Technologically Literate

There is much debate among students, teachers, administrators, and even technicians about the education value in YouTube.  I, for one, see it as a tremendous resource that, when used properly, brings much needed perspective to lessons.  For example, during a seventh grade discussion about the history of technology (remember they were born around 1995) I use a 1950’s “science and technology” video from Unitedstreaming.  The video is good, it illustrates how NASA and the military drove technology inovoation for decades.  I feel the video provides an excellent historical perspective, but the students response is usually “meh.”  However, when I follow the “boring” technology lesson with few retro Nintendo commercials, the room lights up.  The students bombard me and each other with comments and requests for more visions of the past.  

There are a couple of things that I learned from this.  One, YouTube is not the devil. Two, although a distribing image, the age old saying remains true, there is more than one way to skin a cat.       

Here are two videos I have used in class.  Borrowing a line from Karl Fisch, I use the videos to prompt a discussion about how students are being educated for jobs that don’t exist using technology that hasn’t been invented yet.  That is a tough concept for middle school students to understand, especially students living in a stagnate rural area where much of the economy still depends largely on farming, manufacturing, and mining.  I am happy to report that they like the videos, but they love the conversation about future possibilities. 

Just for fun, here is the Nintendo commercial I love.

Also, I am looking forward to my first NECC and discussing blogging at the edubloggercon.