This morning I received an email letting me know that Chasing the Dragon's Tale is included on the list of 100 Best Blogs and Websites for Innovative Academics. I am flattered (even at #82) and note numerous other education blogs that I hold in esteem. Thanks to the folks at Accredited Online Universities for including me on their list.
Disclaimer: This post does not imply an endorsement of Accredited Online Universities or the various underlying linked institutions.
Jason Hiner writes in TechRepublic what I believe to be a fair assessment of the differences between Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama on technolgy issues. "From Net Neutrality to H1B Visas to data privacy and other economic policy issues, the next U.S. President will influence many important developments in the technology industry." Tech Sanity Check is a bit long, but well worth the read (converted to PDF).
To some degree, those of us in the world of Information Technology (IT) work in a world of "If..Then." "IF" a particular situation presents itself, "THEN" the following associated action (or actions) follow. A simple process or workflow could include any number of situations or circumstances and the result might be several "If...Then" processes. Processing yesterday's events on the campus of Virginia Tech has many of us asking why's and what if's. I include myself in that group today with far more questions to ask than I have actions to process. It has been hard today to focus on seemingly trivial tasks with all of the the "if's" from Monday still looming in my thoughts.
Katrina startled many IT people into a data protection and redundant web presence mode. I am sure that April 16, 2007 will have many of us reviewing campus communication strategies and looking at the systems' overload experiences that occurred during and following the events on the VT campus. Until then, I am still processing my own personal set of If...Then's.
If you are tiring of long lists of search results from search engines like Google, Yahoo, Technorati, etc., you might find TagSlides more suitable to your taste. By entering a search word or string of words into TagSlides, you may view the home pages of the results in a slideshow format. The site requires that you have Flash Player and may ask you to update Java Run Time...but it is an interesting piece of work that is still in development.
The vandalism incident on WikiPedia that slandered John Seigenthaler was just that...malicious vandalism. There are those who would say that such activity completely negates the open encyclopedia technology that runs the WikiPedia data/information collection system...after all, just about anyone may add or alter the content. There are others who use the incident to promote the concept of a digital signature identifier, which essentially would eliminate annonymous posting. It is interesting discussion. I doubt that the first ammendment writers could have anticipated the enormous power (and freedom) of electronic publishing and wonder if a deeper level of accountability would have been included had their been a window through which they could have seen the future. I hestitate to propose any 'trimmimg of the fat' from the constitution, but would prefer a grassrooots-driven emphasis on ethics in technology. Which leads me to the folowing Sun Washington Bureau article by Evan Lehmann and re-printed on the lowellsun.com (MA) site:
Continue reading "When Technology, Historical Authorship, and Politics Colide" »
The British eGovMonitor.com site reports E-safety breaches in schools including "teacher and pupil needs for more up to date advice on issues such as the viewing of violent or pornographic online material or the risks of bullying via chat rooms, email or websites."
"The report also recommended that all schools and colleges should appoint one member of staff to act as a designated internet or e-safety co-ordinator. This person would have responsibility for ensuring schools’ policies and systems prioritise e-safety."
The cynical part of me envisioned a staff member wearing a trench coat and flashing an e-badge at some poor student seated in a computer lab... (I must be watching too much Law & Order). Then, I thought of all the schools who are struggling to get any sort of technology initiative moving and felt sorry for the poor soul who would have this added to an already underfunded salary position. But wait! Surely there is an unfunded fedral mandate called NCLB (No Coordinator Left Behind)...enough, enough. I did mention my cynicism, didn't I?
The full 114 page PDF report is available here.
The concept of generously donating used to computers to developing countries may have a flip side according to the article, " Digital Divide Becomes a Digital Dump."
The Theory
Exporting computers taken out of service from advanced nations to developing countries is a growth business. If the hardware still works or is worth being repaired, both sides can benefit from the transaction. Manufacturers and consumers in rich countries get rid of their old computers and even make some money. The new users in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in turn, acquire urgently needed hard and software at a low price.The Practice
In practice, this business is often no more than a convenient form of waste disposal for rich countries. According to a study by the environmental organisation Basel Action Network (BAN), a large proportion of the exported equipment is worthless scrap, which ends up on informal rubbish dumps in poor countries in spite of being harmful to people and the environment.
Continue reading "Digital Divide becomes a Digital Dump" »
Preface all of this with the understanding of my disdain for the abuse of use that PowerPoint receives as an educational technology tool. Seventh and eighth graders teaching their teacher how to improve presentations using PowerPoint gives me hope that there is an appropriate use of PowerPoint after all.
"About 10 students signed up for the after-school mentoring program, the brainchild of technology teacher Todd Kisicki, who believes the program can help bring teachers up to speed on how to use ever-changing technology."
More news from the WSIS that I have been processing: Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome. I thought it was interesting to hear the Vatican weigh in on the Digital Divide, it is not a group that I generally perceive to be particularly savy in technology terms...I may be wrong:
In his address delivered today at the U.N. World Summit on the Information Society, Archbishop John Foley described the summit as a unique opportunity to "direct the 'information society' toward a constructive development," and "to avoid taking the wrong steps.""What we are considering are not only 'digital opportunities,' but also 'digital dilemmas,'" he stated."This process gives us the opportunity to connect and assist those living in the poorest and most isolated regions of the world, and to offer a voice to those who in the past have often been unheard and forgotten," he added. "On the contrary, if this process creates only new opportunities for those who already enjoy a good living standard and excellent communications possibilities, then our work will have been a failure," he said.
And MOST interesting to me is his reference to the Digital Network of the Church in Latin America (Red Informatica de Iglesia en America Latina – RIIAL):
As an example of the Holy See's commitment in this field, the American prelate mentioned the establishment of the Digital Network of the Church in Latin America, RIIAL, a project of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and the Latin American bishops' council.This network, Archbishop Foley said, "has made accessible to the most remote villages of the Amazon jungle, and of the Andes Mountains, not only current information, but also cultural treasures found before only in a few libraries."
'pretty impressive initiative! I want to hear more.
My Google News feed has spewed forth more reports from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) than I could read in a lifetime (well, maybe not THAT many) but I have some catching up to do. A Cincinnati.com Enquirer editorial, Laptop to bridge 'digital divide', includes a reference to the question of most concern from the summit, recently concluded in Tunis: who will control the internet?
As for the summit's main topic, the delegates established an Internet Governance Forum, but it is a toothless group with no supervisory power or technical control. The United States retains that, at least for now. This is probably for the good. It is the "World Wide" Web and should not "belong" to any one nation or people. But it wouldn't help to put the Internet in the hands of a scandal-ridden international body rife with ideological agendas in conflict with the ideal of a free, open Internet.It's worth noting that host nation Tunisia is one of the most notorious nations for Internet censorship, and some reporters attending the summit were attacked and beaten by government forces. It's also notable that Cuba, Iran and some African dictatorships used the summit to criticize the United States for allowing too much freedom of speech on the Internet. We shouldn't put this resource into the hands of those who would control it to suppress dissent or manipulate it for narrow political aims.
