There are many ways to look at diffusion of innovations when considering ICTs in education. Deterministic and individualistic theories provide different ways to roll out new ideas. Deterministic views, namely the utopian “flavor,” rely on the idea that better innovations, and use of systems, mean more quality products and ultimately the diffusion of better learning for all. The deterministic view of diffusion meets challenges when it comes to adoption. Even the most refined instructional innovation may fail to be effective when implemented. This is because of the vast majority of variables like learning context and the differences of learners themselves. In contrast adopter based theories rely on social channels and the evidence of acceptance or rejection to judge if an innovation is will provide the best educational solution.
The readings and discussion this week are helping me to understand instructional design in different ways. I suppose I came to understand a processes (like the popular ADDIE) as a solution to any educational problem. I assumed that if there is a problem, enough design and testing could provide a highly transferable solution. Yet when viewed in the light of our module on context, my views have now changed. I see the importance of analyzing context in when using systemic design processes for instruction.
The state of Pennsylvania requires school districts to create an educational technology plan to cover the next four years. I was asked to be a part of a committee to write this plan. The understanding I have gained about diffusion will surely allow me to be a be a better-informed member of this committee. I am excited for an opportunity to make a difference in the future of the district, but know there will be many challenges in creating such a plan in the midst of a state budget crises. My research into programs like One Laptop Per Child allow me to see deterministic views seem to present expensive solutions that put the technology tool in the spotlight of better learning, while adopter based theory may provide solutions that are not only more cost effective, but use the technology tools in more effective an efficient ways. Perhaps my new understanding of diffusion will help me when helping to make a decision of technology utilization in our school district.
In my research on mobile technology and my trips into the internal parts of Jamaica and Kenya I have come to the conclusion that mobile technologies when informed by sound theory and research can be extremely useful ways for people in developing nations to learn. I noticed in using the metric suggested by Howard et al. that Jamaica has an extremely high TDI average value compared to most other countries in the world. In my trips there I noticed just how many people who didn’t own a flushable toilet carrying around a cell phone. This widespread use of mobile phones along with open educational systems like the Tufts university (TUSK system) could provide exciting opportunities for some to learn without even leaving the confines of remote villages.
**Although not completely related, the idea of context in diffusion impacted me this week as I have started to thinking about planning my instruction for my students in Budapest. I now have a great hesitation about beginning to do so this early. To actually design instruction for a context that I can’t even begin to fully understand at best may end up to be a waste of time. I have decided to simply get a better understanding of the science concepts that I will teach and leave the detailed design to later.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Module 05: The Wide World of "Open"
I can honestly say I didn’t understand the importance or pervasiveness of open educational resources until this module. The idea of opening the world to educational material makes sense. But, until these last few decades opening education has not been as practical. This module has been truly eye opening to me--with no pun intended.
After the “open” photo activity I’ve been considering the idea what it means to be “open” in the context of my own classwork. Opening course materials to the world requires at least some parties involved to share. As a parent I have come to understand sharing in new ways these past few years. Teaching my sons how to share has caused me to reflect on my own act of sharing in my current roles a teacher, student and even as a friend/family member. Just as it can be hard for a child to share a toy that belongs to him or her, I find I can also have a hard time sharing my work with others. Sharing work requires certain degree of vulnerability and humility from the person doing the sharing, not to mention the time and effort it takes. Yet, it should come so easy to share when I think of sharing my work in the context of sharing toys. Just as my son didn’t actually buy the toys he plays with, I need to understand that pretty much every thought and educational idea I ever had is not new and has in some way been shared with me. This should motivate me to share as much and often as I can when it comes to educational resources.
In addition to the photo assignment, the activities we did this week were helpful to my growth as a teacher. The act of uploading my work on OER Commons was a valuable experience. It gave me a good feeling to open my work up to whomever might find it useful. I felt a responsibly for that work to be a certain quality standard since it is being shared with (potentially) a large group of people and not just my professor. I also had a chance to browse both the OER Commons and Connexions databases. I plan to use these in the future when I am creating instruction.
The presentation assignment was helpful to understanding OERs in a broader scope. I especially benefited from reading about OERs in Asia. It is interesting to see the way other countries are using OERs. In China it appears the government wants to open courses by offering money to professors. I am not sure if this is for more for accountability or to benefit those who may not have the same access to a university education. If knowledge is the key to a better life, I can see good things happening for those less fortunate who are able to access this free courseware in China.
This module has made me more attuned to the amount of helpful resources that are being shared and available online. In designing a new unit this week on “the design process and inventions” for my sixth grade science class, I decided to go to the web for resources. I found a whole educational community based around a PBS show called The Design Squad. The website for this teen reality show gave me a large amount of tools I could use to help me design a unit that would best fit my student’s needs. Just yesterday Edutopia connected me to High Tech High which features a large amount of project based learning ideas, examples, and lessons.
