PLN 2

Dear Mr. Fisch:

            In your blog “The CSAP is Dead. Long Live the CSAP (err,TCAP)” I found it interesting that the CSAP is being rewritten.  I have just recently taken the test and it does need to be enhanced.  Sure, the test seemed to cover the basic standards of “do you know these facts” but the test did not seem to measure if students can make sense of the facts and apply them to every day life. The ability to apply what students learn in school to the real world is, I think, a very important skill to have during this information age. The chance that the state of Colorado will be able to produce one magical test, which is able to completely test each individual student on how they are currently performing and how they are likely to perform in the future is unlikely. Although the issue of standardized testing is complex and controversial, shouldn’t teachers be finding a way to best equip students rather than worrying about a Government issued test? It seems as though it is best to find a curriculum before finding a test. In conclusion, I agree with the quote from Will Richardson, that the new improved test will more than likely not measure how well students love learning, are able to handle real problems and make sense of the world.

PLN 1

Dear Admin,

I am currently a ninth grader and agree with your opinion on online education. Students can easily focus on the things that interest us the most, and commonly once a student finds an area that interests them they typically give it a lot of attention. For example I know of many kids who in school hardly seem to care or try, but once it comes to something like video games, they will spend almost all of their time playing and mastering the game. I agree that the internet has an abundant amount of information and can be of good use to modern students, such as working on material that they do not understand during after school hours with the use of an online curriculum.

Shadowbxing Avatars

PLN 18

            The article, "Humble Suggestions for the Computer Lab" by Admin, discusses the appropriate uses for computers in the new education form. This matters to myself, education, and the world. First, this matters to myself because it discuses the requirements for today’s students to be computer literate, they must be able to complete homework with the use of computers. Second, the article tells of a dark time when the teachers locked all of the computers into a cave, only to be used once a week, these caves were called computer labs. Now education must embrace the modern day student, where they must have access to a computer for the majority of their studies. Third, this matters to the world because now the world has an efficient way of communicating across the planet. People must be capable of using new technology in effective forms. In conclusion” Humble Suggestions for the Computer Lab" by Admin, matters to myself, education, and the world.        

PLN 23

            The video "Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world" made by Clay Shirky matters to myself, education, and the world. Cognitive: Pertaining to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning (Dictionary.com). Surplus: an amount, quantity, etc., greater than needed (Dictionary.com). In the video Clay Shirky presents his idea that people in the world have a mass surplus of free time, over a trillion hours a year of free time. And how there is also a mass amount of thinking, and collaborating on a large scale, which he calls cognitive surplus. This matters to me because Shirky shares a story of a Kenyan woman who helped launch a site that helped keep her country of Kenya safer. I realized that I can use my amount of free time more productively, through digital forms, to create and collaborate different forms of information. This matters to education because now for the first time ever, we have a place to use and express our “cognitive surplus.” Many classes in our school are taking advantage of the new digital age, by blogging, skypeing ect. This matters to the world because collaborating in different forms is an effective way to communicate. Right now more than ever we need effective forms of communication. In conclusion "Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world" matters to myself, education, and the world.             

PLN 22

            The article, "Talkin' Bout a Revolution. Well... Maybe"  by Will Richardson talks about how visions, such as the 2020 vision, tell of a bright future were education is redefined. While in reality this article tells about the negative downsides of this anticipated revolution. This matters to myself, education, and the world. First, this matters to myself. For starters Richardson declares, “The people in charge don’t really see this vision.” I realized that I am apart of the people that are supposed to be leading this revolution. Unfortunately, the majority of us, (us being the youth of the nation) seem not to take much interest in this revolution. Second, this matters to education because it seems despite new inventions and innovations of technology, the majority of schools have not changed the teaching style to include new technology. More importantly the new generations of thinkers, learners, and leaders have not embraced a new form of education. This matters to the world because all of the current students enrolled in different forms of education, will one day lead the world. One day, we the currents students, will be calling the shots, and making choices in the world that impacts everyone. As you can see the article, "Talkin' Bout a Revolution. Well... Maybe" matters to myself, education, and the world.

PLN 21

            The video "Changing Education Paradigms"  produced by RSAnimate talks about modern education and learning styles. This matters to myself, education, and the world. First, this matters to myself because the video talks about how a college degree is not a guarantee to a job. I always thought that is how the world usually operated, but as mentioned in the video a college degree can limit your mind set to only one of your abilities. In addition this matters to education because the video discuses how attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is negatively affecting education. Kids are medicated to perform efficiently in class and that isn’t the way kids must learn. The medicine they are taking normally shuts their senses down, and the theory is that by anaesthetizing them, they are suddenly capable of learning. In reality when they are aesthetic they perform at their best, so really instead of putting them to sleep, they should be woken up! This matters to the world because the goal is to enable all the students on the country to know themselves culturally. This would allow students to engage and contribute globally. In conclusion, “Changing Education Paradigms” matters to myself, education, and the world.   

PLN 20

            I read, "Can't We Just Memorize a Formula to Plug Stuff Into?"  by Karl Fisch. This talks about how in math it is important to think and explore the many different ideas to solving a problem, instead of skipping to the final formula and plugging in numbers. This matters to myself, education and the world. First this matters to myself because I notice that during math in particular, I have this type of mind set. Instead of exploring all the possibilities, I just skip to the end. Fisch goes on to say, “Our more important goal is for you to open your minds and be willing to explore ideas.” For me I found that exploring the different ways of doing things helps me understand information more successfully. In addition this matters to education because the article shares a passage from Scott Berkun and his book The Myths of Innovation. His passage talks about how one day while in sitting a park, he observed a small child playing with Silly Putty and Legos. During that time he noticed how many ideas the young boy came up with in just 10 minutes. I think that is how the minds of teenagers in high school should operate. Rather than plugging numbers into a formula, it should be a fun journey through a vast amount of knowledge, not memorizing formulas and plugging numbers into. Lastly this matters to the world because now more than ever, students need to be equipped with the ability to test and solve all the different possibilities to a situation. Rather than once again memorizing formulas to plug stuff into, our minds must be open to learning all the different possibilities to solving problems. In conclusion, “Can’t We Just Memorize a Formula to Plug Stuff Into?” is an article that is important to myself education and the, world.