Continue reading "Who should control the internet?" »
It must have been a slow news day for KSL in Salt Lake City. By requiring that students have Internet access for college assignments, KSL News reports that Education (is) Creating A Digital Divide. The general premise of the story is that students who do not have access to the Internet away from campus are at a disadvantage, compared to students who have access in their dorms, apartments, or homes.
Some say that is leaving students like Chaz Motor, who doesn’t have internet access away from school, at a disadvantage. ”It’s definitely kind of a pain having to run up here to do internet work,” he says.
I don't want to be too hard on Mr. Motor or KSL, but I believe that there is a distinct difference between being inconvenienced and disadvantaged. I would also recommend that KSL turn the hype meter down a notch on their article headlines...it did get my attention, but the report is a bit weak on substance.
Broadband Internet access at home is on the rise...but there are advantages and disadvantages and questions regarding how beneficial it is to be overly attached to a computer monitor. There is room for discussion on college campuses for how much Internet access each course requires...and making that information available prior to registering for a class might make a difference in a student's options.
Continue reading "Students without 7/24 Internet access - Oh,the tragedy - gasp" »
For those of us who are glued to computers as a part of our job, we probably don't hesitate to use email to communicate with associates, family, friends, etc. For that reason, I thought that an article on how more teachers are employing email is significant: " The new ‘teacher’s pet’ is the computer".
“Parents and teachers are e-mailing more and more often,” according to Pat Sine, director of the University of Delaware’s Office of Educational Technology. “And when teachers make an effort to communicate via e-mail, parents [who don’t already have e-mail] make an effort to get an e-mail address, many of them using e-mail at their place of employment.”Some issues don’t lend themselves to e-mail communication, such as major disputes or discipline issues, said Mark Holodick, principal of Concord High School. But for day-to-day communication, e-mail has become the communication tool of choice, he said.
There is room for debate on whether electronic messaging will be the death knell of interpersonal communications, but the idea that teachers and parents have recognized the challenges of direct, syncronous communication and have embraced email as one solution is a good thing.
I found the implication that 'teachers having email accounts' encourages parents 'who do not already have email accounts' to get email accounts to be interesting. Educators do not always take the lead in moving technology from the classroom back to the real world...the general trend is just the opposite. Although I consider the lag in diffusion of email into the education community to be a sign that we're still behind in the chase for technology, the idea that teachers are taking a leadership role in pushing technology back to the community is a noteworthy trend.
I do wonder how long it will be before a poke becomes more common than a handshake or a hug.
The current atmosphere among education blogs is understandably different from the usual bantering. I have chosen a sampling of topics from several of my favorite ed-blogs as a screen shot comparison from the rest of the blogosphere:
It is just good to know that there is processing going on among people in education and technology. I doubt that any of these people would prefer that a disaster become a necessary catalyst for learning...but I am amazed at the learning that is taking place amid the discomfort and pain.
Titles such as wainright, drippings man, and cobler aren't exactly filling the online job postings these days, however, more contemporary titles are, according to The Daytona Beach News today. Since none of us are really working/laboring today...and undoubtedly, many have job titles that do not come close to describing what the actual job is...why not, today, try to put a realistic name on whatever it is that you do.
Personally, I'm leaning toward something like techno-teer-ologist...something between a geek,a mouseketeer, and a perennial student. Don't work too hard at coming up with a title, it is Labor Day after all.
Confession: This is just a post to see if changes in my templates will produce RSS feeds the way that I intended them to appear...but if you feel like getting all creative over the change your job title thing, then knock yourself out...I'll laugh with you.
If ever there was a Saturday Night Live skit looking for a place to happen, then here it is: Burger Chain Goes Green...it has nothing to do with the color of the burger (I hope), but a move to 'wind' power...(I'll resist the obvious flatulence implications).
What I do want to know, how does the company know that the electricity coming through the lines is the higher priced 'green' stuff they are paying for and not that less expensive, dirty, old electricity? The Emperor's New Clothes Power? Maybe if you peek inside a wall outlet?
Personally, I am prepared to accept a more limited definition of 'green'...perhaps in reference to a color, instead of something that implies 'environmentally friendly'. Any idea of how badly 'green burger' translates into other languages??
With all of the snarking going on about NCLB, standardized testing, and the politics of education, I thought this little gem of an article, "Boston's Newman School Uses City as Classroom to Develop a 'Whole' Student" raises some solid points that are noteworthy, yet ever-so-subliminally aloof:
Nestled in the heart of Boston's residential Back Bay, Newman students are not obsessed with standardized test scores or competitive college admissions.
They participate in a program focused on the whole student. The results: test scores and college admissions follow naturally from this approach...."While truly rooted in the Western intellectual tradition, Newman understands the needs of contemporary students to be computer literate and aware of an increasingly close-knit global community," says Headmaster J.Harry Lynch.Newman is not simply a school, but instead is an engaged and engaging intellectual community, and a vital component of a city boasting a wealth of cultural, business, scientific, educational, and historical resources. (my emphasis)
I applaud Newman for their immersion in the rich culture of Boston, if you've got it, use it! There are lessons that most any respectable sized city can learn from Newman's approach...but it does raise some interesting questions for small, Tennessee, incorporated communities the size of, let's say Cottage Grove, Saulsbury, and Silerton (all under 100 according to the 2003 census) Well shoot, a couple of big-ole yellow school buses for each town and the whole town can be off to the big city to view the kinds of things that even the city folk seem to find over-rated.
Continue reading "Imagine this: Good test scores follow well rounded education" »
Funny that a story about schools taking a day off from technology should coincide with a weekend without my Comcast Internet access...well, it wasn't funny for me. I borrowed a little time from one of my neighbor's open wireless access points for a short time, but the signal was quite weak. Then, there were a couple of trips back to the office to feed my email and blogging addictions... after all, Bill Hobbs was sitting in as guest blogger at Nashville is Talking, and I heard via telephone that my blog had been referenced. I regress. The E-School News story reporting on the technology blackout day held few surprises for me. I was hoping for something profound from either the students or the teachers, but this is all the glory I could find:
"This event really struck a chord with the education community and gave students an opportunity to take a step back and appreciate the positive influence technology has had on their lives, and the lives of their families and peers," SETDA Executive Director Melinda George added. "It is truly a validation that modern technology has become a necessity for students in the 21st century, and unless students continue to have access to technology, it will be much harder for Americans to keep pace in an increasingly competitive global marketplace."
So, we know that having access is important, I can painfully testify to that. But now that we know that, you suppose I'll get faster service from Comcast if I explain how important it is that I stay globally competitive? Probably not...*sigh*
A few years back (cough cough), my eight-grade English teacher gave our class an assignment to write our own epitaphs. As a 13 year-old, that felt more than a little creepy, but now I see that cemeteries are taking that assignment a step further.
