Additional Assignment #3

What do you think is the most important thing Sir Ken Robinson says in this presentation?

"How can we educate our children...given that we can't anticipate what the economy will look like?" I thought this question was the most important. Lately, we've been reading a lot of posts and watching a lot of videos about how our education system is failing us. I have disagreed with this statement so many times, and this video has just justified why I do. We have to give education the opportunity to catch up with all the technological advancements that are being made. How can we fault a professor for teaching us the only way they know how? How can we fault our professors' professors for educating their students for a future they cannot predict? The American educational system is trying to catch up with the times. I know it is taking awhile, but we will have to be patient. Or, if patience is not the option for you, try to contribute a few things to the system to speed up the process. Money isn't the only option. Try to contribute some ideas because complaints are not enough. The speakers we've been listening to these last few weeks have had some amazing ideas! Hopefully, our educational system will at least attempt to use some of them.

Is there anything you disagree with in this presentation?

I didn't find anything that I disagreed with in this video. Well, maybe one thing. There was a clip in the video that showed two guys moving a piano down a flight of stairs. One of the guys says, "I wish I would've listened in school." I feel sorry for people who feel this way about their jobs. Look on the bright side. Someone has to move the piano! And we haven't really discovered a way to move them safely without you. So, technically, those of us who own pianos see you as heroes.

How congruent are Sir Ken Robinson's positions with those which you are being taught in the College of Education. In other words, where is there agreement? Where is there disagreement?

It's very hard to point out the similarities and differences between Sir Ken Robinson's positions and the College of Education's. The COE improves daily. It tries to add different approaches to learning new material and the COE also tries to encourage our creativity. EDM 310 is the perfect example of the COE's efforts. We learn so much about technology and it's uses in the classroom just from this one class. So I believe Sir Ken Robinson's positions complement South AL's COE positions. I find very little opposition between the two.

What can you do to address the issues Sir Robinson raises?

One of the issues Sir Robinson raises is about the "epidemic" of ADHD. I completely agree with him about how ridiculous this has gotten. He says that we are making our kids take their pills to listen to boring stuff. Hopefully, when I become a teacher, my material will not be filled with boring material and my monotone voice. I want to get the students involved. I would like to increase their participation in the classroom and hopefully that will keep their attention. I'm not saying that I plan to annihilate Ritalin. I'm claiming that I will increase my students' interest in my lesson plans and hopefully, none of their parents will feel obligated to force them to pay attention.

What do you think of the presentation? If you had to do a presentation with others like this, what role on your team would you like most to play?

I loved this presentation. I also enjoy watching any video with Sir Ken Robinson. He is the best speaker that we have had to watch in EDM 310. If I had to do an RSAnimate presentation, I would like to be the idea generator. I want to come up with the witty remarks to place inside the thought bubbles.