My Technological Awakening

I watched a video tonight entitled "Did You Know?". I really was blown away at some of the numbers that I saw on the screen. I hadn't even thought of some of the things that were being suggested in the video. I came to a realization that I don't know as much as I should...or at least as much as my potential students....
I'm amazed at how prevalent technology is, and I believe we've only seen a small portion of our potential. It's obvious that as the years go by, there's shorter time in between transitions of "old to new". In the video, we are asked "to whom did we ask our questions before google?" and our future generations are asking "there was a 'before google?'" It is becoming near impossible to fight this gap.
"So what does this all mean?" The video asks us at the end of an overload of information... I believe it means it's time for us, educators, to step up to the technological plate and take a few swings, because we are being lapped by the younger generations, you know, the ones we are guiding?
Another thing that this means is that the children that our coming to our institutions to learn are becoming bored with the lack of stimulation they are receiving. These children know that they can find out anything they want to with a few clicks and I can see how they would find the classroom setting with the technological illiterate teacher regurgitating a memorized lesson to them boring, even counterproductive. Which brings me to the second video that I watched...
Mr. Winkle wakes up after 100 years to find that life is passing him by at exponential speeds. Then Mr. Winkle goes for a visit into the school. He is at home. Things are normal. He finds that he can keep up with the pace of the school. The system is old. It's time to wake up and bring something new into the school before the children don't need us anymore.
I'm disturbed, even a little scared, if you will at the thought of what all I DON'T know. I now will be more thoughtful of the "new" and appreciate things I learn, for I more than likely will be able to use these tools to touch the students that I work with. Ken Robinson said in one of his videos that "nobody knows what the world will look like in 5 years, yet we're supposed to be educating our youth how to thrive in the world". I find that we might not be moving forward fast enough.
Robinson's position is that creativy should be put on the same level as literacy and we should not "squander" the creativeness of these children who possess extreme capacity to prosper. Robinson wants us to not be afraid to make mistakes... for this is where original thoughts are produced, and creativity is nurtured.
I was touched by Ken Robinson. I appreciate his dedication to dance and the arts and I agree with his philosophy that these disciplines are just as important as math or sciences. I don't want to be part of the problem that stifles the learning of these children. I hope to increase my knowledge daily and share what I learn with my students. Click here for a link to this video.
The last video I watched for this blog was very interesting. I'm jealous that I never had a class like the one in this Georgia school. I love that the teacher is so willing to use other tools than just pencil and paper and encourages many types of learning. Now that my curiosity has been heightened, I am more than eager to delve into the world of technology. I'm still nervous as to what a terraform might be but I have the confidence that I can keep up with what's going on around me and use what I know to accumulate more information. I'm very excited to begin this new journey. Vicki Davis is doing remarkable things with her students and I can't wait to see what I have in myself that I can bring forward as well.