The software, called Memory Medallion, is a personalized e-pitaph that visitors can access using handheld PDA's. Cemetery employees will allow guests to borrow PDAs, which can access a 600-word obituary and picture of the deceased by touching the PDA’s adapter to a dime-sized memory chip on their headstone.
Terrific! Parting shots!! A final podcast of sorts from the grave...'sounds like great fodder for a Saturday Night Live skit! Oh yes, and there is a generational gap reference in the article as well:
"While the cemetery industry is moving forward on this technology, one major roadblock stands in the way. The technology gap between PDA-wielding young professionals and their grandparents is much larger than age suggests."
So, if I take my eight grade epitaph and record it over something by Blood, Sweat, & Tears... Will the RIAA come after me?
Ask most people who are even concerned about the Digital Divide, and you will most likely hear a litany of humanitarian reasons 'why it is important for the world to have high speed Internet access?' From today's The Guardian Unlimited article, Porn and piracy: the downside of digital revolution, it seems that there is a darker side to the answer that may be driving user motivation for wanting access:
"Quoting a recent survey, the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) says that over 50% of respondents cited downloading music or adult content as their motivation for signing up to broadband (my emphasis). Music downloading remains tainted with illegality while the act of viewing pornography speaks for itself, says the report.This raises questions as to whether policymakers ought to be celebrating this technology to the extent that they have done.
The report also questions the strength of the link between broadband and education. A study by British sociologist Neil Selwyn has found that educational use of the internet is "far lower" than the government thinks and a lot of online learning tends to focus on IT skills."
I would love to see the survey instrument and the complete survey results. It appears that the survey population is from UK, an established industrialized country. I would question if the same results would be returned in developing or undeveloped societies where health services and educational opportunities are not as readily available. Any thoughts on this?
Czech Business Weekly interviewed Jan Muehfeit, Microsoft's vice president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and published some of the interview here: Technology without boundaries. There are several comparisons made between the US and Europe/Asia...and some of the quotes from the article are worth further exploration:
The memorization-based learning comment jumped off the page at me. Food for thought...In China and India, every year, half a million software engineers graduate, and 25 percent of India’s gross domestic product comes from information technology and software [production]. As India’s vice minister for IT said, India missed out on the industrial revolution but will not miss out on the digital one. In other European countries, memorization-based learning has not been reformed in the last 50 years. Life and business is about making mistakes, and making mistakes in these educational systems does not teach kids how to start again. (a particular reference to attitudes toward bankruptcy) There are about 100,000 IT jobs in the Czech Republic, and about half are connected with Microsoft software. I believe the open-source approach is nonsense. If there is no protection of intellectual property, an invention made in Europe will be immediately [co-opted] by India and China, where Europe cannot compete in terms of production volume and price. In the U.S., 40 percent of students are foreign; in Europe it is 1 percent. The blending of cultures is something Europe lacks.
It is hard to disagree with any article that proclaims that too much time at a computer is a bad thing. The article, NewsandSentinel.com: Experts: Too much time on computer harmful, makes excellent points regarding the ills associated with computer games as well as strong points on the physical problems that are associated with over use, particularly in the formative years.
Professor Cynthia Kelley, chairman of the Educational Division at West Virginia University at Parkersburg is quoted in the article:
"When students are allowed to use computers to do projects they can become more collaborative and want to share information. It also gives the children an air of confidence that they may not have with paper and pencil.It can be a great tool, but we don't seem to see a higher level of achievement at this time of children who are coming into school already computer literate. It gives them tools to use, but as far as the higher level thinking, at this point it doesn't seem to be there."
Given the positives that Dr. Kelley identifies, I wonder if there is room for some finger pointing in directions other than that of parent and student problems. Can we honestly say that we have educators who are prepared to challenge those students who are already computer literate (and some who are truly skilled) and move them into areas where computer use can be channelled in the direction of higher levels of thinking and learning? I sincerely hope that the answer to my rhetorical question is not: "Yes, our teachers are proficient at PowerPoint"...turning the negatives of gaming and abuse into positives will not be easy. This presents new challenges to teachers and to parents. I would hope that our teachers are skilled, prepared, and technically sophisticated to lead the way in making computer experiences positive and productive.
Can open source close the digital divide? - ZDNet.com Interesting question, but unfortunately, it implies that software somehow plays a role in resolving the 'have' and 'have-nots' Digital Divide formula that includes infrastructure, access to computers, training in the use of computers, and affordability. I would suggest that the question might read better if it asked, "is Open Source the solution to allow users the freedom they need to share software, without breaking the law?" I am convinced that the copyright holders of the major software applications floating around have no intention of granting a free-for-all policy of distribution, even in developing nations...Open Source, then, becomes a beneficial, ethical solution...and perhaps applies 'supply and demand' pressure on the current proprietary models.
There is a Digital Divide in the proprietary software market...those who own software legally, and those who have obtained the software illegally. Providing free, Open Source applications to the world will help to close the legal-illegal gap...the Digital Divide in its traditional definition, however, will not suddenly close if Open Source dons a cape and flies to the rescue.
The Cincinnati Post is running an article on recent America's Promise survey results from American teenagers:American Dream alive but elusive. There is optimism in much of the report. There is also a touch of cynicism regarding the interpretation of the survey results:
In terms of education and job skills, only 37 percent said they most needed "technology skills" in order to succeed, as compared to 64 percent who rated "financial skills." Survey evaluators interpreted this result as indicating that American youngsters feel technologically proficient. A more likely interpretation is that they don't know how poorly their technology skills lag behind children in other countries.A bottom-line finding which America's Promise labeled a "dream gap" showed that while 95 percent of children had goals they want to achieve in life, 42 percent doubt that they'll be able to achieve the goals. Unless American kids get help from adults, this pessimism may be all too realistic.
Continue reading "American dream, youth & technology" »
It is probably a good thing that Colleges begin testing students' Internet IQ.
"They're real comfortable instant-messaging, downloading MP3 files. They're less comfortable using technology in ways that require real critical thinking...Some of the institutions involved are considering using the test on incoming students to see if they need remedial classes," says Teresa Egan of the Educational Testing Service.
I really want to see the test before jumping in on this...but I do have a few generational concerns. Will the educators in these same institutions be tested to see how they compare with the student body? Will there be some sort of IIQ (Internet Informatics Quotient) that will be expected of the entire university community (can't you see it now in the promotional material)? And what if...the hunters become the hunted (i.e. the student IIQ begins to exceed that of those who propose to teach them)? Is this the juncture when students become more accountable for the actual learning of an entire learning community (including the instructor)? Will prospective faculty be expected to exhibit an IIQ of a particular level? And, the ultimate discomforting question: How would I do on such a test compared to incoming students?..(it is, afterall, all about me! *grin*)
The flexibility of offering online classes for Kindergarten (really?) thru 8th grade has some self proclained success, however, Online learning generates educational controversy
"What you won't get is any socialization. I think that's especially difficult for kids because they're social beings and when they leave school they enter the social world," said Richard Grove, superintendent of the Saucon Valley School District."
