Shift happens/Did you know 2.0

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Rich Wong

I like it.
It is inspiring , revealing and alarming.
It is thought provoking and a catalyse for some great discussion and debates.

It can also make a great opening statement or a segway (no pun intended) into why we need FIRST in the U.S.

Would you feel the same way if the facts used were not accurate or entirely fabricated? Why would you want to start a discussion based on suspect information?

[Rich Wong]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

Would you feel the same way if the facts used were not accurate or entirely fabricated? Why would you want to start a discussion based on suspect information?

Accurate or not, the statistics, the data or the content is not important for what I would intent to use it for.
It is the topics or the direction of the subject matter that are my concern.

These topics are not new and they are a normal item of discussion amongst the FIRST mentors and volunteer in my area for years.
Someone just put them together in a media presentation.
We would definitely not quote from it.

As a graduate of engineering, it is sad to see the diminishing numbers students in the engineering and sciences. Many of the FIRST volunteers I know have the same view and we all want to help change the tide and make a difference.

So why not talk about it? It is the heart of FIRST.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Rich Wong

Accurate or not, the statistics, the data or the content is not important for what I would intent to use it for.
It is the topics or the direction of the subject matter that are my concern.

These topics are not new and they are a normal item of discussion amongst the FIRST mentors and volunteer in my area for years.
Someone just put them together in a media presentation.
We would definitely not quote from it.

As a graduate of engineering, it is sad to see the diminishing numbers students in the engineering and sciences. Many of the FIRST volunteers I know have the same view and we all want to help change the tide and make a difference.

So why not talk about it? It is the heart of FIRST.

I agree with you because even if these facts were fabricated and not true (which they really aren't) the topic is what matters. This is the spark of discussion. I showed the video to my brother and he said that even one of his professors at Cornell made an adaptation of this presentation in his Natural Resources class. And if this video and others like it can spark a discussion in a place such as Cornell or in the FIRST community, then why would it matter about the facts? (although they are mostly true such as from the Dept. of Labor Statistics)

[Sunshine]

wilsonmw04:

What specific info are you challenging? I'd be curious to know.

I do that the main reason they updated this to version 2.0 was to address concerns like yours from the original. But I guess the concerns are still there. I never was good at citations, can you tell me what you question?

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Sunshine

wilsonmw04:

What specific info are you challenging? I'd be curious to know.

I do that the main reason they updated this to version 2.0 was to address concerns like yours from the original. But I guess the concerns are still there. I never was good at citations, can you tell me what you question?

Here are some of the statements that i professionally would not use in this presentation:

In the next 8 seconds 34 babies . . . Web search on population, then did the math.
What site/source? Where did these figures come from?

China #1 English Speaking Country Somebody at the Milken Conference – reported at http://weblogg-ed.com/2006/more-musings-from-milken/
Hearsay? Or Gossip? (source was not sited on blog)

10,000 hours of video games Interactive Videogames, Mediascope, June 1996.
11 year old data?(I could not find this magazine through Mediascope's website or a quick digital library search)

Words in English Language Originally from Ian Jukes - http://web.mac.com/iajukes/iWeb/thec...les/fgtgtg.pdf
(dead Link)
Lots on the web, many indicating more than 540,000 – including Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language
(wiki: enough said) i'm not disputing the fact, however, primary sources are out there, 2 of them are on my bookshelf


Like i've said twice now: i would not use this presentation for personal and professional reasons. I would not put something in front of my 120 students, my principals, or schoolboard that i could not personally stand behind.

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

Quote:
Originally Posted by wilsonmw04
It is slick and well made, but several of the sources are not credible. His sources are not peer reviewed, therefore, i would not use them in a professional capacity. However, i might use it as a platform for discussion in my class. The topic: Can you trust everything you see of the internet?

Then you've missed the point completely. The idea of this video is to get people thinking about how rapidly things change. Where will the world be in 10 years? What are we learning now as students that will be applicable and relevant in the near future? These are the topics that should be discussed, not if the sources are valid. It doesn't take a credible source to know that the world has changed and will continue to change.

I DO get the point. As I stated in my original post:

As an Educator, i'd glad people are having this conversation.

But why does the conversation have to have an "Us versus Them" slant to it? There is so much good material out there to make your point with, why use this particular source? Wait, I think i understand why. It creates and emotional response from your audience. This is where my personal objections comes into play. Couldn't you get the same response by telling people the honest and hard truth (backed up by valid and vetted sources)? It's whole "the ends justify the means" mentality that rubs me the wrong way when it could be done correctly with just a little bit of effort.