ETEC 750 – The Future: Literature Review

First: an aside 😉
As we use tools that are more in line with web 2.0, I find that I am still working on my comfort level. This blog is an example. I am used to the more full drafting capability that a word processor seems to offer, so I have to fight the urge to draft postings first in a Wp, before cutting and pasting to a blog. Is that just because I am ‘old school’?

I have chosen edublogs because I have recently set up this site for creating a space that I can use both for on and off campus as a means to see how a blogging forum can provide a means for communication and sharing. I have not kept a blog before, so this is my foray into this technology.

A brief reflection n the readings.

Wikipedia:
This article was interesting from two levels: As a better mathematical/logical understanding of how social networks can be diagrammed and understood, as well as the dynamics of them.

It mentions that shape of a social network matters: connections made to a network that goes to outside worlds enables greater access to information. Schools typically work as a closed network – at most students might share information within the class walls. This is a limiting factor in the ability of classrooms o provide the best possible environment for real learning. Teachers absolutely need to recognize and use this ability of social networks to empower their learners.

I also thought he terminology of “Mechanical Solidarity” vs “Oragnic Solidarity” was powerful – traditional schools are mechanical and web 2.0 learning is much more organic (think ‘viral’ and how that term has become so relevant).

Primary Psychiatry:
This article did not particularly inspire a lot of deep though in me. As I was reading it, I thought the target audience of medical professionals and how they might consider use of social networking to build community, but the main thrust seemed to be analyzing current tools and advocating for one that he was interested in. As always, I take a lens toward education when I read these articles. Our students are deeply involved in the social networking side of the internet. Is it even an option any more for educators to sit on the sidelines while our students become deeply involved in a technology that captivates, challenges and builds knowledge. Can schools continue to stay relevant if they don’t?

ASBJ: Social Networking can work for K-12 educators
Brief, but relevant. The quick review of how to start a school community thinking about how to understand and use the social side of the web is well taken. The real interesting part of this article is the secondary article titled “21st Century Attitudes”. I think this summary mirrors how many educators feel about how the web (both 1.0 and 2.0). Although many educators are aware of what learners are doing on the web, there is not a real sense of either urgency or understanding of how the social side of learning can be a real compliment to the face to face, bricks and mortar establishments we have made. On our campus we are discussing the kinds of tools that might make the evolution of school as a place to go some of the time a reality. This does not diminish the role of te educator, but it does change it – from center stage to facilitator. Most expert/master teachers did not go into this field thinking this however, so a continued development of their skills needs to happen.

Wired Article: Facebook is open for business
This article mimicked some of the themes covered in “Wikinomics” about opening up the developing platform for greater community use. How might we use this idea in education. Think about the word ‘viral’. The notion that our students would take a content platform and create around seems silly, but if the content were open, students would be able to create, synthesize, develop in new ways. An example: this past summer in our technology class, our students played with “Squeak” – an open ended animation story telling tool developed by MIT Media labs. Our spanish teacher assigned a project this fall that was a story telling assignment using Comic Life. Two groups asked if they could instead use Squeak to tell the story. How is this viral? As they developed their project, other groups were watching and got quickly that the tool their friends were using was more powerful for telling stories and other started looking at it as a means to use. The more educators open the power of using ‘viral’ tools, the beter insght they will have on their learners (market data), which will make their ability to effect learning (sell their wares).

(to see the projects, go here)

Journal Article:
Graf, S, Viola, S.R., Leo, T., & Kinshuk (2007). In-Depth Analysis of the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Dimensions. Journal or research on Technlogy in Education, 40(1), 79-93.

This article first explains what the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model (FSLSM) is, then investigates a survey that measures it. Lastly, and most importantly, the authors try to develop a more detailed view of the learning styles measured in the instrument. The FSLSM has 4 dimensions: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, sequential/global. The 44 question survey is designed to show learning styles and is widely used to look at how learning styles relate to technology enhanced learning. The authors delve into a statistical model to glean how even more exact characteristics of learners can be shown to effect their success in technology rich experiences. For example, they took questions in the active learning dimension and investigated whether trying something new or social orientation mattered more for learners and found that trying something new had a stronger impact than the social nature of the task.

The implications of this kind of instrument are directly applicable to both teachers and students in technology environments. the one area the authors do not mention, but I am specifically interested in is whether there is a match between staff adoptance of technology and learning preference. Specifically in web 2.0 technologies, if a teacher is reflective, sensing, verbal and sequential does that affect their decision making in technology use.

Planning, Forecasting, and Inventing Your Computers-in-Education Future
Moursund, D
The background information (Moores Law, predicting events, adoption curves, etc) is pretty basic stuff, but when he gets into Delphi method of predicting change the chapter picks up a much higher tome of urgency. The notion that school as a social system is resistant to change is well born out by both studies of reform efforts as well as anecdotal data. When Moursund goes into his own prognostication of the future it reminded me a lot of the old ACOT Apple Classroom of Tomorrow videos. The documents (many dated 1994 or so) paint a picture of teacher as facilitator, student as active, and information as ‘smart’. I was recently reading an article about semantic web – web 3.0 by Tim Berners-Lee. It was striking that the predictions in what will be web 3.0 and eventually 4.0 fall into line with many of Moursund’s primary ideas in his view of learning in 2015. The interesting tidbit is that the evolution of the web will get there long before 2015, as will the capabilty of devices.
As a technology leader on my campus we are looking at new models of teaching and learning to move our institution into the future – to keep it relevant in the face of these emerging trends. Some of our teachers are embracing technology and all its power and ability to excite and challenge students. Other are struggling with their evolving role in this new world. A few are even hoping to retire before they have to change with the times. Our ability to predict change in technology is a small part, but our ability to redefine what school should be in an age of this technologic wave is a greater challenge. Huan nature is a tougher system to change than technology is to predict.

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