Kindergarten and early grades depending upon online courses is both scary and mindboggling...perhaps as a supplement to the classroom experience, but not as a replacement, good grief! And I'd like to hear new arguments besides 'socialization' for upper level grades...I'll need some convincing that the kinds of 'socialization' going on in many high school institutions is something that we should embrace or endorse. I am not suggesting that we lock our teens into closets...but there must be more convincing, educationally-based arguments besides 'socialization' in the debate over the use/success of online courses.
...ah yes, the (little remembered) stubborn chorus from Meredith Wilson's The Music Man. Professor Harold Hill has come to town, not with instruments and band uniforms, but with laptops for seventh and eighth graders. Oh yes, we've got Trouble...right here in River City! That starts with "T" and rhymes with "C" and stands for Computers!! OK, enough already...
A wave of the Dragon's Tail to Doug Petch for bringing the Iowa initiative to my attention with his scoop of the Sioux City Journal Online: Initiative aimed at expanding laptop computers in Iowa schools. Iowa is just another state willing to invest (a whopping half million dollars...forget what I said about "nothing half way") in an experiment to measure the success of having laptops in the hands of students...no results yet, but a "learning technology commission" to study the programs is included in the price tag *gasp*. At the bottom of the article is what I perceive to be the untold story:
The Iowa State Education Association opposed the plan."Technology is great, but we think there are some higher priorities than that," said Brad Hudson, a lobbyist for the union that represents most public schoolteachers.
"We doubt that 30 computers in a classroom are going to make a class any better if there isn't a highly trained person in the classroom (my emphasis)," he said.
Unfortunately, I believe Mr. Hudson may have hit the nail on the head...where are the highly trained individuals in the classrooms who know how to integrate the technology available via laptops into the learning environment? If getting those individuals into the classroom is one of Mr. Hudson's higher priorities, then I am behind him. If that highly trained individual is not the teacher...then perhaps that highly trained person comes in the package of one of those 13 and 14 year olds seated in front of the teacher, but let's not consider that partnership...yet.
The trials in Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts (and a few other non-"M" states) are not over and the results are not in. Doug Petch leans toward the optimistic view that laptops are good for students...I do not completely disagree, I just want the "good for what?" part better defined...and I would prefer that it be defined by a highly trained educator rather than a computer vendor or lawmaker...or...perhaps Professor Hill is available: "Yes, we've got trouble, trouble, trouble..."
I still remember the cold war era. One country builds a weapon designed for offense...a counterpoint country develops a defense to negate the offensive nature of the other's country's weapon...and that cycle repeated itself over and over. Apparently we are facing a similar cold war scenario in terms of developing defenses to keep offensive materials from being delivered to our children on the Internet.
No restrictions on Net access at McMurray public schools:
“I guess the rationale is based on the nature of our business, which is to educate students in being good citizens, and that includes being good citizens of the information age as well as the rest of society.”
Bevans said the decision was not made lightly, and took no small amount of time and consideration.
“We have deliberately -- with much consultation with parents, teaching staff, administrators, outside agencies, other jurisdictions in the province -- decided not to employ filters,” Bevans said. “We feel as an educational organization it’s our responsibility to educate students in all aspects of life.”
Who should take the front line of defense on inappropriate Internet content? Do we want governments to decide what is acceptable to deliver (or to receive)? Do we expect those who deliver computer technology to provide us with 'cold war' cyclical defense options? Do we want our schools/educators to be the filters? Should the responsibility fall on the shoulders of parents? Is it reasonable to expect that children can or will police themselves?
This is just my opinion, but I don't believe there is any one individual or institution who holds the 'silver bullet' answer, but it is a combination of all the above...with perhaps the exception of governments. I would be interested in following the experiences of the Ft. McMurray schools to see if their initiative perform as expected. What do you think?
Blogs that have anything to do with education are rarely visited in high numbers on a regular basis. We're not sexy, not very controversial, not filled with cute puppy/kitten pictures, and not particularly interesting except to a few other educators who understand what blogging is all about. Far too many of my faculty associates still look at me funny when I tell them that I blog.
As a close friend of mine said recently when he found out about Chasing the Dragon's Tale, "I told my wife that I wanted to blog...she said, If you do, you'll have to clean it up yourself!" (Thanks, Breakfast Bob)
Which brings me to the point of all this: I envy those who are able to generate hundreds of visitors each day to their blogs. I contribute to that number every day, because I appreciate what it takes to keep things interesting and like to encourage others to keep up their efforts. To those of you who are just getting started with blogging and wonder why there aren't tons of comments, and your sitemeter seems to be stuck at 10...get over it! It is a phase that nearly every blogger that I know has gone through. Be yourself, be consistent, be interesting, have some fun...contribute comments to blogs that interest you. In time, the traffic will grow or like 66% of bloggers, you'll abandon the effort. But traffic isn't everything, I think love and money have the corner on that market.
Not exactly Labor Day or Memorial Day...but worthy of a "I Love My Geek" T-shirt. Today is World Telecom Day, apparently recognized in parts of the world besides North & South America.
I had already finished my daily allotment of caffeine when this related story landed in my email: PTA minimizing digital divide between rural, urban areas....it is probably NOT what you or I might think. The story has nothing to do with soccer mom's raising money for computers or anything like that. As I said, World Telecom Day is celebrated in other parts of the 'world'...not unlike our hemisphere holding a 'World Series' that excludes much of the rest of the world...(touche')
In the last three weeks, The World is Flat - A Brief History of the Twenty-first century has popped up in conversations at least a half dozen times. Although I have my differences with Thomas Friedman's foreign policy views, I do value Will Richardson's recommendation and comments as an educator. Here is a portion of Will's connected and collaborative reflections of Friedman’s book:
We edubloggers talk and write about this a lot, this idea that the tools of the Read/Write Web necessarily change the relationships and construction of the classroom. When audience moves from one teacher to many readers, when assessment moves measuring correctness to measuring usefulness, when we ask for long lasting contribution of ideas instead of short-lived answers to narrow questions, it requires us to rethink our roles as teachers and to redefine our curricula. Remember, we don't own the content any longer. Our students teach us the tools. They are already connecting and collaborating. To hold on to the vertical classroom is to risk irrelevance...soon.
.. What an appropriate read for my June Trans-Atlantic flight, if nothing else for the irony of the flat world reference in the title in conjunction with the traverse.
This is pretty scary, particularly if you are paranoid about the addictive qualities of blogging: I Link, Therefore I am. A wag of the Dragon's Tale to LindaDblU.
