Did you know?

I first saw this presentation about three years ago, my friend had to watch it in a business class. The version I saw was Shift happens and a new Did you know 3.0 is out basically the same thing with better music and graphics I think. Some of the things are mind-blowing still though, the amount of graduates from India all speaking english when so few Americans speak a second language, and the fact that english will be spoken by more people in China than in the United States. Scarier than anything else is the bit about trade schools and collages teaching information that will be out of date so quickly. The issue there is that we cannot do anything about it, we cannot hold off new information and technology so the eventual outcome will have to be some sort of balance between what we are able to do with what we have.

This information has changed some since then though, today India has a shrinking population as does China some years, so since nothing is constant predictions cannot be made. We may have the fiber optics to transmit vast amounts of data but there are also companies working with computers that will require better than what we have already just to work. Computers that understand: yes, no and maybe. This concept will alter everything that we think we know and all that we hold constant because shift does happen.

ACCESS

ACCESS, Alabama Connecting Classrooms Educators and Students Statewide, is a site developed to link educators in less fortunate areas to a more varied and "higher-end" classes. This tool brings the more privileged classroom to any who want it, teacher and student alike. Since most areas have some method of internet setup the only thing keeping these places from gaining from the program is their own laziness or ignorance of the program.



The classes themselves are not in the traditional teacher spout off information to idle students. Instead the entire system is interactive, with teachers talking to other teachers and students conversing with other students. This ability allows for better questions to be asked of both sides of the classroom increasing the learning of both sides of the class as well.

The site and the concept are wonderful evolutions in the educational world. This makes the gap between less-fortunate schools and the more budget-tight ones closer together in their ability to provide a better quality learning experience. The world itself is shrinking and the freedom of information allows everyone to have access to anything allowing everyone to have everything. A great tool that hopefully is being used in other states as well.

Alabama Learning Exchange

The Alabama Learning Exchange is a teacher resource site, also known as ALEX.The site is used by students as well as hosting links for teacher and other faculty. It is a very helpful resource for Alabama school teachers of all ages. The site also offers lesson plans for multiple courses. Accounts can created to form ones own workspace.

Educators can log in to their own workspace, and upload or create lesson plans to submit and share. There is also help for professional learning, links for teachers to websites that help them to maintain and build upon their own learning process, furthering their skills as educators.

This site is has a wide range of resource tools that help all who are affected by it. There is virtually no reason why all teachers do not use this program. Other states should fund like programs so that their teachers and students have the opportunity to grow.

First Post

My name is Phillip Howell I am 25 years old. I am doing my best to hunt down a history and education degree. As I have said I have had this class before and enjoyed it quite a bit. Though I did get hamstringed by the blogs, which are not hard, I did learn quite a bit. DO THE BLOGS!
When I do graduate I plan to move to Alaska to teach there, I love the country up there. Also one fo my favorite web sites/ web comics is Control Alt Del

I recently joined a group called the Hash House Harriers, known as a drinking group with a running problem and have wondered where they have been my whole life. The group started in the 1800's with British officers and evolved into a great old time. We meet about twice a month and jog/walk/run for about five miles. It is a great time and at the end of the run is cold beer and an onslought of jokes and drinking songs. Anyone 21 who is intrested let me know we are always looking for new people.

I have a girlfriend of seven months who suprised me with tickets for Cirque de Soleil for April and I am looking forward to it quite a bit. For our first month anaversery I took her to New York for a weekend so I think this is her way of saying thanks.

Also I am out of work at the moment so anyone who knows of anything opening up please let me know. I had been working at Best Buy but had to leave due to my school schedule. Money is getting tight and I hate being tight.