The video "Web 2.0...The Machine is Us/ing Us" by Micheal Wesch is a short four minute video, that goes through progression and expansion of the internet. It shows us the advancement of the internet from have to write our own HTML's to being able to Google any question. Also that writing something on the internet is more finite than writing with paper; you can erase it but you can't permanently delete anything from the internet. Also, anyone can edit or create anything, it's hard to tell what is a credible source and what isn't. I feel that the internet is a "double edged sword", all the information out there is good and bad. We can quickly research a subject, and find ourselves with better understanding of a topic or homework question; with the same idea though we can access anything, any information our soul desires. We no longer have to search to find the answer, we don't even have to search through an encyclopedia. The video also shows us from writing a complicated code to form an html, with various codes and links, now all we have to do to create a website is go to blogger and it does all the work. I think that have lost something through the internet's accessibility. When my mom say something such as "when I was a kid one year they decided to fall back two years for day light savings, I believe it was Grant's idea. Google it." Google, it's now a verb, we've lost that sense of curiosity and truly yearning to know the answer; we just find it out. It scares me to think that search engines like Google grow to know everything. What will we do when everything is known, and everything is able to be found with the press of an enter key. People now a day's self diagnose rather than going to a doctor, I can find out why I have a sore throat; what will distinguish the experts from those who just "Googled it"?

PLN #2

KONY 2012, a viral video is a thirty minute video that expresses great atrocities that are happening in Uganda.  We are introduced to Jason Russell a film maker with an adorable young son who is just like any other kid in America.  Jason talks about Jacob, a boy in Uganda he met over 10 years ago.  Jacob was fleeing the man who killled his brother; Joseph Kony a man who is kidnapping child to use them as  child soldiers and sex slaves.  Joseph Kony is number one on the list for the crimes against humanity by the United Nations, ahead of Muammar Gaddafi and others like him.  Jason explains that Kony has been doing this for a number of years, horrible crimes such as having child kill their parents or mutilation; but most people are unaware that he exists.  The US government refuses to become involved because we have no interests at stake.  Invisible Children a nonprofit organization that Jason Russel heads wants to make him known through awareness such as the video, bracelets, and such spreading the word. 

KONY made an incredible impact, Jacob who was once my age faced great tragedies and atrocities that I have never had to even imagine.  We all know that barbarities do happen, we don't live under a rock; but we had no idea that this was happening, and to children, its unimaginable.  Not only that, but when the government caught wind of it, absolutely nothing happened, nothing was done. We see in the video them approach Senators and people of power, but we were still unaware. This makes me beg the question was our government so completely oblivious that this was occurring, or were they aware, did nothing about it and kept us in the dark?  I've always felt that I was aware of what was going on in the world, my parents have never sugar coated the issues and I felt blindsided.  The video says that it expires at the end of 2012, that our goal is to capture Kony and bring justice before the new year.  The video came out in January, "cover the night" was in March, and now? People have probably completely forgotten, its a saddening but true fact about our country, we care and are compassionate when an issue arises but with the week, we've forgotten.  Like the Aurora shooting, people move on once the camera crews leave and forget that it will still affect someone everyday.  The video inspires me to realize that I need to find my own facts not just what the media tells me is so and that if I find a cause I care about to let it drive me to my limits to stop it.  At the same moment the video has me lose faith in people, yes there are people who will hone the issue, but like with everything people lose interest and forget. I hope one day I can find a cause or passion that drives me like the works of Invisible Children drives Jason Russel.               

Did you know??

America has fallen behind, both China and India have more honors students than the US has kids; is one of the shocking facts included in the video "Did you know" by Karl Fisch.  Their populations are growing much faster than ours, every 6 minutes 60 babies will be born in the US, 244 babies will be born in China, and 351 babies will be born in India.  Then the video explains that not only are other countries producing more kids but creating more intelligent kids, more so than in the US.  The US Department of Education has put no money towards technology  education.  It then poses the question how we can prepare our children for the future and the future innovations, while other countries quickly produce those who can and we stand without the funding to do so.

The video "Did you know" by Karl Fisch brought up some scary facts about the future of education and technology. Personally I have always thought that innovations are something we should all accept and utilize.  The fact that in 2049 we will have a computer that will be able to compute more than the human race collectively is utterly frightening.  How could we prepare our students, when soon enough there will be computers that are as intelligent as they are?  It also talked about how one in eight relationships now begin on an online dating site, and we send more text messages each day than there are people on the planet. We can't prepare our student for the future when we can't hold a conversation with someone in person.  It truly made me think about how technologically able I am but also capable I am to interact with real people.  











While the video brought many important issues to our attention, I personally found it a little confusing. All the facts were important and powerful if they were standing alone but sometimes I wasn't sure how one fact was part of the whole message. Mainly, was the facts about China and India, although they are important issues in education, resources, and population I feel they were a tad unconnected.  It was still a powerful video I feel that they made it feel a little choppy and unclear.  This then made it more confusing to see the clear message of the video, we need technology to progress into the future, yes it is frightening to think that possibly by 2049 we may have a computer that is more intelligent than the human race, but is that connected to education, and technology education? I feel that if the facts had been more centered around one central idea then it would have been more clear and powerful.