My email box generally includes 2 or 3 phishing scams every day and I have witnessed an ever increasing sophistication to the quality of the delivery... so this article is not a shock: "Brits fail online phishing test."
A week after the publication of an online phishing quiz to educate internet users about fraud, the first results show that over 90 per cent of us are at risk. The Phishing IQ Test mixes actual phishing emails with letters from legitimate online providers. So far nearly 12,000 people have taken the test in the UK, and 92 per cent got at least one answer wrong.
And lest you believe that we are doing all that much better here in the US, the article says, "Over 300,000 people have tried the American version of the test and 96 per cent got at least one answer wrong.".
And for some strange reason you do not know what Phishing is... please check it out here. By the by, I rate individuals who produce phishing schemes just below the scum who produce porn, pharma, and online gambling spam.
It should be no surprise to the free world that Net Censors (are) Active in China. The recent Red Herring article included a number of notable quotes:
The organization’s conclusion: in China, web users are both closely watched and often prevented from seeing content of a political, religious, or sexual nature.
Please note that it is a slippery slope to allow governmental controls/censorship on information, even if it is "of a political, religious, or sexual nature." It makes great political rhetoric but ultimately trims (what some might term) 'the fat' off the constitution. As much as I hate the intrusion of online pornography, off-the-wall religious exploits, and irritating political views, I resist supporting governmental control of that material.
“China operates the most extensive, technologically sophisticated, and broad-reaching system of Internet filtering in the world,” said the report, which was released Thursday. Ronald Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab, University of Toronto, explained, “Deep beneath the subterranean layers of the Internet—among the routers, exchange points, and gateways—lies a variety of chokepoints where communications can be blocked and intercepted. Our study of Internet filtering in China provides a picture of a regime that has exploited these chokepoints to the fullest, implementing filtering and surveillance from the backbone to the cybercafé,” the study said.
Filtering and surveillance is what I have asked for before, particularly when it comes to annoying comment and trackback spam on blogs...but I want the control of information that is coming to me in MY hands, not in the hands of someone else. I would much rather deal with the nuisance(s) myself than crack open the door for government regulation of content. Perhaps the Chinese have a filtering system that might work on a personal level...bring it on!
End of rant
Call me a fuddy-duddy, anti-Ipod-ist (it's actually envy), but I wonder how many adminstrators at Duke are asking, "Why didn't we find a good way of integrating this technology into the curriculum before spending half-a-million dollars on it? The Duke drops iPod article outlines a novel approach this year at Duke..."the popular digital music players will be given this fall to just those students who take classes in which faculty members say they'll use them." Wow, what a concept! OK, I am picking on Duke for doing what the rest of us in higher education have been doing for years in the way of purchasing high-priced computers...but this situation highlights the folly of chasing after a technology and assuming that it will magically transform the learning activities. Good grief, I have been hearing that insanity since the first overhead projector appeared in my junior high math class 30+ years ago!
Actually, I give Duke high marks on this one, but not for improving learning: For half a million dollars, they have received national and international publicity on a scale that would have cost 10 times the amount had they paid an ad agency for it. Now, they are getting additional publicity dividends for making a mid-course correction..and the benefitting freshman class still have their Ipod trophies...not bad, Duke!
It doesn't take much to get me excited about teacher education programs when it comes to technology. You might imagine from that, my enthusiasm when I discovered "Wireless Literacy is ARRL Education & Technology Program Goal"...oblivious to the eham.net source. No, it is not about wireless connections to the Internet, but about amateur radio stations in high schools. At the moment I am torn between what feels like the quaintness of teaching an old (gasp) technology whose primary domain is one-to-many broadcasting and the possiblity of the confusion of terms. When is the last time that you thought of radio as wireless technology?
Continue reading "Wireless technology literacy, it's not what you might think" »
Dan Greenberg's "Standards takes 'normal' out of child's reach" offers an interesting historical perspective on how government intervention into education has resulted in unintended consequences...and looks at what NCLB may be doing now along similar veins.
An unintended consequence of standardization of school curricula and tests has been the relegation of a huge proportion of our children (more than 20 percent, and growing) to the category of "learning-disabled" youngsters, many with little confidence in their potential or in their future. By trying to leave no child behind, we are in fact leaving an ever growing number of children not only behind, but unable ever to have the confidence in their ability to catch up with their "normal" peers.
Mr. Greenberg is singing my song. If I had to apply NCLB-type standards regarding the integration of technology to our army of educators, I suspect that we would discover far too many teachers feeling left behind and "unable ever to have the confidence in their ability to catch up with their normal peers". And who-the-heck wants normal teachers anyway!...those who had the greatest impact on my learning were far from normal and were extraordinarily unique individuals.
Soooo (tongue in cheek), that opens a way that we can legislate our way out of this dilema...why not redefine the word child to include something like having the ability to keep up with the 80% of individuals who are considered normal. The other 20% would no longer be considered normal or called children, but would be labeled UI (unique individuals). Historically, we (as a country) have taken pride in our unique individuals (as I pointed out, many turn out to be great teachers)...besides, passing a NUILB (No Unique Individual Legislated Behind) would almost make sense! (I did say almost, didn't I?)
Note to self: Rant more often...it feels good!
(Leetspeak sk1llz0rz = elite speak skills)
Acronyms abound in the world of 'geek speak'and Instant Messaging, but creativity rules when it comes to new generations of keyboard fanatics: A parent's primer to computer slang. There are even generational divisions between true leespeakers and those who look down upon the the extreme short forms found in AOL speak. And if you haven't a clue as to what all this is about, there is an online translator available to convert your English, German, or French into proper leetspeak.
A word to the wise, never be caught nifoc (naked in front of computer)...nobody wants that!
I was all excited this morning when, "Computers Make Students Better Test Takers" showed up in my email as a news story...the article itself is new (but not news) and the Boston College report it touts was released (and I blogged here on CTDT) back in January (insert big sigh here). The article has the aroma of an adversisement for Apple Computers, but I still like the methodology and the results from the Boston College study.
There is one quote in the article that has interesting implications:"Although this study finds some interesting effects of students' use of computers, teachers in this study generally did not use technology to teach," added BC researcher and study co-author Damian Bebell."
Back to my grandmother who spent her school teaching career in a one room school in rural Kentucky... I suspect that once her students had conquered the use of a writing utensil that she didn't spend a lot of time teaching her students how to use a writing utensil. Granted, most writing utensils of her day did not suffer from what Donald Norman calls "creeping featurism" (in reference to MS Word's rapidly expanding features). The point: we cannot ignore technology's impact on the classroom and the potential for learning, however, we need to reach a time when the computer is just another tool and NOT the focus of what there is to learn.
Continue reading "Computer writing vs computer presentations...no real news here" »
I knew that there was something that bugged me about this article, KSL News: Some Say Internet Bill Violates Constitution, but I did not realize the significance until I re-read this quote from State Representative John Dougall of Utah in regard to parents being "overwhelmed by advancing technology":
"There is a technology gap between parents and kids. Kids are much more savvy about what's going on than their parents," Dougall said during debate on the House floor. "We're expecting (Internet) service providers to provide some option for protections. Government plays a critical role in that."
