Interesting Technology Videos


Interesting Technology Videos

 

As cliche as the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" really is, there is a degree of truth that we can more effectively communicate ideas and concepts in today's world using images and videos.  Bill Ferriter often uses these YouTube videos to make key points in presentations about transforming learning environments with technology. 

 


 

Cat Herders

http://bit.ly/iTbY7n

 

What makes this funny video about cat herding interesting to me is that it resembles the typical approaches that schools take to technology initiatives. We often have a dozen different projects that are rarely connected going on at the same time. We also often sprint off in new directions as soon as a new tool and/or service is discovered. There is rarely any kind of systematic thinking invested in our technology plans—and that’s frightening.

 

 

 

 

Envisioning the Future by Microsoft

http://bit.ly/kGhCUF

 

This video—created by Microsoft to highlight the changes that they think will make our lives more productive by the year 2019—is an interesting introduction to new possibilities. It would be fun to ask participants to reflect on the solutions that Microsoft proposes and to decide whether they will significantly change the way that we live in meaningful ways. It would also be fun to ask participants to speculate on whether or not the proposed changes will change the way that we do business in schools.

 

 

 

 

Microsoft's Vision of the Future [Parody]

http://bit.ly/kWaRJ2

 

A sarcastic take on Microsoft’s Envisioning the Future video listed above, this clip forces viewers to think about just how meaningful digital advances really are. It can be used to start conversations about using technology for technology’s sake in the classroom and to encourage participants to remember that our goal isn’t to do cool stuff with technology. Our goal is to use technology to help students learn more efficiently.

 

 

 

 

 

Kinect: The Greatest Anything Ever

http://bit.ly/b57RKO

 

This video is a parody of the Kinect gaming system. It would be really valuable as an introduction to the idea that there is no single bit of technology that is miraculous. It plays off of the idea that many people are ready to crown the latest technology tools as life-changing when in reality, the most effective tools aren’t life changing at all. In fact, tools don’t really change lives until they become ordinary.

 

 

 

 

 

Building a Plane While Flying

http://bit.ly/16hpn7

 

This funny video imagines what it would be like to actually build a plane while it is flying. It carries important messages for teachers and schools looking to integrate technology into their work. Despite the fact that the skills needed to succeed in the future are poorly defined, we carry the obligation to do our best to prepare kids for that future. That inevitably means we have to craft plans while our planes are flying.

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons on Leadership from the Dancing Guy

http://bit.ly/crRsuH

 

This video—which documents the growth of a random dancer at an outdoor festival from a solitary loon to the leader of a dance revolution—can help teachers and school leaders interested in seeing technology spread across their school understand exactly how movements begin. Specifically, it talks about the importance of gathering a few “first followers” and convincing them to act a bit crazy with you in front of their peers. Originally a video about leadership in general, it carries important lessons for those interested in changing teaching and learning with digital tools, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growth of a Google Doc from the Eyes of a Student

http://bit.ly/koEBvP

 

In just over 2 minutes, this video introduces the way that Google Docs can be used to change the way that students write and the way that teachers give feedback to students on their writing. It would make a great introduction/overview to the possibilities of collaborative writing in the 21st Century—and could serve as a great introduction to Google Docs in any workshop on teaching with technology.