Already a member?
Sign in
Welcome! Wikis are websites that everyone can build together. It's easy!
Location:
Why do these technologies matter
Discussion: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Watch
 LisaMarieBlaschke |
Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 22 2008, 4:15 AM EST Good question, Stella. My mantra while taking the MDE program was always "education first, technology second." To understand which technologies to use in nurturing a learning environment, we need to understand who the users of those technologies are---and then decide which technology fits best to their needs. These videos are excellent portrayals of who our audience today is. I particularly liked the student finding "When I graduate, I will probably have a job that doesn't exist today." Thanks for sharing, Stella! Lisa 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
 zberge |
RE: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 29 2008, 11:34 AM EST Yes, that is an interesting finding. I particularly liked the one that said, "I bring my laptop to class, but I don't work on class stuff." I reviewed each of the "why this technology matters" videos and essentially saw a message that said students use all these technologies, but not for education and training purposes. I watch my daughter and son (ages 21 and 19 respectively).... Jenna can carry on a half-dozen IMs with separate people, talk on the house phone, text message on her cell, listen to (loud) music, and watch a DVD online, all at the same time--while stating to me that she is "doing her homework." Yet, if she is asked to find empirical or scholarly work to support her position in that homework she is "doing" she asked me to help her because after four years and solid grades at UMBC she doesn't a) like to do that, and b) know exactly how to do it. My son, Mark, can find scholarly work to support his positions. He has been doing so since middle school. Now, if I could just get him to see that it may be good for him in the long run to stop playing World of Warcraft long enough to successfully complete his homework and study for tests in his second semester at UMBC, it would be a good thing, I suspect. I guess if I wanted a person who could multitask like Jenna, she would be the person I would seek. However, not too many jobs work like that, nor will they in the forseable future.... and clearly not too much education works like that. Nor should it, in my opinion. Regards, Zane 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
 scsporto |
RE: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 29 2008, 12:30 PM EST Maybe your daughter doesn't know how to use the technology to do the search because in the class or in her studies her faculty members don't know how to use the technologies and thus there is a huge gap in seeing that such technologies can actually make learning more interesting. Do you find this valuable? |
|
scsporto |
RE: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 29 2008, 12:34 PM EST On the other hand, the behavior of teenagers is not what it is because of technology. I think technology is just the tool (as in the case of learning) in all of these contexts, including the one that serves the purpose of not doing the homework. Do you find this valuable? |
|
LisaMarieBlaschke |
The Researcher of the Future
Feb 29 2008, 12:49 PM EST This discussion ties into a recent (and interesting) study done by the University College London (UCL), which profiled the "Google generation"---as well as looked at the internet researcher in general. Here is the reference and link to the research results: University College London (UCL). (2008). Information behaviour of the researcher of the future. Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research. Retrieved on February 22, 2008 from: http://www.bl.uk/news/pdf/googlegen.pdf Do you find this valuable? |
|
scsporto |
RE: The Researcher of the Future
Feb 29 2008, 1:33 PM EST Thanks, Lisa. I just pulled it down... it promises to be a good read. Do you find this valuable? |
|
zberge |
RE: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 29 2008, 2:09 PM EST She is extremely social.... so the social technologies are distractors with regard to "homework/studies." I was not very clear in my point (if I actually had a point) in my earlier post. I see many of the emerging technologies like instructional TV was 30 or 40 years ago. No question that ITV could have been useful for educational purposes. i think 20 years ago, teenagers learned a lot from MTV. It wasn't exactly what eductors wanted them to learn, perhaps, but it was effective. Similarly, the Web 2.0 technologies are effective in connectedness, and perhaps even informal learning. But here again, are educators going to miss the boat and look back 10 or 15 years from now and say, geez, i wish we could have done more with mlearning and virtual worlds (like we should have MTV a generation ago). My son, Mark, has thought a LOT about a lot of things at his young age. The other day in the car he said, "dad, I learn a lot in World of Warcraft. Why can't schools just let students learn what they want to learn?" And I am sure he has, I watched him play every waking hour from Dec 15 through Jan 29 except when he was at work. Anyway, his question led to a quite philosophical (albeit very brief :-) discussion about the "well rounded learned student" and "vocational aspirations" "motivation" and society. So, my point: is not that I am against use of technologies. I guess my thought is that educators seem to use technology so poorly that and for such mudane goals, that it becomes almost a chore for students. Regards, Zane Do you find this valuable? |
|
zberge |
RE: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 29 2008, 2:10 PM EST Something else that seems related somehow, is that in 20 years of teaching, I have not had students even ASK if they could remix some technolgies... or even submit a podcast instead of a short text assignment. I am not opposed to this... i mean, I tell students they can work together at their option. Some do, but not in any substantive way. What if, instead of a 250 word posting (that is often uploaded), a student or several students uploaded a audio file? They would get so much praise from other students and me that I would think it would be motivating and others may find other ways to collaboratively try new things. But no one ever has. I suppose I could prompt them... but that isn't my point. Students have been trained up, as it were, that school learning and real-world learning are vastly different. While there are differences, I am not so sure students should see only differences.. I don't know... I am babbling, and so I'll sit on my fingers :-). Regards, Zane Do you find this valuable? |
|
scsporto |
RE: Why Do These Technologies Matter?
Feb 29 2008, 3:23 PM EST I don't see our students as good example of people who are at ease with technology. Maybe just a few... So they would not be the ones to take the initiative... However, I do think that as distance educators they need to learn about the use of such technologies. This doesn't mean that one needs to use it in every single course. Many corporations are using such technologies in the training of their employees, so I believe we should have this as part of our program. To do that, we as faculty members need to be at ease with technology ourselves... but, I understand there is a whole inertia in the process. Like learning any new thing. The other point is that I don't think their is a "new learning", in the same way that we could still be interacting through correspondence. It is just the medium that changes, not the message. Nonetheless, with the advancements in everyday life, technology becomes a theme and a subject matter in itself. best, --Stella. Do you find this valuable? |
|
LisaMarieBlaschke |
RE: ITV for educational purposes
Mar 1 2008, 4:19 AM EST Personally, I learned A LOT from Schoolhouse Rock when I was a kid. ;-) I don't think I'll ever forget Conjunction Junction. :-) I agree with you, Zane, about technology being used poorly in achieving educational goals. I've also found this to be a problem in industry. Personally, I learned A LOT from Schoolhouse Rock when I was a kid. ;-) I don't think I'll ever forget Conjunction Junction. :-) best regards, Lisa Do you find this valuable? |