I wanted to share one incidental thing I learned and applied in my classes this week from our assigned material. After watching the Downes/Siemens lectures in our assigned material for this week, I was interested in how people were using Twitter to interact with the lecturers while they were speaking. My students all have Google accounts so I decided to try to use Google’s Buzz social networking tool during a short lecture I was giving on the design process. I experimented on my first class and set ground rules that gave them the freedom to post a question or relevant comment about what I was saying. It may have been the novelty of a new activity, but it went off much better than I anticipated. Using this tool seemed to allow for more active involvement in something so inactive as listening to a teacher. I also noticed a few students asking questions who do not normally do so. While I am far from saying I am comfortable integrating this tool in everyday class, I am really happy I gave it a chance and will look for opportunities to use it in the future.
After all I learned this week I can truly say that a more open classroom is a better classroom.
After the “open” photo activity I’ve been considering the idea what it means to be “open” in the context of my own classwork. Opening course materials to the world requires at least some parties involved to share. As a parent I have come to understand sharing in new ways these past few years. Teaching my sons how to share has caused me to reflect on my own act of sharing in my current roles a teacher, student and even as a friend/family member. Just as it can be hard for a child to share a toy that belongs to him or her, I find I can also have a hard time sharing my work with others. Sharing work requires certain degree of vulnerability and humility from the person doing the sharing, not to mention the time and effort it takes. Yet, it should come so easy to share when I think of sharing my work in the context of sharing toys. Just as my son didn’t actually buy the toys he plays with, I need to understand that pretty much every thought and educational idea I ever had is not new and has in some way been shared with me. This should motivate me to share as much and often as I can when it comes to educational resources.
In addition to the photo assignment, the activities we did this week were helpful to my growth as a teacher. The act of uploading my work on OER Commons was a valuable experience. It gave me a good feeling to open my work up to whomever might find it useful. I felt a responsibly for that work to be a certain quality standard since it is being shared with (potentially) a large group of people and not just my professor. I also had a chance to browse both the OER Commons and Connexions databases. I plan to use these in the future when I am creating instruction.
The presentation assignment was helpful to understanding OERs in a broader scope. I especially benefited from reading about OERs in Asia. It is interesting to see the way other countries are using OERs. In China it appears the government wants to open courses by offering money to professors. I am not sure if this is for more for accountability or to benefit those who may not have the same access to a university education. If knowledge is the key to a better life, I can see good things happening for those less fortunate who are able to access this free courseware in China.
This module has made me more attuned to the amount of helpful resources that are being shared and available online. In designing a new unit this week on “the design process and inventions” for my sixth grade science class, I decided to go to the web for resources. I found a whole educational community based around a PBS show called The Design Squad. The website for this teen reality show gave me a large amount of tools I could use to help me design a unit that would best fit my student’s needs. Just yesterday Edutopia connected me to High Tech High which features a large amount of project based learning ideas, examples, and lessons.
I wanted to share one incidental thing I learned and applied in my classes this week from our assigned material. After watching the Downes/Siemens lectures in our assigned material for this week, I was interested in how people were using Twitter to interact with the lecturers while they were speaking. My students all have Google accounts so I decided to try to use Google’s Buzz social networking tool during a short lecture I was giving on the design process. I experimented on my first class and set ground rules that gave them the freedom to post a question or relevant comment about what I was saying. It may have been the novelty of a new activity, but it went off much better than I anticipated. Using this tool seemed to allow for more active involvement in something so inactive as listening to a teacher. I also noticed a few students asking questions who do not normally do so. While I am far from saying I am comfortable integrating this tool in everyday class, I am really happy I gave it a chance and will look for opportunities to use it in the future.
After all I learned this week I can truly say that a more open classroom is a better classroom.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Module 04: "Culture," Context, and Instructional Design
The readings on context were helpful to my understanding of this complex but important foundation in instructional design. I found the Tessmer and Richey article helpful in conceptualizing instructional context. The Rickertt piece displayed the chaotic nature of context in instructional design. I was surprised by the many factors that were out of her control while designing instruction. I was also interested to read that there were elements of context that were under her control but not known at the time. Communication with all stakeholders seemed to be an important aspect to designing instruction in another culture. It seems it is only through experience that a designer can learn what questions to ask from whom and when to ask them. The Tessmer and Richey Context-based Model goes far to define, isolate, and control issues of context. Yet, when applied in the real world they come against many elements in instruction that might be hard to predict. When a different culture is added things become even more unpredictable. While reading the Arias & Clark article as well as other readings I came to the conclusion that besides a SME a designer may find it useful to know a CME (Cultural Matters Expert) to help a navigate the uncharted waters of a different culture.
