I sincerely appreciated Dr. Tyson’s speech. Being that I attended Mabry Middle School, I wish he had been my principle because I can assure you that our website and our school looked nothing like it does today.
What a difference he made in student’s education by starting off the year with intrinsic motivation–create the kind of exceptional work that deserves and can be posted on the worldwide web or iTunes. Dr. Tyson made tremendously important points for current and upcoming educators.
Why would students care to work hard on something that even after getting an “A,” They will probably just throw it in the trash can. What pride they can take in something that is published.
Likewise, when Dr. Tyson spoke about “childhood,” I realized I had never considered the term before. Every human being has the desire to have purpose and contribute to the world in some way. Whether through their works, relationships, acheivements, or some other societal advancement, every person needs to feel worth something. Now that children are not required to “contribute” to their families well being, they become self-centered and frequently bored. This turns them away from things like education or hard work. Therefore, having them contribute something to society via technology gives them a sense of acomplishment.
I could not believe the amazing videos that these middle schoolers produced. I’m certainly glad that I’m taking this course because I realize how much students already know about technology. Additionally, hope to bring technology to my classroom in order to engage my students and hopefully promote an excitement towards learning. As Dr. Tyson said, our students need to take an active role in their own education through their own contribution.
I also wanted to note an interesting mode of technological educating on Dr. Tyson’s blog. This guy really fell into a role he didn’t plan for, but is now making a difference in the world of tutoring.
These are great points to remember as you develop your own philosophy as a teacher. What are schools for? What kind of learning is most important, and how can it be demonstrated?
dc