Sugata Mitra

This speaks to issues of equity...

"ET should reach the underpriviledged first and not the other way around"- The relative increase in student achievement is tremendous if ET is placed into the highest need schools compared to when applied to the high performing/more affluent school settings. The study that showed student achievement drops proportionately the farther away the school is from Delhi was interesting (check out the video if you haven't seen it). Was this a result of lack of technology or of lower teacher job satisfaction?

Interesting- without training, kids with no prior schema are able to learn not only about how to use the computer, but gain foreign language and other concepts/skills. That just the introduction of a computer in a village/rural town can enable students to learn new things speaks to the power of technology in our societies- Would this be the experience in non-western societies? I think to my years in Senegal. Would the kids of Keur Momar Sarr be engaged?

Here is the link to this presentation...
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves.html

Response to Todd's Comment

It was fun to watch Punahou during the Inaugural Parade- the shaka from Barack. I remember the college recruiters coming into classes during my junior/senior years (1984-1985). Were you with Gonzaga?

I didn't post much of a reflection on what is listed as the assignment in the syllabus. My personal experience begins with the betamax machines, moves to Punahou typing class in Pauahi Hall, and moves forward to the Kaypro and early Mac Classic. I have been Mac based and have blind brand loyalty- why? Perhaps it's the ease of use issue, but more likely it's just that I have had great success with Macs- never any problems.

I enjoy computers when I have the time and energy to stay current with the latest technology- I blink and am quickly out of touch and out of the loop.

Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

Great thoughts- From Insects gone= all life gone... Humans gone= all creatures flourish, to Multi-tasking and , "If a man speaks his mind in a forest and no woman is there to hear it is he still wrong?" From Dancing vs ADHD to rethinking the fundamental purpose of public education (the main point of this talk). The poignant points made in each of his speeches, laced with rich humor (humour- he is British after all) make Sir Robinson a must see. Check out his other speeches.

Class Assignment: 2 (or 3) things I like about technology...
1) Love how I can connect with friends/family while traveling- sharing photos, etc...
2) Information is always available- Most recently it's been learning about dog issues (med reactions, dog ailments/poisons). It's great to have so much so easily available- restaurant reviews, flight tracking, news, etc...
3) Efficiency for work- My work is greatly impacted through access to student achievement data, presentation tools, and communication tools.

First Blog of My Life

Here goes- Excitement pervades the atmosphere as web posting launches from the keys- Can I be saved? Will this catch me up to the younger generations?