Our world has become so much smaller with the advancements of technology. We can instantly know about disasters that happen on the other side of the globe. We are able to correspond with the person sitting next to us (instant messaging) or talk with our colleague a continent away (skype). Information is at our finger tips.
I first went to Disney World in Orlando about 20 years ago. I remember riding Spaceship Earth at Epcot and as the ride progresses through the ages, how inventions helped to change the world we lived in. From the creation of roads in the Roman Empire, hand copied books by monks in the Middle Ages to the invention of electricity and space travel, our world changed. One of the last visions on the ride was of an American boy(?) talking via computer with an Asian girl. I remember thinking, "Wow! Wouldn't that be something if we could see and talk to a friend on the other side of the world; that they could hear and see us and we could hear and see them. " Today, that type of communication is not only possible, but it is no longer a novelty; it happens all the time!
We are currently in an era where we can share and give feedback instantly. Collaboration and working with others via technology allows us to gather, synthesize and reflect information faster than we ever have. This sharing of information allows us to broaden our knowledge base and share that knowledge with others . When I was in elementary school, it was a BIG deal when my parents bought the World Book Encyclopedia. The information and pictures were wonderful! The information however, was "old news". Today, we have hand-held gadgets that access sites like Wikipedia, that enable us to share our thoughts and knowledge while learnig from others.
Our world and the information in it continues to expand. We are able to give and receive, share and exchange information with anyone and everyone in the world. The ability to learn is only a button click away. To coin an old phrase, "We've come a long way, baby".
Final Reflection – 6715 Sanders D.
14 years ago
Caroline,
ReplyDeleteYour connection to Disney was great! I have not experienced the ride but was able to understand your point. It is amazing what we can do now! I think back to when I was in school and collaboration meant basically the same thing but how our students do it these days is so different. What they are going to be required to do in the workplace is really pushing educators to step up and make changes in their curriculum and strategies. We really need to teach how to synthesize and apply the information that they can access so readily as well as collaboration and cooperation.
So, I think, we've got a long way to go to meet the needs of our students!
Kerry
We have come a long way! Where do you think we will go from here?
ReplyDeleteCaroline,
ReplyDeleteI think you summed it all up with the one sentence, "The ability to learn is only a button click away." I fully agree with that whole statement. It's amazing how anything you want to know something about is right there just at your finger tips.
Debra Sanders