I was especially interested in Perkins’ idea of “area of responsibility.” If students mind holds part of the context of learning, can an instructor expect to fully comprehend each nook and cranny of background knowledge and future goals and desires? While an instructor must consider context and scaffold students in instructional situations, a student should also become proficient in adapting to different forms of instruction. Student responsibility is where I see motivation as being of utmost importance. If a student finds purpose in a particular unit of instruction, he or she may be more likely to make adjustments that an instructor may not be able to foresee. You can see in the Rickertt article students exceeding the expectations of the designer. The unexpected motivation of the students really pulled together the whole instructional experience.
The discussion on culture and context was interesting to me as I was able to pick a few classmates brains about how they view culture in teaching from experience. One student mentioned that it is impossible to fully understand and meet the needs of all the cultures in his classroom. Instead a holistic approach is more appropriate. Also, an understanding the things that might offend or detract from learning are important to consider when managing a classroom of so many different cultures.
The readings and discussions this week have caused me to think more about how I consider context and culture in each of my lessons and how I can better do so in my future endeavors. After five years in my current teaching position I am able to say I have a pretty firm understanding of the culture in which I teach. This took a fair amount of time, reflection, and effort. Next year I will be teaching in a brand new setting an international school in Hungary. I will have students from all over the world and will be teaching in a new setting. I am trying to decide how I can best approach this teaching situation with what I learned from experience and research. Here are my thoughts broken into a few quick points:
Design instruction with as much understanding and sensitivity to the cultures of my students as possible
I hope to look back on this posting before I start teaching and I hope to take time to reflect amongst the whirlwind of events that will occur in the next half of a year.
I was especially interested in Perkins’ idea of “area of responsibility.” If students mind holds part of the context of learning, can an instructor expect to fully comprehend each nook and cranny of background knowledge and future goals and desires? While an instructor must consider context and scaffold students in instructional situations, a student should also become proficient in adapting to different forms of instruction. Student responsibility is where I see motivation as being of utmost importance. If a student finds purpose in a particular unit of instruction, he or she may be more likely to make adjustments that an instructor may not be able to foresee. You can see in the Rickertt article students exceeding the expectations of the designer. The unexpected motivation of the students really pulled together the whole instructional experience.
The discussion on culture and context was interesting to me as I was able to pick a few classmates brains about how they view culture in teaching from experience. One student mentioned that it is impossible to fully understand and meet the needs of all the cultures in his classroom. Instead a holistic approach is more appropriate. Also, an understanding the things that might offend or detract from learning are important to consider when managing a classroom of so many different cultures.
The readings and discussions this week have caused me to think more about how I consider context and culture in each of my lessons and how I can better do so in my future endeavors. After five years in my current teaching position I am able to say I have a pretty firm understanding of the culture in which I teach. This took a fair amount of time, reflection, and effort. Next year I will be teaching in a brand new setting an international school in Hungary. I will have students from all over the world and will be teaching in a new setting. I am trying to decide how I can best approach this teaching situation with what I learned from experience and research. Here are my thoughts broken into a few quick points:
Design instruction with as much understanding and sensitivity to the cultures of my students as possible
- Be flexible and willing and ready to adjust
- Provide an eclectic variety of learning experiences (Collis, 1999)
- Make observations, talk to students, parents and fellow educators
- Be patient, reflect on lessons and learn from mistakes
- Understand that I cannot control everything in educational setting, and should not attempt to do so
I hope to look back on this posting before I start teaching and I hope to take time to reflect amongst the whirlwind of events that will occur in the next half of a year.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Module 03: Exploring a Regional Perspective
During this three week module in I explored two very different topics to International ICTs, both of which I will address in this post, standards in ODL and ICTs in Hungary.
Standards in ODL
As a class we considered standards for open and distance education (ODL). We looked at ways international standards could be developed to help guide stakeholders in these educational institutions. Among many topics that I found interesting is this idea of “diploma mills.” I haven’t really looked into or thought about these ideas very often before this module. I am surprised at some of the seemingly unethical practices that exist in academia. These types of situations show a need for international standards to guide organizations practices. Our instructor set up an interesting problem by suggesting that barriers have importance, but that they can also provide too much protection and isolate ODL institutions and students worldwide. He suggested among other ideas that research-based best practices should be incorporated to ensure quality programs and creating informed international standards for ODL.
Despite the education of so many in the balance, and risk to the sustainability of ODL programs, I have trouble seeing how international standards for ODL could be created, agreed upon by all stakeholders, and more importantly enforced. There is a lot to consider when it comes to this complex issue and I cannot say I understand it fully. One remedy in sight at least in the U.S. is the regulation of unethical practices in ODL. Yet, this is also a foggy battle in Washington D.C. which pits wealthy advocates for for-profit against those interesting in protecting educational practices in America and abroad.
