IP Blog

Christian Long created “The Future of Learning” Manifesto, and he asked us to change it and mash it up to however we see fit.

I decided to take the parts I felt strongly about and reshape them into something I could relate to.

so here goes…

Got Passion?  If Not, I’ll Tell You What To Care About.
In the long run, I will never need to know who won the 27th Presidential Election.

Not going to remember (or ever be concerned over) how to take the log of 237 million.

Nor will I ever actually need the atomic charge of a hydrogen ion.

But,
Maybe I’ll be inspired to become the next President of the United States, or maybe I’ll become such a mathematical genius that Einstein looks like Ronald McDonald in comparison.

Maybe I’ll be inspired to find the cure for aids, or develop a formula for World Peace.

Until you see this inspiration arousing, I guess you can continue to lecture me on unnecessary facts and information… cause hey, maybe all I really need is the log of 237 million to complete that formula for World Peace working its way inside my head.

So you can keep teaching…

I’ll hate it, but I’ll listen.

This Will Go Down on Your Permanent Record.
Okay, so I get it.

Posting scantily-clad pictures of myself on Myspace is going to attract sexual predators.

If I ever apply for a job, I will obviously be turned down because the boss is going to look at my Facebook pictures of that wild party on Saturday night.

If I had access to e-mail at school, I would obviosuly download a virus onto the computer or open inappropriate e-mails during class.

Obviously…

Instead of thinking this ignorant way and blocking every technological and networking source that we have, why not give us access to these features? Why not teach us the proper technological techniques to use with these situations? Then we can prevent these “obviously’s” from ever actually happening.

And for those who do abuse the privilege, well, at least we know they’ll never be getting a job over us.

11. No More Basics… Let’s Get Into The Heavy Stuff.
A technologically decrepit person would see me as extremely knowledgeable in getting around in the virtual world.

They’d think it’s fantastic that I can manage the many features of an iPod or that I can text message at the speed of light on my cell phone. They’d see me as the next Steven Spielberg, managing the simple aspects of a video camera with great ease.

In personal reflection, however, I realize that I comprehend about as much in the technological field as I do in rocket science. And let’s just say I’m not an expert in the latter.

I cringe when my iPod freezes; when my computer decides to stop working, my first step is towards the computer repairs section of the yellow pages.

My point is, I feel I’ve already grasped the basics of how to, for example, use Microsoft Word, or surf the internet. What I want to learn is the things that make a computer work, and what I can do when these things stop working.

Let’s stop learning about things we’ve been using since 1st grade.

I already know how to record with a video camera, but teach me to edit it into a perfect film.