Hi Everyone!
Here is the link to the website that Emma and I presented on today. We found this website to be very interesting and helpful in understanding the Richard Stallman article that we had to read. Feel free to check out the website.. it has a lot of thing on it that we were not able to cover today. For example, their NEWS page that updates its members and potential members on what is going on with the FSF and the improvements that have made with their campaigns.
On another note..I wanted to discuss the video that we watched today in class for my blog entry this week. I can honestly say that it was one of the most interesting videos that I have ever seen (in a classroom setting). I was really able to connect and agree with what the teachers and principal had to say about the internet. One of the teachers said that when kids come into a classroom and they do not have access to internet and computers it is like walking into a desert. I have never been a great test taker or had that great of a memory so I also agreed with the teacher that said that the world we live in today is not measured by memorization and almost no job today requires you to memorize things. I interned at a Public Relations firm this past summer and I found that all of the textbooks and readings that I have been studying for the past 17 years of my life really did not help me with my internship. The thing that helped me was my ability to communicate with my co-workers and my ability to research information online. Another teacher said, "technology is like oxygen" and although I think that may be a little bit of an overstatement, I do agree that for many kids it is. Giving them computers to do their work makes them want to do it, I remember how much I use to hate those math and english workbooks I was given in elementary school, I would have much rather done an online assignment or used an online workbook, it almost makes doing homework fun!
I found this website that allows schools and organizations to find grants for laptops and other things they need. I decided to look this up because at the end of class today we raised the question of how these schools pay for laptops. I could not find a solid answer but I have a feeling that many schools do apply for these grants and many people are wiling to put forth money for schools to buy laptops for their students. This website allows people to search for different types of grants as well as donate to a particular grant that they feel is close to their heart. It is only for educational purposes so that way the people who donate know that their money is going to the right place. Check it out!
-Liz
Liz, I agree with you! Growing up I hated doing homework out of the textbook or in a workbook. But its good to see that today, schools are expanding and evolving with the new technological era. I think that if elementary schools remained stuck in the age of memorizing and repeating, rather than more interactive learning that were currently seeing, it would be very hard for these kids( who are extremely technically engaged) to manage the work.
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