This applies to me personally because it helps me to understand the importance of standards in organizations, especially those in the field of education. It helps me to see education in a more systematic fashion. As a teacher I come into a system everyday and teach my lessons. If the system is not guided by standards guided by empirically based best practices my role as a teacher even could be less effective. In the future before I teach for a school I need to be fairly critical of guiding practices and make sure it aligns with my own philosophies. In the future I also hope to be much more accepting of any standards imposed upon me or with which I am asked to comply. In summary, because of this module I now think of education a little more systematically.
ICTs in Hungary
Individually we explored a regional issue in ICTs. Because of my future endeavors will lead me to Hungary, I chose to look into to ICTs in Hungarian education. Though I have never actually taken an “economics class” during my time in academia, I have been increasing interested in geo-economics after listening for sometime now to a favorite NPR radio program called “Plant Money.” I enjoy the complexity of situations economics imposes on a person/people group/government/etc. During our introductory week of this class we looked at ideas like “knowledge-based economies.” As a future cog in the Hungarian economy my interest in how Hungary’s communist past affects its current economic status lead me to research these ideas and develop the following thesis: When implemented well, ICTs can have a positive effect on economic development in Hungary. After reading a number of peer-reviewed articles, government documents, and various other research I narrowed down the role ICTs in secondary schools for f economic development in Hungary to three ideas. Basically, I believe ICTs will allow a decentralization of information flow, exposure to knowledge building tools, and a generation of interest for research, development, and innovation. All three of these factors have shown an ability to grow and economy and could lead to more growth in Hungary.
I am really glad for the freedom we had to choose a topic and time that I took to do this research. I learned a great deal about society and the economy of Hungary through this project. I now better understand Hungary’s position as a former communist power, present EU nation, place in global economics, public and private ICT infrastructure, digital divide issues, public school system and many more odds and ends that will help me better understand the culture.
Standards in ODL
As a class we considered standards for open and distance education (ODL). We looked at ways international standards could be developed to help guide stakeholders in these educational institutions. Among many topics that I found interesting is this idea of “diploma mills.” I haven’t really looked into or thought about these ideas very often before this module. I am surprised at some of the seemingly unethical practices that exist in academia. These types of situations show a need for international standards to guide organizations practices. Our instructor set up an interesting problem by suggesting that barriers have importance, but that they can also provide too much protection and isolate ODL institutions and students worldwide. He suggested among other ideas that research-based best practices should be incorporated to ensure quality programs and creating informed international standards for ODL.
Despite the education of so many in the balance, and risk to the sustainability of ODL programs, I have trouble seeing how international standards for ODL could be created, agreed upon by all stakeholders, and more importantly enforced. There is a lot to consider when it comes to this complex issue and I cannot say I understand it fully. One remedy in sight at least in the U.S. is the regulation of unethical practices in ODL. Yet, this is also a foggy battle in Washington D.C. which pits wealthy advocates for for-profit against those interesting in protecting educational practices in America and abroad.
This applies to me personally because it helps me to understand the importance of standards in organizations, especially those in the field of education. It helps me to see education in a more systematic fashion. As a teacher I come into a system everyday and teach my lessons. If the system is not guided by standards guided by empirically based best practices my role as a teacher even could be less effective. In the future before I teach for a school I need to be fairly critical of guiding practices and make sure it aligns with my own philosophies. In the future I also hope to be much more accepting of any standards imposed upon me or with which I am asked to comply. In summary, because of this module I now think of education a little more systematically.
ICTs in Hungary
Individually we explored a regional issue in ICTs. Because of my future endeavors will lead me to Hungary, I chose to look into to ICTs in Hungarian education. Though I have never actually taken an “economics class” during my time in academia, I have been increasing interested in geo-economics after listening for sometime now to a favorite NPR radio program called “Plant Money.” I enjoy the complexity of situations economics imposes on a person/people group/government/etc. During our introductory week of this class we looked at ideas like “knowledge-based economies.” As a future cog in the Hungarian economy my interest in how Hungary’s communist past affects its current economic status lead me to research these ideas and develop the following thesis: When implemented well, ICTs can have a positive effect on economic development in Hungary. After reading a number of peer-reviewed articles, government documents, and various other research I narrowed down the role ICTs in secondary schools for f economic development in Hungary to three ideas. Basically, I believe ICTs will allow a decentralization of information flow, exposure to knowledge building tools, and a generation of interest for research, development, and innovation. All three of these factors have shown an ability to grow and economy and could lead to more growth in Hungary.
