This Is How We Dream

This Is How We Dream by Richard Miller

These videos opened up my eyes to many new things involving technology. In this presentation, Miller showed what could be done when " writing with multi-media." Evolving from a reading/ writing culture to a listening/ watching culture may be a bit challenging for teachers. This could be challenging for students because they will have to learn to create multimedia rather than just consume it.

This is very important for people who take reading and writing seriously because we now have the capability of communicating instantly, globally. This is a critical time to be engaged in the work of literacy. You can do anything from a computer using the internet, allowing you to connect to the world. You are able to acquire access to any information in the world in a matter of seconds. You can share knowledge infinitely.

"Writing with multi-media" rather than simply using pen and paper, makes it possible to collaborate using this networking technology and to compose not only with text, but images and film also. I cannot say that I am fully prepared to write with multimedia, but soon hope to be able to. Once I have mastered this, it will make it easier for me to help my student write with multimedia.



The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler

After watching this video, I honestly asked myself, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" I thought, if all the materials you need to learn are right there in front of you, you can just read about it and learn it yourself. But what if you needed help? Yes, one can blog and research to find an answer, but you would have to wait to get an answer and it might not even be the answer you're looking for. The benefit of having a teacher is that he/she can guide you and show you how to understand this networked learning. The teacher is there to support you and show you how to take advantage of learning opportunities.

Although, I do still believe that networked learning is an efficient way to learn. The student is learning so much more than just reading from a book. Students are able to discuss topics with professors, connect with people all over the world, and even listen to lectures by the best teachers in the world. Being a networked student also allows for independent discovery. In some classrooms, students are spoon fed the material by the teachers because all they have is a book to read from. This networked learning allows for students to discover how to do things on their own and provides them with many tools to do so.


Toward A New Future of Whatever by Michael Wesch

I hope that in the near future people WILL be saying, "I care. Let's do whatever it takes...by whatever means necessary." Because this generation is so caught up in saying "whatever" to things such as life, religion, school, work, opportunities, etc., it will cause pure destruction and chaos. Taking steps to this new future of whatever requires critical optimism. Optimism is an attitude towards reality that affects ones actions. A critical optimist has respect for the facts: both in knowing them and in the attempt to change things. Optimism is predicated on the fact that things have to change. This has spoken a lot to me because if I say "I don't care. Whatever." about my schoolwork, it will get me nowhere. If I don't care about school, I will not be able to get a job anywhere. So taking steps toward a new future of whatever can create a very positive outcome!