students 367 to answer the question (1:21). Students can be seeing holding up a simple sheets of paper with the answers to the survey. The vast majority of the answers have to do with technology and how students are using it more for pleasure than education in the classroom. Many of the students bring laptops to class, but they hardly use the laptops for their lectures. Some are seen IMing or chatting online. Others surfing Facebook. The most impactful message was the one the professor wrote at the end on a chalkboard. He poses the question, "writing on a chalkboard….what's missing? (4:18). Off to the side is a list of things missing, such as photos, videos, animations and networking (4:18). The public education system needs to start taking advantage of technology more. Students can now create their own Twitter accounts to stay connected with the world around them. YouTube is a great creative outlet for students. We now have the capability to record and edit our own videos and share them with millions on the web. Skype is another way of communicating with students in the same state or across the world. Podcasts are also available. These are the things missing from a traditional classroom setting.
In the last video, "Web 2.0…The Machine is Us/ing Us" (mwesch, 2007), it opens with a message being handwritten, and erased, and then handwritten again, and then erased one more time (2007, 0:23). The video then craftily transitions to a word document and a message that is typed out and then changed by merely being highlighted and typed over. Now, instead of having to write out notes students can do so by typing them out on their laptop. The video goes on to show how in the past html format had to be typed out making it difficult to communicate on the internet (1:17). Now that we have digital text we no longer have worry about long drawn out html codes that we have to create (1:19). For example, we can simply click on a link to read the news online or go to a new web page. This technology allows us to "describe the content, not the form so the data can be exported free of formatting constraints" (1:51). A simple click of the button and we are able to upload a blog, change a status on twitter or publish our very own website. We can also use sites, such as Flickr, to upload and share pictures to family or use Google Earth to map where a city is on the other side of the world. All of these things are now available to us and we should be utilizing them and integrating them into education today.
We no longer live in an Industrialized Era. We live in an era surrounded by technology. The message of all three videos is education must evolve and incorporate technology into their design instruction. If they don't they will not be able to support or prepare our children for an uncertain future. Our children are evolving much faster than past generations and we need to make sure we can keep up with them. Supporting their creativity and innovative minds through technology is one of the first steps for preparing them for what lies ahead.
Works Cited
mwesh. (2007). A Vision of Students Today. [video] Retrieved July 17, 2010,
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=player_embedded
mwesh. (2007). Web 2.0…The Machine is Us/ing Us. [video] Retrieved July 17, 2010, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE&feature=player_embedded
TEDtalksDirector. (2007). Do schools kill Creativity? [video]. Retrieved July 17, 2010, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=player_embedded
In the beginning I had mixed feelings about listening to a topic rather than reading it. I’m very much a visual learner, but reading text books and articles can be difficult at times. I selected Ted Talks from our resource list and decided to listen to Carl Safina: The Oil Spills Unseen Culprit and Victims. It was very interesting to hear and I really enjoyed his lecture. At times it was hard for me to follow him because the examples he used were probably accompanied with visuals such as slides. However, I did like the fact I could pause the podcast if I needed too. The good thing about pausing was that I could reflect and what he was talking about. Also, if I found it more convenient to be listening to him and typing on my lap top to take notes as opposed to highlighting and scribbling notes on my textbook (which half the time didn’t make sense to me when I had to go back and reference them).
I do believe there are pros and cons to both reading and listening. As I said before, I’m a visual learner. I tend to rely on graphs and pictures when I read a text. It helps me to relate the ideas the author is trying to convey or get across. However, I often get tired when I read because usually I’m so relaxed. I usually read a book to go to sleep because it helps me to relax and wind down. Plus, if you have to read numerous chapters and pages in your text book it can be very overwhelming. I often find myself counting down the pages to the end of a chapter. It is like torture for me, but I know it is necessary.
With listening to a podcast I can hear someone speaking just like if I was in class listening to a lecture. I like the fact that I can pause the podcast when I need too or rewind if I missed something. Like I said before, I can take notes on my lap top if I need too. But the problem with podcasts is they lack the visual materials I feel I need to relate to the subject. Plus, you can’t see the professor giving the lecture.
Aside from learning styles and preferences, what else should we take into account regarding learners or our audience in designing instruction?
This week our group discussed instructional design. We were presented with a case study which involved an experienced instructional designer and a new professor and her students. It was interesting to see everyone's opinion on the subject. Some of us shared the same perspective on some of the questions and some of us had different opinions on others. It was nice to see everyone's input because in the end all of our different perspective would provide the new professor with some helpful feedback and suggestions.
From personal experience I think you need to take into consideration age, gender, learning style and demographic backgrounds. I also think if you have the opportunity too, you should try to get to know your learners or audience beforehand. Is English some of the audiences second language? What is their experience with the material you will be presenting or instructing on? Will you be presenting this online or in a classroom? I also think you need to consider how much time you will have in order to present your material. I think it would be a good idea to have a schedule of what you plan on presenting if your presentation is going to last longer than a day. People will want to know what you will be covering and if you can give them an idea of what to expect you might be able to keep their attention longer. In your schedule I would include break times as well.
Bloom's Taxonomy has gone digital these days. When Bloom first came out with his taxonomy of cognitive objectives the digital world was merely a science fiction fantasy. In the 1990's, Lori Anderson, who was a former student of Bloom, revised his taxonomy to better suit today's technological era. Now we have the internet which allows us almost unlimited access to information. It also gives us the ability to get our education online, meet new people through social networking and share our personal thoughts and ideas with others through blogging and twitter.
Both blogging and Twitter fall under Bloom's digital taxonomy. With 140 words or less we can let our followers know what we are doing. It can also open up the realm of discussion and become a valid tool to help people understand one another. Even through shorthanded messaging, Twitter allows us to provide simple and short information to one another. It is a live update feed to our lives. We can stay connected in this way. I recently took up Twitter to follow my favorite celebrities every move. Stalkerish I know. But it became more than just up to date information. Twitter became a quick yet efficient tool for me in order to share information to others. I didn't have to compose and send a huge long email to someone. I could just tweet them instead. I can upload and share pictures with my Twitter friends who share common interest with me.
Blogging is another form of digital communication which falls under Bloom's taxonomy. I love to read, evaluate and comment on blogs (and vlogs such as YouTube). I love to read other people's take or opinion on things. I also like the fact after I evaluate a blogger's information I can share my comments with them and fellow bloggers. I recently created a blog for this class and I love it. It allows me to be creative. I have discovered blogging to be a great way to keep a journal to share with your family who may live out of state. You are able to add pictures and detailed descriptions of trips or everyday adventures. Blogging also allows you to share your thoughts and opinions with others, but beware. Fellow bloggers can (and will) evaluate your blog and share their thoughts and opinions too.