Let's allow credit for Representative Dougall's passion to protect children from the invasive and destructive nature of internet pornography...it is certainly good political resume material (the bill passed without a dissenting vote, others seem to like the bandwagon ride also). The reality of the situation is that Utah will not be able to regulate internet porn whether it is hosted in Provo or Pakistan. Placing the burden on ISP's (Internet Service Providers) is simply passing the buck and potentially killing the smaller providers by burdening them with the task of playing censor.
I may make light of this particular piece of legislation...bad legislation doesn't help anyone...(ok, perhaps it helps those who chose to work harder at re-election rather than the intended aspects of their respective elected positions). Internet pornography is a serious problem and it will require serious minds and serious approaches to protect those who neither want or need exposure...that leaves out far too many politicians.
David Warlick's Exactly 2 cents worth, includes a phrase that stunned me: "We have institutionalized begging in our schools." Ouch!
"The new digital divide is the Grant Divide, the schools and districts who have talented grant writers, and the schools who have-not ..the time nor the expertise to write a good grant proposal."
Moving from an environment where grants were intended to support creative ideas/initiatives for improving education to an environment where grants are essential to the survival of the system should be frightening to us all. The day we add Grant Writing for Survival into the curriculum as a requirement for a teaching degree would indicate to me a shift from education as an academic pursuit to education as just another business. That is disheartening...let's hope that never happens.
The currently proposed federal budget cuts will impact numerous educational programs, including technology...the impact of what is actually adopted is not yet known, but I have not heard anyone in the field of educational technology express optimism. I would love to take Mr. Warlick to task on the implication that budget cuts will impact the Digital Divide (however it may be defined)...but I can't. The possibllty of having 'institutional beggar' added to a job description seems far too real.
Chris Adamson asks pertinent questions for educators, boards of education, and all of us involved in education technology in his editorial "Only a theory...". It seems that Mr. Adam's school district announced a multi-million dollar i-book program for middle-schoolers...and he expressed his concern and reflections:
"I re-read the article a few times and while there are details about the gradual roll-out of the computers, parental deposits and liability, and the software to be included... I cannot find anything indicating what the point of this venture is. Is it to teach programming? (don't laugh - that's what computers were for in my early 80's high school... you actually got in trouble for using them for word processing) Is it to teach basic computer skills? Are there going to be e-texts available so the kids don't have to lug 40 pounds worth of textbooks around?I think for $70 million, there at least ought to be a specific, attainable goal for this program."
Placing computers in the hands of middle school children makes great headlines and junk-food for politicians and pundits alike. I doubt that we will ever see headlines announcing things like "Educators Receive Training on Classroom Computer Integration"...or "Technology Staff added to Middle School XYZ"... Newspapers are in the business to make money, and unfortunately, informative stories that include details of a classroom computer program's benefits/purpose are not likely to ever see the liner of a bird cage. When is the last time you saw an article explaining the wonderful details of how a new text book enhanced a program because it accomplished purposes 1, 2, & 3? It is NOT going to happen.
Continue reading "Do we need a reason to have computers in the classroom?" »
The Chronicle Online - Digital divide: Students complain on-campus cable fails to satisfy...
"When juniors Yousef Mian and Andy Kanderian purchased the centerpiece of their West Campus dorm room—a 51-inch HDTV television—their expectations were high."
I want to make sure that I understand this digital divide complaint:
Allow me to insert a global perspective here: only 5% of Arab homes have even a telephone ...and students are complaining of a digital divide because their 51" HDTV doesn't produce a quality image on their 49 cable channels. Does that not sound like whining to anyone else but me?
Continue reading "Digital Divide or Digital Whine?" »
As much as I enjoy bashing PowerPoint (and the abuses related to it's over use/abuse) the Newswise article, " Regular Computer Use for Work – but Not Play – Aids Student Test Performance offers a more rational approach to associating learning with academic efforts rather than games and multimedia presentations"
"...the study found that use of computers in school to create presentations was negatively associated with writing test scores. According to the researchers, this negative relationship may result from students spending less time writing during class time and more time creating and revising multimedia projects that contain relatively small amounts of written work. In essence, time spent creating presentations may detract from time available during class to develop students' writing skills."
Continue reading "So, PowerPoint Does Not Equal Learning.... I am Shocked!" »
Don Sambandaraksa writes a Bangkok Post commentary, "Good and Bad Found Lurking in the 'Evil Empire'" that surfaces a practice that I had not heard before. Through an agreement with the government of Thailand, Microsoft offers fee software on a large scale. As a result of that sharing, along with numerous other initiatives, admirable gains have been identified in conquering the digital divide in Thailand. But is there a catch?
"Today, Thailand enjoys one of the world's best relationships with Microsoft. The United States Department of Justice's battle with Microsoft is well documented. Over the New
Year, news centered on how the European Commission had slapped them with a 500 million euro fine for uncompetitive behavior, this time not for Internet Explorer but Media
Player.Of course, both the U.S. and the EU still have a digital divide. In many cases it cuts along racial and economic lines, leaving the worst-off in society isolated from the ICT
revolution. It is hard to imagine that, in such an atmosphere of mistrust, Microsoft would work as hard to remedy the divide as they have done in Thailand. The Partners in Learning
program, the Budget PC and other projects have helped create awareness and urge untold numbers of Thai people towards a better life. This is made possible by the healthy
dialogue we have here in Thailand. "
Is Microsoft locking in the Thai people to a dependence upon their particular products so that at some future date, that dependence will create a default monopoly? It is certainly difficult to bash Microsoft over the great things that they are doing in Thailand, however, the company's track record in other regions may warrant a healthy dose of skepticism.
From elearnspace's Camera Phones post:
Younger generation have an interesting approach to tech adoption - "if it works, I'll use it". Adults have a completely different approach - "if I can understand it, I'll use it".
Somehow, that generational comparison is profound, I only wish that I had somehow verbalised it first. If I had to add anthing to an already profound comparison: for younger generations: if it works and it's kewl, I'll use it; for adults if I can understand it and afford it, I'll use it. (nah, I yield to the more succint comparison...well done!)
Internet Elite Look Ahead, an article by Roy Mark on intenetnews.com explores my previous post in more detail:
"According to the Pew results, the experts were in "awe" over the explosive development of the Internet over the last 10 years and. In particular, they were surprised by the growth of information sources on top of the basic transport background, including online search capabilities, peer-to-peer networks and blogs.Among the disappointments cited by the respondents were the growing digital divide and the failure of the educational system to fully embrace the possibilities of the Internet."
