PD Reflection Blog (9/28/15)

   Me and my partner Ryan presented the app "Nearpod" to teachers in a professional development presentation. For me at least, this was very easy because I have always been a supporter of Nearpod so I felt like it would be pretty easy for me since I knew what I was taking about. 

   Going into this presentation, I was a bit concerned that the teachers were going to be insanely judgmental and critical. I felt like some of the teachers were just not going to care at all and would not participate which would make it a lot more difficult for me and the class.                

   Overall though, it went a lot better than I expected it to be. The teachers were nothing but cooperative and it helped create an easy and fun atmosphere. This was great because it made interaction easier, it got our points across, and it was a great example of what I think a good and healthy relationship between students and teachers should look like. The presentation really surprised me because all the teachers seemed like they were having fun learning how to make both their jobs and the jobs of students easier. I felt like I contributed in creating a very efficient and consistent atmosphere that made it easier to learn as well as having some fun in the process. If I were to improve anything it would probably have to be wording and how I got some things across. However, I thought me and everyone did phenomenal jobs. 

   Me and some of the teachers had great conversations on Nearpod. If they needed help, I was more than happy to help them out. Some still were unsure on how it would benefit the class but I felt like I talked to those teachers and made it even more clear. I had a lot of fun teaching them and I think most of them were happy to be there as well! 

How Modern Education Destroys Creativity

   Hello and I really hope that if you are reading this blog post its because my title captured your attention. In my own personal opinion, I believe that modern education is destroying creativity and destroying peoples potential. I do understand that the topic is controversial and my ambition for the outcome of this blog is to help others comprehend and better understand my point of view. I would really love hearing other peoples opinion on this topic so do not be afraid to comment!(: 

   First, I will be uploading a link to a youtube video that I encourage you all to watch. The clip is taken from a television comedy show called "Silicon Valley" about a group of friends who create one of the most efficient and helpful tools on the internet. In the clip, the main character goes up to a famous entrepreneur after a TED Talk hoping to sell a percentage of the tool. Watch what happens: http://youtu.be/eIAvB_pZ-6Q

   The reason I am putting this on my blog is because I think he is completely right. An education in this day in age typically is being stuck in a classroom listening to a teacher/professor talk his or her knowledge into a classroom. Whats the problem then? I believe that this takes away from actual experience that could be learned and felt firsthand. I think that firsthand knowledge and experience is a lot more important and vital to life than just words being transfered about things that are going on in the world. Sure, in some cases the information might be relevant but they also take away from more relevant and important things.

   Another thing that bothers me is the expectations of most modern age staff members. What "is expected" of us is to gain material and usefully and appropriately incorporate it into the world outside of school. From the perspective of a student, it basically means we are expected to "copy" material from textbooks and notes into our brains, then vigorously and tirelessly learn the material in order to pass the class. In other words, a good handful of students might interpret school as just learning irrelevant material for a short period of time to pass a class, then completly forget the material taught.

   All of the irrelvant material and false interpretation of school and what school should be about kills creativity. It puts students under the illusion that "intelligence" is the most important thing in the world and creativity is meaningless. I put intelligence in quotes because if you think about it, learning then forgetting is not intelligence at all. We are judged on how well we can do as we are told. If you can mimic a school systems idea of a "perfect student", then you are a perfect person. If you be yourself and your ideas do not meet up with the schools systems idea of a perfect student, then there is something wrong with you. 

   In school, we are given a canvas that has already been painted on and are expected to mimic it onto a blank canvas to the best of our ability. Having said that, my school does not do that in a literal interpretation but most schools, and my school as well in some/most cases, have the same goal as my metaphor or something along the lines of it. In my opinion, we should be given a blank canvas and should be able to paint our own unique and creative painting. I think schools should focus more on embracing creativity instead of trying to set everyones brain to the same setting. My digital multimedia and global citizenship class does an outstanding job of embracing creativity. I am not saying that intelligence is something that should be dismissed, but creativity should be more fairly encouraged in a classroom. 

   I would love to get feedback on my blog on wether or not you agree and why!(: 

Blog Prompt #4

   If I were to moderate a Twitter chat, I would probably moderate a chat on what is wrong with society these days and some possible solutions. I would probably do it on this topic because I feel as if it could be very informative and very efficient. If the people who made up this society could just discuss its flaws as a whole, then some things could potentially change for the better which should be a goal. 

   I would say that I can use a twitter chat as part of my genius hour project because potentially what I want a do is to participate in a twitter chat where problems are brought up and then we all give our solutions. This could help me out because what it would do is help me open my eyes up a little more and then that will get me thinking about some possible solutions that I hopefully can incorporate into my own project. I will like to use my twitter chats to help out my project by gathering solutions and trying to use some of those solutions for my project.

   A twitter chat is an effective way to communicate with others because it connects many different people from many different places and many cultures. Twitter is a free source of communication that accepts just about every account. Given said that, with many new people comes many different perspectives. When people with different perspectives come together, then there is a better chance of getting the best possible solution. 

DigCit/Shark Tank Presentation(Blog 3)

   This week in my DigCit class, I presented my passion project to the class. It was definitely very significant because it was the first time where I really articulated my plans for my passion project. I had to craft a presentation on what I hoped to do, what I hoped to accomplish in the end, and why I felt I had to do this specific project. Writing it was a big step to get closer to the bigger picture and the presentation itself was another big step. I had to take time so I could understand where I wanted to go with this project and also just to think about if I really wanted to do this. After thinking about it long enough, I realized this was perfect and it made me feel better knowing that what I plan on doing has a significance not just on me, but others as well. 

   My peers were very helpful and had very good feedback. They all understood why I wanted to do what I felt like I had to do and were nothing short of helpful. I did get very good questions that I have to think about and will hopefully answer soon in order to make my project as good and powerful as possible. A big problem with my project is that the marathon for Michael is in July which is after the school year. Me and Linda will already have everything planned out by then though so I feel I can digress. 

   If I learned anything about this topic is how some "small things" can make a very big impact on peoples lives and in the community as well. As I stated in my previous blog, Michael had Glioblastoma Multiforme. After doing some research, it turns out that only 2-3 people in every 100,000 have this brain cancer and the people who do have this form of brain cancer only have a 5% survival rate. This was shockingly low in terms of its popularity and also the survival rate. I think that not a lot of people are aware of this deadly form of cancer because it is not as common as others. Although it is rare, we should still work hard as a whole so that maybe one day we can rid the world of it. However, I am somewhat glad that not a lot of people have to endure the things Michael had to go through. Michael was a great person and his death most definitely had a big impact in my life and in the lives of people around him. 

   Michaels wife, Linda, will be my mentor for this project and I am very excited to partner up with her because she is also extremely passionate about helping people with Glioblastoma Multiforme and people in general. Me and her will be discussing what we can do as a first step and what we hope to accomplish in the end. The race last year was super great and it was very beautiful seeing all the people coming together for the cause but I hope the upcoming one can blow the previous one out of the water. It was very nice being in that atmosphere but if we keep going and improving, then me and her will hopefully be successful in getting the word around about how scary the form of cancer is. With that acknowledgement in the community, I am almost certain we will have a more significant amount of people trying to find a cure.