Blog Post #4

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff by Dr. McLeod
This was a really amusing blog. I told Dr. McLeod that my husband and I bought laptops for our son (11 yrs) and daughter (9 yrs) last year. We put blocks on the laptops. My children mostly use the laptops for playing Wizard 101 and Free Realms. Sometimes, they occasionally Google "dogs" or other stuff they want to know about. I finally let them discover the world of YouTube, they search for their favorite songs.I can remember watching MTV growing up. I would sit for hours and pop VCR tapes in and tape my favorite videos. With YouTube, no more video tapes just save it to your favorites! When Michael Jackson died they wanted to know who he was and what he did, so that is when they learned about YouTube. They do not have YouTube accounts. Maybe I will help them set up an account so they can save their favorite videos. They are responsible children. If they come across something that is questionable, they let us know.
Dr. McLeod has a blog that he voices his opinion about leadership for K-12. I found this on his home page: "You’ve reached the home page of Scott McLeod. I’m an Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Iowa State University and the Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). I’m also the co-creator of the Did You Know? (Shift Happens) videos."
The IShcool Initiative
Ok, at first I was confused and thought that this ischool was an app you download on your iphone. Then I viewed the video again and realized it was an ipod touch. I have a friend that just bought her son an ipod touch and I thought she said it cost around $300, just googled can get for $230 to $400. I had no idea what she was talking about when she said her son wanted one. I thought it was just another hand held video game like the Nintendo DS.  I had no idea it was a learning tool, plus games.
My first question is, who is going to pay for each child to get an itouch and pay for the ischool app of $150 (mentioned in video)? I like the idea but not sure I am understanding how it will work if the students cannot get the equipment.  I think that is why so many school systems stick to the old way of learning. They do not have or want to spend the money on advancing technology. They cannot afford to put an itouch in every student's hand.
The idea of ischool is for children to still go to school but instead of carrying books they could download them onto the itouch. Instead of them having to buy a calculator for $100, they could use the itouch.  There are several costly purchases that could be eliminated if students used the itouch. Parents and teachers could communicate via email and phone, instead of wasting so much paper. My son's school has already eliminated their students from having to lug books back and forth from school to home. We were able to purchase his text books on disc. He really likes being able to use his laptop for school.
I am just not sure of the cost involved for parents who cannot afford the $400 itouch.  I can see weighing the costs and maybe buying the itouch because it may save money but I am not running out tomorrow to get my children one if it is not required.  By the time my children enter high school where they will need the calculator and the periodic table shown, there may be some new tool out there that is even better than the itouch.
 
The Lost Generation:
I thought this technique was very creative. I loved how it had a message forward and backward. The forward message was depressing. There were a lot of good points made in this video. Family is more important than work. Money does not make anyone happy, I agree with that. If everyone thought like the reverse message then life would be so much better.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir and
I came across this video before this assignment, but cannot remember when or where. I thought it was amazing once I found out that none of these singers knew each other. I bet they were excited to see the final version. This just goes to show you how quickly our world can come together.
It reminds me of the Coca-Cola commercial, where all the people are walking up the hill and singing and they are all from different countries. Well, Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir was less costly, he did not have to fly people from around the world to a hilltop, just to make a commercial. Instead he used technology, to bring these people together. I found the Coke commercials and posted them. I loved these commercials.  They bring a smile to my face. :)

And there was the Reunion