I had the distinct pleasure of meeting with renowned Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, just before he spoke to thousands of students at Monroe Community College. (That's me, Todd Bernhard, in the FlixAcademy fleece!) I asked him about the role of videos and apps, such as his COSMOS reboot on Fox, National Geographic, and the App Store.
As always, Dr. Tyson was quick with a reasoned and thoughtful response. He replied to my question with a question and suggested If there are cars available, wouldn't you leverage that technology instead of taking a horse to work? As videos, and apps, become plentiful, they become tools just like the blackboard or pen and paper. People didn't want books to be used by the masses, either.
Videos and companion apps like the COSMOS app can be wonderful accessories to education. There are great teachers in the classroom, but most of us can't explain a Black Hole the way Dr. Tyson can, or cover the Gettysburg Address the way Doris Kearns-Goodwin could. Videos can be a wonderful way to bring the most talented subject matter experts into the classroom, for every student. I was lucky to see and hear Dr. Tyson in person. For everyone else, who couldn't be in that room, videos are the great equalizer.
As always, Dr. Tyson was quick with a reasoned and thoughtful response. He replied to my question with a question and suggested If there are cars available, wouldn't you leverage that technology instead of taking a horse to work? As videos, and apps, become plentiful, they become tools just like the blackboard or pen and paper. People didn't want books to be used by the masses, either.
Videos and companion apps like the COSMOS app can be wonderful accessories to education. There are great teachers in the classroom, but most of us can't explain a Black Hole the way Dr. Tyson can, or cover the Gettysburg Address the way Doris Kearns-Goodwin could. Videos can be a wonderful way to bring the most talented subject matter experts into the classroom, for every student. I was lucky to see and hear Dr. Tyson in person. For everyone else, who couldn't be in that room, videos are the great equalizer.