Blog Ate

Richard Miller- This is How We Dream
The idea behind Miller's video is fascinating. As a student in Western Civilizations 1500-Present, I cannot help but compare his philosophy to the Enlightenment in the 18th Century. Just perhaps in a little bit different context. The "digital environment."

In the Part 1 I liked how he added sound clips and resources from many different sources all over the website. It makes his point much more reachable to a wider audience. If everything can be found in one location on a certain topic, and interesting, people will be much more likely to read it and look deeper than just pictures. Miller shows how easy it can be to not only bring information together but connect it. The amount of time and research he put into making the video is very evident, showing in the overall quality of the video.

I had never really thought of the whole technology-learning idea of moving from a print based to moving image based learning environment. It kind of makes the plan a little more appealing to me, although I admit I will never let go of my books and paper. And I am one of the biggest environmentalists I know, so the whole saving trees/paper isn't a productive counterpoint. It saves endless electricity, eyesight problems, arthritis, and headaches. However, I do agree with Miller in his philosophy that "ideas don't belong to us individually, but as a culture." And there is no arguing that technology has made our world leagues smaller and learning globally as easy as talking to a neighbor. It is the most popular and quickest way of getting ideas to a greater population. Although I believe that there is no other way to know a different culture/way of life than going to that far off country and living and forming relationships with the people there, I cannot argue that technology has made means of getting there and knowing what/who to see once you get there easier than previous generations could have imagined. I'll close with Miller's quote because I think Enlightenment thinkers from the 18th Century and today know exactly what he means when he says, "how could we not be interested in this attempt to make sense at the world we live in?" Even though reason can only take us so far and our brains can only hold so much knowledge, it is the experience of learning that makes all the difference.

Carly Pugh Blog Post #12
I do not think there is any question that this would be an effective assignment for this class. It allows students to evaluate themselves as future educators but also reflect upon why he/she thinks that way. It focuses on creativity. However, it also causes students to review what we have already seen in the class (#8) and build off of it. It may take a little more time to put together, but if the student does not only google key words and use the #1 match, I think it would be very effective from the viewpoint of the EDM310 syllabus.

The Chipper Series was a video done by an EDM310 student, starring Dr. Strange (as himself, of course) to show the benefits of overcoming challenging course work and sticking with a class, or in Chipper's case, school in general. Procrastinating and taking short cuts left her jobless on multiple occasions, even from jobs anybody should be able to maintain. The plot was a little outrageous and I did not particularly agree with the point of 'stay in school or you'll be jobless, poor, and dumb.' But nevertheless, maybe some people need that reminder, no matter how ridiculous.
EDM for Dummies was a "book" advertisement for people extremely frustrated with the class. I think the idea might be useful, but mainly only for students who give up on trying to learn for themselves, and expect the teacher to show them everything (like Chipper said!).
I really cannot think of any videos I would like to create. I'm truthfully not sure what it is supposed to be about. I think I would like for it to be about exploring, nature, and the faces and beauty in our community. Maybe something like this...

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I am a complete supporter of the claim made that children learn so much more from their experiences and environment than from a school. Looking at my past, I think I have learned more from community service and what a woman calls a "community system" than from anything in school. Children need to learn what is useful in living in our society, not only traditional school subjects. However, I do not believe that this means we need to get rid of these subjects altogether. I also like how every contributor in the video stresses the need for a new learning environment, namely one that is more globally based, but nearly none use the word "technology" anywhere. Yes! At least referring to technology as only computer-based... but if they did refer to it, it was focused towards changing methods and ideology.
Instead of new computer programs and blah
blah
blah
children need to learn to be creative and really, how to learn and develop a desire for knowledge on their own. In all truth, I guess that's why I hate school (although I love learning more than everyone I know, except my grandpa).
And being on the computer (mostly due to edm)
...but only because I could be out in the world learningggg so much more from real people instead.

Greatest endearing to the man who says the way our schools should be means the "Death of education, but it is the dawn of learning."