Blog Assignment #2

1. Did You Know? 3.0
This video really puts into perspective how technology has effected today's society and how it will effect that of tomorrow. With every day comes new technology. With the creation of new technology comes new jobs, new words, and new problems. The video shows how quickly the world's population is growing. But even those numbers are nothing in comparison to the growth and range of technology. When we can put all that is known to man in something the size of the tip of a ball-point pen, that is when we must stop and take into consideration that we are opening the door to possibilities that all of creation could not even begin to understand. And that time is now. We could not begin to understand the world that technology will inevitably create for us. Though it is limited by the technology that we can create, the world will eventually be so full of technology and knowledge that people will become insufficient without. With the growth of technology and knowledge has come medical advances that have increased the numbers of pregnancies that come full term per year and decreased the number of deaths per year. We have far more people who all need food and shelter. We create ways to compensate for the increase in need. We also create ways to keep them "connected" and create all the luxuries we have come so accustomed to. These people "need" the ability to access others and gain information at the drop of a hat. They will "need" the capability to do things faster and easier. They will "need" all of these things to the point that they will actually need them. We can not stop it from coming, because, to an extent, it is already here.

2. Mr. Winkle Wakes
This video shows how we have chosen to apply our technology in today's society. We have applied today's technology to grow businesses, enhance medical care, and maintain our connection with the rest of the world. Technology can be found and used everywhere. It can be applied to anything we can imagine using it for. But today's society expresses interest in seeing the increase of technology in few applications. We want it to do things faster and easier. We want it to help us get ahead. But what about helping our children get ahead? They also use technology in their daily lives. They use it to wake-up on time, to watch their morning cartoons, to get to and from school, to play video games, to prepare their food, etc. Why is it that they don't use technology in the one place that is meant to prepare them for the future? They will be using it in the future. For that matter, are they not the one's we so often call the "technology generation"? They are our future. They are the future. They need to be better prepared for their future.

3. Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity
This video is true to the idea of the need for an interest in creativity. The speaker had obviously tapped into his creativity vault when developing a manuscript for his presentation. By using comedic stories, the speaker found an alternative to giving facts or statistics that successfully introduced the need for investing in creativity in the academically focused society of today. There is an extent to the truth in the saying "Ignorance is bliss." Children are able to use their imaginations to fill in the gaps in their understanding. If they don't know about the moon, why can't they consider the possibility of it being made of cheese? What made that noise in the dark? Perhaps it was a monster hiding under the bed or a fairy in attempt to leave change in the place of a lost tooth? Where is it exactly that the ability to see a wide range of possibilities fades and is replaced by the ability to replicate what has been done and said? It is when we say "why?" (or in some cases "why not?") that we get innovative ideas that open the eyes of society to what could be. The printing press allowed for the increase in literacy. We can hear the voice of another on the other side of the world. Man has walked on the moon. These are only mere examples of what creativity has given us. So, with the obvious advantages of creativity, why doesn't society invest in nurturing the creativity we are all naturally gifted with?

4. Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
This teacher is innovative in that she saw available resources seen everywhere but in school and is introducing her students to these resources. Her students are using technology that is used in today's society. Not only are these students learning how to use these resources and technology but also they are applying their new found skills. These students are doing everything from teaching each other to collaborating with people around the world. These students are now equipped with the knowledge to go out into the world and be confident that they can work with the technology of the day to solve their problems and meet their needs.