Blog Post #4

Dr. McLeod: Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?
I absolutely loved this! I think that some people need that kick of sarcasm to actually listen. I think children should be exposed to the technology we have today. They are at a point in their lives where they can absorb so much information. There are risks, but in this world there are risks in things we do everyday. Just because there are risks doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything. I think that if children are properly monitored while they are using the Internet they should be fine. They need to know what kind of world they are coming into. If we shelter them from the world, we aren't helping them. We are crippling them. Ignorance is not bliss.

iSchool Initiative
I think that Travis has made some very good points for the iSchool Initiative. I think it's a great idea in theory. I have had an iTouch  for almost a year. I got it mostly to listen to music. However, it really has come in handy when I need to get on the Internet and don't have a computer. I also love all the applications at my fingertips. I think it has the capability of doing everything Travis has said and more. I love the aspect of his plan of reducing our carbon footprint. I think that with all the paper we use in schools it would greatly reduce our carbon footprint. There are some applications that he mentioned that I didn't even know about, which would be very beneficial in the classroom. Like I said, I think this is a great idea in theory, but I do have a few concerns.
I know that it would cut back on a few expenses, but would the students have to pay for their own iTouch? If so, what if their parents can't afford to buy one. With the improvements he mentioned I don't think the device would still be the same price. If a student can't afford to buy one, does that mean that they don't get to be a part of the class? Also, would they be required to have the latest version? If so, when a new version came out, they would have to buy a new one. If not, when a new version came out, will the students who can afford to buy the new version have an advantage over the ones who can't afford the new one? I think these problems have solutions, and I hope they can figure out a way to use. I really think this would be a great advancement of technology for the school system.

Lost Generation
WOW! I loved this video! It's all about our perspective and how we choose to live the way we want to live. I loved how when it was reversed, instead of saying that my children will know they aren't the most important thing in my life, it says that my employer will know they aren't the most important thing in my life. I think this part was very important, because I think there are so many people who give their jobs more time than their children. In return, it leaves their children thinking that they aren't the most important thing in their parent's life. When, for the most part, their parents are just trying to make enough money to give their children the thing that they never dreamed of having. I really do think that it's all about how we want to see and do things. If we believe we aren't going to amount to anything, more than likely, we won't. I've had a hard time believing in myself over the years, and I have been in some dark places because of it. I know now that I can accomplish what I want and set my mind to do. I think it was a great way of showing that when we look at something one way, it can look horrible and bleak. However, if we choose to look at it differently, maybe even backwards, it can look wonderful and appealing.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
I thought that it sounded astonishing! I would have never thought about putting a choir together of people from around the world through technology. I have thought about how we can communicate to work on projects with people from around the world, such as Vicki Davis' students did. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to that performance. It's fun to think about the different ways people use the technology we have. It would have been very hard and expensive to get that choir together if it weren't for technology. We think about how technology helps us with work and education, but I'm so glad that someone thought of using this technology to put entertainment and joy in life.