Educational technology and Rip Van Winkle

It’s Spring Break and I came across this video via Matthew Needleman’s Blog Creating Lifelong Learners. How does it make you feel?
Download Video: Posted by videointheclassroom at TeacherTube.com.

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1 Lee Kolbert // Apr 4, 2008 at 5:54 am

Well done! Very thoughtful and to the point. I wonder though about the point that the technology included involves many disciplines, however only the educational portion shows how not much has changed. I would beg to differ. I think a lot has changed in education. So much so that we are having trouble keeping up. Obviously, there are teachers who will ignore progress and leave these “items of destruction” to gather rust in a corner, but I do believe these teachers are being pulled along by those like us. It is becoming increasingly more difficult for those teachers to exist as networks like ours become more er… assertive. Just my two cents here.
2 Mathew // Apr 18, 2008 at 10:03 am

Obviously some things have changed. The hyperbole in the movie makes a point.

However, although I do see how every teacher in my district is being forced to use a computer to enter their grades, only about 5% are allowing their students to use computers themselves in class.

In addition to the technology, I’d focus on the statement that there is no “intrusion” in schools from the outside world. Why don’t more classrooms communicate with the world outside of their own four walls? I mean, why don’t they even write letters via snail mail, let alone send an e-mail or have a video conference?

Thanks for checking out the movie.

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