Repsonse to Zoe Weil

Initially, when I saw the length of this speech I was a little disheartened but the time flew by.  She pulled me in with her Star Trek analogy and then  kept my interest by speaking on issues that are both relevant and necessary.  I'm not sure if the Star Trek world she spoke of would ever exist, but what a different world we certainly would be living in.
I have never heard of Humane Education but it is something that needs to be taught from day 1 in the education system.  If it was Main St would still be a possibility, Wal-Mart would not own the entire United States and McDonalds would cease to occupy every third block.
The truth is that the government would never allow those things to occur.  Education leaders would never allow those things to occur, there is too much money wrapped up in Wal-Mart and McDonalds.  I think that if you could reach one student and impart this wisdom on them then your Humane Education classroom would be a smashing success.

Wiki-sources

This is all I could think about when he was talking about dig:



This video brought to light some very interesting ideas about using wiki-spaces both in and out of the classroom. Throughout my entire college coursework I was always told NEVER to use wikipedia as a source because of many of the reasons that the speaker presented. He makes a very valid point however when he states that text books are not always accurate either, either because of the book being an old edition or in some instances, corporate agenda.
I particularly like the idea of flat classrooms that he presented, it will make a student feel so much more empowered knowing that they are apart of the process rather than just being talked at. Calling a student a consultant, what a forward thinking idea.
This video brought to my attention the benefit that can be gained from using wiki-spaces

Response to videos, 9-11

Both of these videos were very thought provoking and both men seemed to be very knowledgable in their particular fields.  I tend to agree more with the first video featuring David Warlick, he was able to connect on more points that I find relatable.
He brought to light the way in which students know find and utilize information.  Previously, information was an outcome, read and book-become educated.  Students now are using information as a resource now, particularly information that is so easily accessible on the internet.  This information is great and so easy to obtain, but is the information that people are accessing correct?  Is the information relevant?  Is it even appropriate?  When a person obtains a book, particularly non-fiction, the assumption is made that the information is correct.  I find the same is true for information that people find on the internet, due dilligence has to be done when researching topics to be sure that the information is correct.
The second video was also a good watch, there were several points that I liked in that as well.  I feel that the need to globalize information and education is out there, but that much like a natural resource, American values it's own education as a commodity.  "Why help someone else become smarter than us?" is a hypothetical quote that popped into my head.  If this is to truly become a global economy then there needs to be a shift in philosophy of how Americans view their countries education and their educated.  Are they here simply to serve America or to serve this new global economy?

Response to John Robinson Videos

This speaker was able to hit on so many points that I agree with it was unbelievable.  I have a lot of problems with the way the country relies on pharmaceuticals and has to "diagnose" everybody.  It is my belief that the time of geniuses, people like Einstein, Picasso or Jerry Garcia, has passed us by.  Those individuals would simply be placed on medication now due to their eccentricities that parents or teachers would find to be abnormal.  It goes back to the idea that Robinson spoke about, the government, both world and the United States, wants to create individuals that will go to work and become cogs in a failing economy.
I particularly enjoyed the comparison that Mr. Robinson made between education, the world and fast food.  Everything in this country has become standardized, nothing is unique and things that are unique are quickly eliminated and purchased by larger conglomerates.  I'm not entirely sure how this trend will ever end, but I am hoping to be a part of it as a teacher.
A last thing that I find unsettling about America is the promotion and cultural acceptance of tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs.  All of these items have killed people prematurely, created higher medical bills and continued to dumb down this country for as long as it has been around.  As long as social norms like getting blacked out drunk every Friday night continue to exist, America stands little to no chance of regaining its place as a world leader.