I am really glad for the freedom we had to choose a topic and time that I took to do this research. I learned a great deal about society and the economy of Hungary through this project. I now better understand Hungary’s position as a former communist power, present EU nation, place in global economics, public and private ICT infrastructure, digital divide issues, public school system and many more odds and ends that will help me better understand the culture.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Module 02: Educational Radio
In Auditory Presentations and Language Laboratories the authors present research that include cognitive theories of audio processing and various research on applications of presentations of an aural nature. While many conclusions are reached in this article, the ones I took away more than any were the practical application of research on creating audio presentations that best fit theories of cognitive processing. Another important conclusion is the fact that print may be better when time and learners are held constant, however, when individualization of instruction can occur, audio can very effective. African Oral Traditions: Riddles Among The Haya of Northwestern Tanzania presents riddles as a way to allow learners to become active members of their culture. It shows the significance of oral traditions in introducing young learners to social, political, economic, and even more personal concepts such as understanding ones own body. The paper calls on African curriculum developers to use riddles in instructional design to provide an education that ensures critical thinking skills, is culturally relevant, and is a form of instruction that is truly an African. In The Return of Educational Radio the author explains the past uses for radio in education and suggests ways that radio can be used in current education practices. Radio is presented as a low-cost way to teach a broad subject to a broad group. Negative aspects to radio include the fact that in most cases it is a one way communication device; and furthermore, a teaching tool that does not afford the instructor the ability to understand prior knowledge of his or her general audience. In the Audiocast Diaries: Reflections on radio and podcasting for delivery of educational soap operas, Wendy Elliott allows readers to understand her perspective of a researcher on the best ways to implement a set of audio programs. Elliott provides historic and current uses of a variety of mediums and compares issues like cost and audience. While at the outset she appears to set out to answer her question with a more concrete answer, she arrives at the conclusion that many forms can be reliable in presenting programs. She goes on to suggest a likely convergence that will use mediums in a way that best fits the needs of instructors and learners in the 21st century.
This week the course materials helped me to understand possible applications of audio in the classroom. Particularly, I am seeing that well-trained teachers are, of course, preferred in each classroom. Yet, with radio instruction a teacher who does not understand best practices, instructional design theories, effective assessment practices, etc., can manage a classroom where effective learning occurs. I must however question radio education as cure-all for schools. I think it can provide a relevant service for education in developing nations, but should not be seen as an end to great instruction. For example it could be used for teaching while teachers are in the process of being trained.
As I read through the research provided by the other students on the board this week one issue I have been questioning is sustainability and radio instruction. While sustainability is an important aspect to programs that use ICT developing countries, at what point does a practice become sustainable to the point that it loses its effectiveness? For example, radio clearly presents low-cost, broad solution that could allow this practice to continue year after year. However, this comes at the cost of education that is tailored to individual learners and provides opportunity for quick feedback and relationship building. In my personal learning situations I value the ability to get to know the person who is leading my learning experience. At the same time I enjoy the benefits of educators getting to know me and creating instruction that fits my instructional needs. Radio seems that it could become a fix that serves the masses for issues such as AIDS education, clean water treatment, or agricultural market costs, but does not seem to me to provide a quality fix for the general education of a student who wishes to become successful in a specific area.
This all impacts me personally because when I step in front of my students I want to make sure I am bringing them the very best educational situations possible. In contrast to educators in some places in the world I have the ability tailor instruction to fit the personality, culture, and personal learning goals of my classes and students. I can teach concepts in a variety of ways to make sure all students are learning. In radio education most of the time the material and presentation time is held constant so learning is variable. In my classroom I am able foster an environment where the material presentation is suited to my students and I can try my best to provide them the time they need to learn. I feel this variable instruction/time dynamic makes learning more of a constant. I do see a potential for using audio in the classroom. From reading some of the resources on the board I see some great ideas for how Podcasting can be used to individualize instruction.
This week the course materials helped me to understand possible applications of audio in the classroom. Particularly, I am seeing that well-trained teachers are, of course, preferred in each classroom. Yet, with radio instruction a teacher who does not understand best practices, instructional design theories, effective assessment practices, etc., can manage a classroom where effective learning occurs. I must however question radio education as cure-all for schools. I think it can provide a relevant service for education in developing nations, but should not be seen as an end to great instruction. For example it could be used for teaching while teachers are in the process of being trained.
As I read through the research provided by the other students on the board this week one issue I have been questioning is sustainability and radio instruction. While sustainability is an important aspect to programs that use ICT developing countries, at what point does a practice become sustainable to the point that it loses its effectiveness? For example, radio clearly presents low-cost, broad solution that could allow this practice to continue year after year. However, this comes at the cost of education that is tailored to individual learners and provides opportunity for quick feedback and relationship building. In my personal learning situations I value the ability to get to know the person who is leading my learning experience. At the same time I enjoy the benefits of educators getting to know me and creating instruction that fits my instructional needs. Radio seems that it could become a fix that serves the masses for issues such as AIDS education, clean water treatment, or agricultural market costs, but does not seem to me to provide a quality fix for the general education of a student who wishes to become successful in a specific area.
