Sugata Mitra: Can kids teach themselves?
August 29th, 2008 § 5 Comments
Short answer: FUCK YES!
I’ve LONG known this to be true from my years of “teaching” kids English in Taiwan. What I learned (especially with the young ones) is that… They don’t really need me there. I mean, I can definitely help with facilitating things, but left to their own devices kids do awesome stuff. I think one of the better stories of this was a father’s SHOCK to discover his kid could actually speak English. This was after a almost 1-hour phone conversation I has with the kid about Robots, Dinosaurs, Cars, Video Games and other kick ass shit like that.
I was of course a key player in getting that English into his head BUT it stuck because it was HIS. The “kick ass” English was his English about shit he was into. Kids are really good at knowing what they’re into and not into. You just kind of have to probe a little bit until you find out what they’re into and then lay that in front of them. (Un)fortunately the shit they’re into usually isn’t English, Math, Science and Social Studies when they’re 4-12 years old (ESPECIALLY the way those subjects are usually presented).
Wow… I really didn’t mean to ramble that long. Anyhow, this video kick ASS!
If you’re not already convinced that the answer is yes, I think you might be after the video. I think this approach works for kids AND adults (at least cool ones like me. 
)
Here’s a little blurb about his talk from [this post:]
“Sugata Mitra heads research at an Indian software company, but he is known for the Hole in the Wall project which is about what he calls “outdoctrination”: self-organization in education.”
Outdoctrination
The title of my new blog about the adventures I’m going to have at the school and my adventures of ” “remote minimally invasive group education.” (<– I made some of my own additions to this quote ” “minimally invasive education.”) Since no one registered the domain yet, I did. 
Outdoctrination.com.
And what do I mean by remote minimally invasive group education? I’m not totally sure just yet, but I think it’s beginning to happen with different things with the MilTownKlan. After watching the video I was thinking to myself. Man… The MilTownKlass idea could turn into something similar for large kids aka adults (by the way, I think I have a tag line for it: MilTownKlan – FUCK SCHOOL! lol)
Shortly after that I get a phone call about a video that was posted to Youtube. From my brotha from another motha [LaughingLeaf.]
This video is interesting on a number of levels for me. I lack the time to get into all of them, but what I would like to point out most is how much LaughingLeaf’s videos sucked when he first started posting them on Youtube (I’ll save him from the embarrassment of providing a link. 
) And the funny thing is, it isn’t like I helped his skill much. I gave pointers here and there and now his editing skill is better than mine. Why? Because of the collaborative learning nature of the internets. First he’s interested, then he starts making some, gets input, makes more, seeks more input, etc. til POOF! This latest video.
Anyhoo… That’s enough for today. I’m going to go grab a brew and watch a midnight showing of Willy Wonka.
Manna From Heaven…
August 26th, 2008 § 2 Comments
Immediately after [yesterday's post titled "Last $1"] I discover that… it wasn’t my last dollar. Everything told me it should have been though. But before I get into that story, I’d like to point out how interesting [the Wikipedia entry about Manna is.] Being a gamer, I know about Manna because of the AWESOMENESS of a game called ["Secret of Mana."] Anyhow, back to the story…
So… The last time I checked my bank balance it was sadly negative. The only cash I had was from working at the club last week and yesterday I spent the last little bit of that money I had on a double quarter pounder meal from Mc Donalds (anyone that religiously follows my videos would know that when I’m stressed out, Mc Donalds is my bestest friend). Anyhow, after that transaction I was left with $1 and some change… « Read the rest of this entry »
Last $1
August 25th, 2008 § 3 Comments
I don’t think you’ve TRULY lived until you’ve been down to your very last $1. THEN you have to go to a bar, drink and say man… all I have is this one dollar, I’ll have to get you next time.
Life is better than the movies I tell you! lol
I’m looking forward to the day I can look back and laugh at this (well, I can actually do that now, I look forward to the day I can look back and laugh at this with more than a dollar. )
The Wonderful World of Youtube
August 24th, 2008 § 1 Comment
I thought I’d share some of the “random events” I ran into on Youtube today. First, a freestyle someone decided to share with me. I’m guessing it was inspired from [a video I recently did about hip hop]:
Subject: I’m not a rapper
—
Got my Iphone friday, and a freestyle came to me today in the shower:Iphone 3G, three times gangsta!
If you don’t have one, you must be a wanksta!Haters talking noise over the phone, thinking it’s all good…….CLICK CLICK GPS, takes me straight to your hood!
You’re in the club waiting for the right song/ frontin’ with your ice on/ but she knows you’re not a baller, because you don’t have the iphone!!
So random. LOL And THEN… during the liveshow last week I called up Robonutz and pressed for a time when the Xbox 360 Death video would be done. He said it would be done Sunday (guess what? That’s today!) Going through my subscriptions I noticed this video:
Hurry up Robonutz
Youtube is a fun place to hang out on.
Work
August 22nd, 2008 § 5 Comments
Man… I LOVE working, but aint too fond of “work.” (If that makes any sense.) I’m going to learn ALL kinds of stuff being at this school. For example…
Getting Things Done
I was told when I first came in that my room would be cleared out for me and then I could put what I wanted to put in there (that was Monday.) Well yesterday my room still hadn’t been cleared out and… well, I hadn’t done anything either. In my mind I’m thinking “When is this room going to get cleared out?” and in everyone else’s mind they’re probably thinking “When is that slacker ass kid going to get his room cleaned out and setup?”
Note: It was at this point that one of the teachers came in and said “This is where you’re playing hookie?” She read my post from yesterday. LOL! HEY MS. J!
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