Recent Posts
Bullying has gotten a lot of long overdue attention in recent years, and many schools across the country are now instituting policies and programs to raise awareness about bullying and help to fight against this destructive behavior.
Interesting news the today. Newsweek, the renowned news magazine, has announced it will cease printing a hard copy version of itself and focus all of it’s efforts on it’s online edition. A sign of the times reiterated by a recent poll showing social networking site Facebook has now taken the lead as the most important brand in the world over such giants as Google, Disney and Apple. Clearly, people are spending more and more time online and less and less in previously popular pastimes.
What does this mean for our culture?
At one time, the most popular form of entertainment was live theatre. At that time, the only alternatives were other “live” art forms such as music and dance. One hundred years ago, everyone went to the theatre. At least, everyone who could. Then came movies. Then came television. Today, the remaining world of theatre is composed of New York musical extravaganzas, alongside small “cottage industry” theatres that still present plays in much the same form that William Shakespeare would recognize, were he alive today. Such is the power of technology. I don’t lament this trend, but it is interesting to watch. How long before theatre transforms through technology into some form of hologram that pops up on your coffee table?
In education we are witnessing similar inroads. More and more classrooms are adopting interactive, computer based technologies such as smart boards into regular classroom instruction. Schools are integrating more and more communication into online formats. And more and more classes and degrees are available through online sources. Is this good or not? Events are moving so quickly it is difficult to tell, though I suspect for the main part it is all wonderful.
Still, there is something lost when a child receives all instruction through technology. Human interaction is important. It just is.
Many years ago, my late brother used to say “A phone call is better than a letter. But a face to face visit is better than a phone call.” I suspect he was right, and I suspect a human face is still better than a computer screen.
Live educational school shows provide the opportunity for talented and experienced performers to take students to places in their education that a computer screen simply cannot touch. I refuse to accept that a book can convey the humanity of Abraham Lincoln more effectively than 45 minutes in the presence of the man himself. One of our competitors offers a mobile planetarium, of sorts, that makes use of a very well produced movie projected on the inside of a dome. Interesting, and well produced I am certain, with many cool special effects. But it cannot compete with an actual planetarium presentation, such as Sky Dome, offering a live guide presenting the program and constantly adjusting and tailoring the show though interaction with the audience.
To paraphrase my brother, a computer class is good, but a skilled teacher is better. And a talented performer, acting as a skilled teacher, and presenting a live school assembly is the best of all!
Oh... and,uh ...don't forget to visit us on Facebook! :-)
Computers and GPS devices are changing our world, both in our everyday lives, but also in how we educate our children. But is this a good thing?
Mobile Ed has worked very hard over the years to build and maintain our reputation. We could put together all the marketing materials in the world about how great we think we are and how much we think you need us, but the words of unbiased clients count for so much more.
Mobile Ed Productions has, over its 30 plus years, worked with many great schools from nearly every state. We deliver content that is educational and entertaining to anyone regardless of age, race or religious leanings. However, one of the many groups that has contributed to our success are small Catholic schools across the country. We’ve been very fortunate to work with many great schools that want a great education for their kids and allow us to help.
Today was Columbus Day when we celebrate the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Of course, this worked out better for some people than for others. Pretty good for Europeans, but not so good for North American indigenous peoples.
Today is the 5th of October and, historically, a day of some significance. President Chester Arthur was born on October 5 in 1829, and in 1892 the famed band of outlaws, the Dalton Gang, performed their last bank robbery, trying to get away with the gold from a facility in Kansas and getting pretty much wiped out in the process. On this day in 1962, the Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do, while the first James Bond film, Dr. No, was released to theatres. And Monty Python’s Flying Circus premiered on British television. It was October 5 when the Wright brothers set a sustained flight record that would hold for several years. And it was on October 5 when the last best hope for the Native American tribes of the Ohio River valley was defeated and killed by an American army under the command of General William Harrison.
If you have kids and live in Michigan then most likely you already know what today was, don't you? Today was, of course, that most important day called “Count Day”. If you do not know what that means, then here is an explanation.