This all impacts me personally because when I step in front of my students I want to make sure I am bringing them the very best educational situations possible. In contrast to educators in some places in the world I have the ability tailor instruction to fit the personality, culture, and personal learning goals of my classes and students. I can teach concepts in a variety of ways to make sure all students are learning. In radio education most of the time the material and presentation time is held constant so learning is variable. In my classroom I am able foster an environment where the material presentation is suited to my students and I can try my best to provide them the time they need to learn. I feel this variable instruction/time dynamic makes learning more of a constant. I do see a potential for using audio in the classroom. From reading some of the resources on the board I see some great ideas for how Podcasting can be used to individualize instruction.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Module 01: ICTs and Development
In his chapter Development Agendas and the Place of ICTs, Tim Unwin provides a broad overview of the historical, geo-economical, and social constructs that have influenced and will continue to influence the changes that take place in cultures around the world. He notes a longstanding divide in cultures influenced by an economic drive for cheaper labor and production resources. He then goes on to elaborate on the transformative power of ICTs for developing nations. Finally, he suggests it is a moral obligation to empower those who have been marginalized by critically looking at the needs of those in the developing world and finding solutions that lead to greater social equality. In her chapter ICTs in Education: Catalyst for Development in the same book, Michelle Selinger looks at the power of ICTs to deliver better education to those in the developing world, thus helping to find solutions to help citizens of a nation take control of their own lives. She offers a framework that considers the many facets of the delivery of education from government to administrator to teacher to basic students needs. She concludes her chapter by emphasizing the importance of ICTs as a means of collaboration and coordination between stakeholders in an initiative and even between developing nations who wish to avoid costly mistakes made by others. In the chapter ICT for Development: Challenges and Possibilities, the authors suggest that a critical and systematic approach to ICT implementation that can lead to increased development and social justice in a country. They touch on issues related to ICT implementation in the areas of education, development, and the inclusion of those otherwise ignored by the present government or system in place. They view a use of ICTs as a means for greater solidarity within excluded groups in a nation, but also in a global context, that is allowing others to help in finding solutions that lead to greater peace and equality. In the chapter ICT for Education, Development, and Social Justice: Some Theoretical Issues, Michalinos Zembylas introduces two distinct development paradigms: the modernization development paradigm leading to inequality, and the social justice development paradigm leading to a more equal opportunity for all. He provides ideas on how the latter paradigm can be better supported by taking a critical look at social justice issues rather than just focusing on getting technology into the hands of those who do not have access.
While I learned many new things from our module this week, one theme I read, discussed and thought over more than any other is this idea is for fairer, more effective use, ICTs cannot be forced into a culture from the top down, but a more grassroots approach must be taken. Those entrusted with providing the ICTs need to take a critical, systematic consideration every stage of the process to ensure fairness and effectiveness in ICT administration (Zembylas, 2009). ICTs can aid development by adding value to those communities, schools, local governments, etc. who demonstrate the capacity and desire to benevolently develop for the good of all. This is something that the process of globalization historically has proven an inability to do (Unwin, 2009).
The idea that I found most valuable from the materials this week comes from the UC Berkley lecture: Ten Myths of ICT for International Development. The lecturer, Dr. Toyama downplays the role technology provided for development, and instead emphasizes the role of technology as a tool that can “magnify human intent and capacity.” Thus, the human element becomes the most important issue, and technology a means to magnify those desires and abilities of those who use it. This is a departure from what I previously understood. Socially speaking, I always saw technology as an equalizer much like Thomas Friedmen in his bestseller The World is Flat. Technology is spoken about in his book in almost a religious way. ICTs are seen as the cure to the common underdevelopment issue. I should have known this could not be true. While India has seen unprecedented development in the past 15 years due to ICTs, there still remains a large portion of the population outside of the major cities in India that still live in extreme poverty. This cognitive dissonance between Friedman’s world and the world I read about in our module this week has me thinking development is far more complex issue than I have ever understood it to be. While I see from our readings the potential and power behind ICTs in aiding development issues, I have a hard time wrapping my head around practical applications of development. We have been provided with many examples of ICTs in action in our course material this week. Yet it seems to me that what works for one situation, culture, nation, etc. will not always find success in another. I suppose to stand back after two weeks of reading and thinking and say I am more perplexed by issues of development and the role of ICTs than when I started is a great way to start this class. I truly look forward to unraveling the details as we continue on.