Interesting enough, in nearly a year of blogging about the digital divide and technology gaps in education, I do not recall seeing the two topics appear in the same sentence. I do question whether or not it is the educational system that is lagging behind or whether it is our educators who lag behind...even if both are laging, I would suggest that the lag times may be different for institutions vs people.
Elon University and the Pew Internet & American Life Project have released a study of the future of the Internet, including opinions and forecasts from nearly 1,300 technology experts and scholars. (The complete report is available here: PIP_Future_of_Internet.pdf)
I found few surprises in the report. What I did find are widely divergent personal needs that are struggling with the impact of techological solutions:
Continue reading "Future of the Internet - new predictions from technologists and scholars" »
If you had to complete a census survey on your personal computer, what race would it be? Does the hexidecimal code that streams through the circuits of the Internet have color? I ask these questions because this article, "Paulwell named among 'Most Important Blacks in Technology' - JAMAICAOBSERVER.COM, caused me to ask the question, "When will americans stop feeling like it is important to recognize an individual or an individual's technological accomplishments based upon skin color?
Continue reading "Racially Divided Technology" »
"Nearly seven out of 10 households with children ages 2 to 17 own a video-game system, according to a 2000 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center."
Allow me to play Dragon's (devil's) advocate: If nothing else, this means that future survey instruments must be extremely careful when asking if there is a personal computer in the home. Video game systems are computers. Video game systems are personal. Are video game systems personal computers?
"Some attribute the flurry of new tech games solely for preschoolers to a survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation last fall, which discovered half of 4- to 6-year-olds have played a video game, as have one out of 10 of kids under 3 (my emphasis). Nearly a quarter of preschool boys play video games (handheld or console) in a typical day, usually for about an hour."
Let's not kid ourselves...this is about marketing and protecting stockholder interests... do we really believe that the leading video game companies are interested in improving learning skills for preschoolers?
"...building visions, crafting agendas, and getting funding for solutions takes time. And that means a gap between evolving technology trends and and the actual adoption of new technology in our institutions. It is a dilemma that places education constantly behind the learning technology curve." XplanaZine attributes Will Richardson's reflections from a blogevangelism experience as the primary source for the frustrations expressed in "Behind the Technology Learning Curve -- Education as Usual" Will's experience and the reactions from educators and leadership are similar to what I have experienced, but at a different scale.
Continue reading "Education left in the Dragon's dust" »
We all know that former Vice President, Al Gore, invented the Internet *grin*...now, according to Lawrence Spiwak we know: The Internet's biggest foe. OK, I am not weighing in on either of these topics, but I did find one tidbit in Spiwak's article that speaks to the Digital Divide and the economic as well as political factors that are included in the debate:
"...(FCC Chairman Michael Powell) claims that the deregulation will somehow lead the industry giants to become more efficient and to invest, innovate and deploy fiber to every consumer home and small business in America(my emphasis)....the Bells admit they are only rolling out fiber to high-income (and presumably high-volume) areas. While there is nothing wrong with this in concept (particularly in a competitive market), it is irresponsible public policy for Powell to pretend that the Bells' fiber rollout will extend to rural America or urban inner cities and, on that basis, to pursue blanket deregulation."
From USAtoday.com: Generation raised with Internet grows up...and if this generation can imagine it, someone will put it in motion:
"AOL's (Malcom)Bird (head of America Online's services for kids and teens) predicts that teens will be among the first to embrace new, Web-based video technology. "You will very soon be able to shoot video messages and play those video messages on your blog that your friends can go to," Bird says. So your community, your scheduling, your friends, your holidays — all of this stuff will live in an online environment."
Most of us older academi-geeks remember the promise that computer technology would deliver the paperless office...a promise that generated the widespread need for personal shredding machines to rid ourselves of all the paper that we weren't supposed to produce in the first place (I regress). With the generation who has grown up with the Internet, I suspect that the promise of the video capabilities that Bird describes is not just a promise. Personal video delivery systems via cell phone (or other Internet appliance) will be as common as email, IM, SMS, and other CMC's...and slowly...very slowly, diffused within the paperless office generation.
The recent Educause Quarterly artcle, Beyond the Electronic Portfolio: A Lifetime Personal Web Space (LPWS) appears to have attracted the attention of a number of bloggers that I enjoy reading:
I am pretty sure that I read the same article that everyone else read but my immediate reactions lean more toward paranoia, skepticism, and logistical nightmares.
Continue reading "LPWS - Be careful what you ask for" »
If ever there was a Maslow triangle (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) for a country's educational system, then the situation in Lagos appears to be looking at the bottom rung from from beneath the triangle....at least, that is the image that this commentary portrays: Urgent need to halt decay in education
"But, before the country can record any progress in her educational system, all stakeholders in education must realize the pervasiveness of value disorientation in the system, and appreciate the need for a re-awakening of appropriate values to wean the society back from the precipice of a free fall. A re-awakening of socially acceptable mode of conduct in students, parents and teachers will put an end to cultism, examination malpractice, sexual permissiveness, and all other vices that have, over the years, been militating against the educational development of the nation."
The editorial mentions "...pervasive instances of certificate forgery, examination malpractices, cultism, murder, arson, and gangsterism" as problems in the educational system. I would suggest that the phrase 'educational system' should be replaced with 'civil society'... there is no educational system with the types of problems outlined. Education may be happening, but not in a manner that reflects civil society, by any one's standards!
Perhaps the most frightening portion of the article is the mention of technology and research as priority solutions for resolving the nation's educational problems...back to Maslow: let's not skip any development levels on the way up the triangle.
You may want to consider having your Geek tattoo altered to say Have you hugged your Geek today?. The skillset for IT professionals is widening to include much needed non-programming/commputer related skills: IT staff needs people skills - Survey suggests training in nontech areas often missing
"The stereotype of the IT professional coding away in the basement is still around to some extent, but it's much less the case now and these survey results emphasize that. Because companies are so dependent on technology, IT pros are playing a much more prominent and strategic role within firms," Hoban (Andrea Hoban, regional vice president of Robert Half Technology)said. "These changes are driving the need for softer skills such as project management, interpersonal, business fundamentals, etc."
Potentially, this describes a divide within the IT community: those who have developed people skills and those who have developed only machine focused skills. Just as non-tech individuals struggle to keep up with the technology dragon, tech individuals are now faced with a skill chase of their own.
The great divide in school maintenance This article, from Reno Gazette-Journal illustrates a number of political and economic patterns that are worthy of note:
On previous posts, I have questioned the ability of many school systems to sustain their new, state-of-the-art technology programs. This article describes a common struggle in many school districts to balance facility maintenance needs with expansion due to numerical growth. Add to that struggle the socio-economic differences between inner-city and suburban schools. Mix all of those factors together with local politics, pressure from athletic boosters, and ever increasing technological advances/demands.
