Thinking Outside the Box

I've been thinking lately about creativity, innovation and new media.
Firstly I have come to believe that the children that I am teaching are learning skills for jobs that do not yet exist.
I have found two examples of blending ideas and knowledge and talent to create a new way of seeing.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
This is a video created by Blu a graffiti artist and animator. Its an amazing video, really thinking outside the box.

in the above music video the band Get Out Clause used videos gleaned from London's vast CCTV security system to edit together a music video.

Now these are two examples of very creative, innovative thinking what will happen with these ideas I don't know. But there have been recent examples of very outside the box that have created new industries. Facebook, less than 5 years ago a student at Harvard created a way for other Ivy league students to socialize online. Now although its founder claims no plans to sell the company Facebook has been valued at between 1 to 8 billion dollars. Wow that is really taking anew idea to the extreme.

End of the year

Only about 11.5 days left on the school year. It doesn't see possible. So many things planned but not yet accomplished and other things that I didn't plan on done.
I've actually got quite a few teachers at my school venturing into web 2.0 teaching. One is creating a wiki with her students about the history of the area around Mary E Bryant. Two other first grade teachers are working with their students creating MixBooks of art work created in my art class. Both of these projects are big steps for the teachers.

View this book full size or get a printed copy at Mixbook

Next year should be very interesting because the theme for the year is going to be " Learning through Technology" or something to that effect I'm not sure what that means or where that will lead us next year but where ever that is it should be an adventure.

Getting ready for College

I'm sitting here with my son going over his college loan information. Ohh what an eye opener...for him. "Dad I have to start paying it back right after I graduate?" Yes I told him. "Bummer."
They all want to grow up so fast and then when kids get there it's quite a shock to find that the adults were not quite having all the fun that kids thought that they were.
I'm sure that my son will do well in school and its both fun and scary to see him growing up.