While I have no direct involvement in ICTs for development at this time, the readings this week have helped me to better understand the role of any communication technology in the lives of any context including my own. What I mean is communications technology cannot be the end of any initiative, classroom lesson plan, or development plan, but simply the means to more magnify the ends of these plans. In my life as a teacher I design units, recommend software/hardware to other teachers, and make technology decisions for my family (my personal favorite). Most technology decisions are costly. I need to get away from this unfounded belief that technology equals motivation. For example, how many times do people with no motivation to exercise buy a treadmill thinking it will help them to run more often and get in shape? Then, after a month or two it sits idle, making a great clothes hanger. If there is not already a strong desire to get in shape, the treadmill is practically useless. In this same way a treadmill purchase cannot provide a person with intent or capacity to be a great runner, a cell phone or satellite dish will not add an intent or capacity to a person outside previously existing desires to be a developer of his or her country, community, or household. That is why it is important for an educational technologist/husband/ICT4D advocate to think critically about what to purchase for whom and to provide education, motivation, and/or continued support for maximum benefits from any technology tool investment.
References
Selinger, M. (2009). ICT in education: Catalyst for development. In T. Unwin (Ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development, (pp. 206-248). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Toyama, K. (2010, November 10). Lecture. Presented at the CITRIS Research Exchange, UC Berkley
Unwin, T. (2009). Development agendas and the place of ICTs. In T. Unwin (Ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development (pp. 7-37). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Zembylas, M. (2009). ICT for development: Challenges and Possibilities. In C. Vrasidas, M. Zembylas, & G. V. Glass, ICT for education, development, and social justice (pp. 3-15). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers
Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M., & Glass, G. V. (2009). ICT for education, development, and social justice: Some theoretical issues. In C. Vrasidas, M. Zembylas, & G. V. Glass, ICT for education, development, and social justice (pp. 17-29). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers.
While I learned many new things from our module this week, one theme I read, discussed and thought over more than any other is this idea is for fairer, more effective use, ICTs cannot be forced into a culture from the top down, but a more grassroots approach must be taken. Those entrusted with providing the ICTs need to take a critical, systematic consideration every stage of the process to ensure fairness and effectiveness in ICT administration (Zembylas, 2009). ICTs can aid development by adding value to those communities, schools, local governments, etc. who demonstrate the capacity and desire to benevolently develop for the good of all. This is something that the process of globalization historically has proven an inability to do (Unwin, 2009).
The idea that I found most valuable from the materials this week comes from the UC Berkley lecture: Ten Myths of ICT for International Development. The lecturer, Dr. Toyama downplays the role technology provided for development, and instead emphasizes the role of technology as a tool that can “magnify human intent and capacity.” Thus, the human element becomes the most important issue, and technology a means to magnify those desires and abilities of those who use it. This is a departure from what I previously understood. Socially speaking, I always saw technology as an equalizer much like Thomas Friedmen in his bestseller The World is Flat. Technology is spoken about in his book in almost a religious way. ICTs are seen as the cure to the common underdevelopment issue. I should have known this could not be true. While India has seen unprecedented development in the past 15 years due to ICTs, there still remains a large portion of the population outside of the major cities in India that still live in extreme poverty. This cognitive dissonance between Friedman’s world and the world I read about in our module this week has me thinking development is far more complex issue than I have ever understood it to be. While I see from our readings the potential and power behind ICTs in aiding development issues, I have a hard time wrapping my head around practical applications of development. We have been provided with many examples of ICTs in action in our course material this week. Yet it seems to me that what works for one situation, culture, nation, etc. will not always find success in another. I suppose to stand back after two weeks of reading and thinking and say I am more perplexed by issues of development and the role of ICTs than when I started is a great way to start this class. I truly look forward to unraveling the details as we continue on.
While I have no direct involvement in ICTs for development at this time, the readings this week have helped me to better understand the role of any communication technology in the lives of any context including my own. What I mean is communications technology cannot be the end of any initiative, classroom lesson plan, or development plan, but simply the means to more magnify the ends of these plans. In my life as a teacher I design units, recommend software/hardware to other teachers, and make technology decisions for my family (my personal favorite). Most technology decisions are costly. I need to get away from this unfounded belief that technology equals motivation. For example, how many times do people with no motivation to exercise buy a treadmill thinking it will help them to run more often and get in shape? Then, after a month or two it sits idle, making a great clothes hanger. If there is not already a strong desire to get in shape, the treadmill is practically useless. In this same way a treadmill purchase cannot provide a person with intent or capacity to be a great runner, a cell phone or satellite dish will not add an intent or capacity to a person outside previously existing desires to be a developer of his or her country, community, or household. That is why it is important for an educational technologist/husband/ICT4D advocate to think critically about what to purchase for whom and to provide education, motivation, and/or continued support for maximum benefits from any technology tool investment.
