PLN 20

In “What to Do With the Web“ by Will Richardson, the author talks about an article he read in the New York times. The article talks about all the problems that computers are causing, but the author points out that there are only problems, no solutions. I think that that type of article is pointless. What is the point of just writing an article that is just a pile of problems? We have enough problems already, what we need are solutions. This is what matters to me in Will Richardson’s “What to Do With the Web.”

PLN 19

In “Connected Teaching” by Will Richardson, the author talks about how teachers use computers is oversimplified. They are just expected to find a way to make technology fit in with their curriculums. And when the author gave several hundred workshops on how to use technology for schools, he asked the district receiving the workshops how it improved their schools they couldn’t answer. I think that school districts need to think through, or attempt to think through, how technology will actually help to improve their schools. It doesn’t help for a school to just run the same way they would without technology. This is what matters to me in Will Richardson’s “Connected Teaching”.

PLN 18

In “Some Good Tech-Transformed SD Questions” by David Warlick, the author talks about a comment he received, and his opinion of the questions that came with it. Most of the questions he either explained more clearly or altered the wording of it, but one question that really struck me was “Where is the opportunity for you to ask your students, ‘Surprise me!’” I find this question very intriguing, because I cannot think of the last time that this has happened. Most of what I need to do is clearly specified, and very few times is my task left open-ended like that. This is what matters to me in David Warlick’s “Some Good Tech-Transformed SD Questions.”

PLN 17

In “The PD Problem” by Will Richardson, the author talks about a book he is reading and gives several sections of it. The sections of the book talk about several things, including how no other counties in the world approach teaching the same way we do and that most teachers and other school executives don’t have successful strategies for getting things done. Why do our schools make it so hard for themselves? It seems as though this shouldn’t be much of a problem. And how do we know when someone does have a good strategy anyways? If we could just find the good strategies and share them with the rest of the teaching community, then this wouldn’t be a problem. This is what matters to me in Will Richardson’s “The PD Problem.”

PLN 16

In “Hey Mom! Look What I Made in College! (2007)” by Gary Stager, the author talks about the video “Vision of Students Today” and how it doesn’t do anything but bash their generation. I agree with some of what he says. I also think that the video is somewhat of a waste. There is no point in just having students hold up signs that just state information and, as Gary Stager put it, whine about it for five minutes. Why don’t they attempt to do something about it instead of just complaining about it? This is what matters to me in Gary Stager’s “Hey Mom! Look What I Made in College! (2007)”.

PLN 15

In “TedxNYED: Amazing…So What?” by Will Richardson, the author talks about his experience at a recent education conference. He goes on to ask “what will change?” I find this to be an interesting point, because I read about educators trying to come up with a way to change the school system positively, but I never hear about what actually changes. Why do people come together to discuss a problem, just to have nothing done about it? This is what matters to me in Will Richardson’s “TedxNYED: Amazing…So What?”

PLN 14

In “Never be for — or against” by David Warlick, the author basically just states a quote he heard while out and about- “If you want truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between ‘for’ and ‘against’ is the mind’s worst disease.” — Sent-ts’an. This quote struck me as very accurate. Taking sides prevents people from completely thinking something through. Because so often we take sides, the truth won’t come out, or will not be noticed. If we can clear the way for open-minded thinking, without sides, then more would get done. This is what matters to me in David Warlick’s “Never be for — or against”.