Continue reading "Managing and Maintaining the Pre/Post-Digital-Divide School" »
When the Five Questions: Beth Simon article showed up in my Google News feed this morning, I was hopeful of discovering some new tidbit of excitement in the arena of educational technology for the classroom. After reading the article, I was left with the impression that all we have to look forward to is a way to make PowerPoint interresting (althought the article uses the word interactive - but interactive for the instructor only)...hrrrumph!
OK, so the article didn't exactly blow me away (and yes, I am whining a bit). Perhaps I was expecting more than an ad for someone's favorite new toy. It does, however, represent the opinions of one IT person in higher education...and I respect that...(well, sorta')
Continue reading "Tablet PC - Good Educational Technology or New Toy?" »
Most of my friends know that I still keep pencils within reach as part of my communications arsenal...and I still know how to use them (I have even touched my computer screen with one...gasp)! I found this article intriguing somehow, because a simple device is described as outperforming the computer particularly in terms of number of users. The irony that I see in this is that a simple pencil is used to produce computer readable data so that ETS can produce scores, assessments, etc. for the 24 million or so users...and ETS does so using... pop quiz: (a) a computer (b) a pencil and paper or (c) an abacus with pencil stylus? It just struck me as strange...now, where's my pencil, I feel a doodle coming on.
From Tom Ewing of the Educational Testing Service:
"...in fiscal 2004 the number of people who took the tests on computer was only a fraction of those using pencils - only about 1.6 million people on computers, compared with about 23.7 million using paper and pencil." He said the testing service would like to increase the number of computer tests, though a major shift is far down the road. Other factors cited includedneed for 25 million computers security need of proctor cost (Pencil vs Computer)
"Marder believes there is a role for cyberjuries to play in resolving disputes. But cyberjuries won't be replacing traditional juries any time soon, she said. Marder rejects the idea that a tech-enabled jury would widen the "digital divide" between the rich and poor, and between whites and people of color."I post this as a reference point in the journey of acceptance and diffusion of technology into US culture. References to race and socio-economic status may or may not define the "digital divide" for a courtroom jury. It would be interesting to view general age demographics for jury pools to see if the gap is perhaps more generational than racial or economic.
"So for example I recently visited a classroom where they were using a computer program that gave questions to students and if students' answers were incorrect the program would then walk the student through how to answer and actually break the problem down into its components, which is what teachers do. If students were still having a hard time it could ease the level of questions that were asked. Or if students were answering questions correctly it would increase the difficulty. This was an incredibly clever thing that you could do that didn't require labor (my emphasis *choke*), and it also allowed a customized education for each child in the class (without any teacher/human intervention...my insert). But the teacher was very concerned about the program because some students were being asked to solve division problems and she said, "We haven't gotten to division yet." She uses the program, but she will not incorporate it into how she thinks about how she teaches her class. She won't switch from delivering the same kind of education that she's always done to one that uses this new technology to improve her efficiency."Hmmm... so perhaps this teacher could use some training on how to make this all happen..."without requiring any labor"...without having previous experience with technology integration.
Michael Geist writes in today's Toronto Star :Imposing West's laws will not bridge digital divide. I have not read Michael Geist before today, but his views on international law, e-commerce, and the Internet make more sense than many that I have read recently (and blogged on earlier occasions). Michael Geist is the Canada research chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.
"Education is in transition from a print culture to a digital culture. Videography will replace writing (in schools)."
"In lots of ways the introduction of digital means the teaching profession has been de-skilled...For the first time in history the kids know more about the information media than the parents and teachers. That has huge implications for classrooms, where traditionally the teacher has been in charge and known everything."
...the administration wants to create programs that inspire more school children--particularly girls (my emphasis)--with an interest in science and technology at an early age. "We lose the women in middle school. We have to stop losing one-half of our talent pool"I know that I will get into trouble over this one, but that comment bothers me... I believe it is admirable to recognize that so few girls gain an interest in science and math at an early age, however, is a federal program the solution to change that?
"Few people are cross trained in computer science and curriculum development, so there are few people who can design educational technology and build it.."Of course I have seen (and investigated) educational technology programs across the US, but those programs generally seem to be the step-children of other degree programs... am I the only person who has a problem with that? I look at the catalog of my home, Belmont University, and find one 3 hour education course (elective) that includes 'technology in education' within the course title... ok, I'm whining, 'sorry...but I am concerned that the gap between educators and technically proficient educators is not getting smaller (IMHO).
"EHS is a good resource for students who need to make-up credit without having to go to night school or for students such as myself that are sick of classrooms and wish to graduate early. In my opinion the best part about this school, is that even though you never meet your teacher you still get a one-on-one that is rarely seen in a traditional school. The only problem that I have seen so far is the school spirit. EHS needs a mascot to cheer on the football team (we also need that), and what about the school rings?"In a related story, the Toledo Blade reports: Schools Offer Online Classes to Stem Exodus of Students. Maybe the technology Dragon will make it to the side of a football helmet in logo form some day...then it may be said in earnest that opposing teams may be Chasing the Dragon's Tailback... (humor me, on this one... I know that it's a stretch).
My family's definition of camping is off the charts. Historically, for me, that meant a sleeping bag under the stars somewhere on the Appalachian Trail. My wife's definition includes the comforts of an RV, and camping is like opening the windows in a Holiday Inn...OK, I embrace that definition, no problem.
If you have seen the pictures in earlier posts, however..now, my hammock has become a classroom tool...the place where I can dig into a textbook (or a laptop), still enjoy natural surroundings, and construct my own learning. Send me to 'camp' or send me to 'school'... which would the child in you prefer?
"Clearly, plagiarism is a growing problem. In a survey of 30,000 undergraduates at 34 colleges, 37 percent admitted committing cut-and-paste plagiarism using the Internet, up from 10 percent in 1999. Only 20 percent of their professors use plagiarism-detection tools, according to the survey by Rutgers University professor Don McCabe, founder of the Center for Academic Integrity. Plagiarism detectors can be relatively cheap insurance against intellectual property sins, but many businesses and even educators remain reluctant to use them. Some fear lawsuits if they accuse someone of cheating. And deciding what amounts to actual plagiarism remains a judgment call that humans must make, creators of the software say."Few universities want to adopt a big brother posture...but this (Internet plagiarism) Dragon has serious implications for academia as well as industry. Gaining ground on the Dragon may or may not be a priority for many institutions... and it would be a shame if the first efforts at grabbing the Dragon's tail have such negative implications.
From today's NewsForce article, "Constraints against the adoption and use of FOSS in developing countries":Again a new twist to the Dragon's tale...there is free software available to make your internet development affordable, unfortunately, if you are in a developing country the source of support for your access is an often expensive Internet access charge.
Despite the many advantages of Internet-based support for FOSS, this type of support is not ideal for many people in developing countries. The digital divide between industrialized and developing countries is also manifested in the cost and ease of access to the Internet. Given that many people in developing countries do not have adequate and affordable Internet access, if any at all, the Internet is not the ideal way to provide technical support to FOSS users in developing countries.