References
Selinger, M. (2009). ICT in education: Catalyst for development. In T. Unwin (Ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development, (pp. 206-248). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Toyama, K. (2010, November 10). Lecture. Presented at the CITRIS Research Exchange, UC Berkley
Unwin, T. (2009). Development agendas and the place of ICTs. In T. Unwin (Ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development (pp. 7-37). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Zembylas, M. (2009). ICT for development: Challenges and Possibilities. In C. Vrasidas, M. Zembylas, & G. V. Glass, ICT for education, development, and social justice (pp. 3-15). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers
Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M., & Glass, G. V. (2009). ICT for education, development, and social justice: Some theoretical issues. In C. Vrasidas, M. Zembylas, & G. V. Glass, ICT for education, development, and social justice (pp. 17-29). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
EdTech 504 - Final Thoughts
I know that this coming school year will be one of change in my classroom because of the things I learned in this class. The course provided me with a definite foundation of theories on which to design and implement instruction. In addition, it will help me become a better guide in my perceptions and actions in daily classroom activity. However, exploring ideas from age old to brand new and emerging has developed my desire to make an impact on the world using this knowledge.
My family, wife and two kids, are not planning on staying in the area we live (and I grew up) for an extended time period of time. Our ideas of the future possibly involve living outside the United States teaching in an international school and/or becoming involved in education in another city or town in the country. Options seem wide open right now. Education has become my passion and heartbeat in the last 10 years of my life. I find a depth of rewards in teaching and the inherent learning that goes on in the process. I feel this program, and especially this class has transported my learning by leaps and bounds ahead the knowledge from experience that taught me so much in my first 5 years of practice. In conversations with my wife this summer I have been talking about how I could apply these things in my class this next year, but also in our future goals as educators.
As I said in the last post, I hold to the idea that what I believe will naturally flow out of my words and actions as an educator. I feel my beliefs have changed in many ways as I look back on my reflections from the past 7 weeks.
I now better understand:
I do not know what the future has in store, but I know that I will look back on this class as a real foundation to my idea of educational technology. When I started this program in the summer of 2008 I was ready to learn about Web 2.0 tools, web design, and ways to get my kids to use computers more in the learning process. I am now leaving this program with so much more than a better understanding of “computers and kids.” The process of providing effective, efficient learning has a potential to serve so many people by improving learning and providing a better quality of life. This is even if technology tools are not considered in design and implementation of instruction. The addition of access and consideration of technology tools in design opens exciting and seemingly endless possibilities in instruction. Education promotes change. If I am able to apply the things I learn in this class in a way that improves the quality of life of even one person I believe I will find satisfaction in goals. My hope, however, is to impact many more.
My family, wife and two kids, are not planning on staying in the area we live (and I grew up) for an extended time period of time. Our ideas of the future possibly involve living outside the United States teaching in an international school and/or becoming involved in education in another city or town in the country. Options seem wide open right now. Education has become my passion and heartbeat in the last 10 years of my life. I find a depth of rewards in teaching and the inherent learning that goes on in the process. I feel this program, and especially this class has transported my learning by leaps and bounds ahead the knowledge from experience that taught me so much in my first 5 years of practice. In conversations with my wife this summer I have been talking about how I could apply these things in my class this next year, but also in our future goals as educators.
As I said in the last post, I hold to the idea that what I believe will naturally flow out of my words and actions as an educator. I feel my beliefs have changed in many ways as I look back on my reflections from the past 7 weeks.
I now better understand:
- Knowledge and the ways of gaining knowledge in a totally different light
- Behaviorism as a helpful tool to understand learning and providing some instruction
- The importance of helping students form cognitive connections in learning
- The need to highly support students need in constructing their own knowledge and considerations to take in instructional design
- The application of research-based motivation in classroom practices
- An application for the interconnectedness of many different learning theories and an openness to more theories than previous beliefs
- How to critically analyze work that is above my head in an annotated bibliography
- How to cite papers in correct APA format (hopefully!)
- And much more...
I do not know what the future has in store, but I know that I will look back on this class as a real foundation to my idea of educational technology. When I started this program in the summer of 2008 I was ready to learn about Web 2.0 tools, web design, and ways to get my kids to use computers more in the learning process. I am now leaving this program with so much more than a better understanding of “computers and kids.” The process of providing effective, efficient learning has a potential to serve so many people by improving learning and providing a better quality of life. This is even if technology tools are not considered in design and implementation of instruction. The addition of access and consideration of technology tools in design opens exciting and seemingly endless possibilities in instruction. Education promotes change. If I am able to apply the things I learn in this class in a way that improves the quality of life of even one person I believe I will find satisfaction in goals. My hope, however, is to impact many more.
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