Category: ETEC 511

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ETEC 511

Spirituality and Educational Technology

I hadn’t given too much thought to the interaction between spirituality and educational technology before encountering it in this course. One of the thought questions provided is “is there a difference between spirituality in today’s technology-driven world and the spirituality of 500 years ago?”. I think that because technology has made the world a smaller place in the sense of communication, travel and being able to “know” about other people and places, much of an individual’s spirituality is based on the idea of knowing about something. What I mean by that is that because there are less unknowns, many people base their spirituality in facts and tangibles rather than “what ifs” and intangibles. For many, spirituality comes from a deep connection between the individual and a belief system and 500 years ago, there were less options for belief systems and in many ways, spirituality was prescribed. Nowadays, people are able to chose to be spiritual around many non-traditional ideas…. there are those than say rock n’ roll is their religion and as mentioned in DLG 11’s presentation, there are those who feel a spiritual connection to all things Mac. The technology driven world has definitely redefined spirituality and has forced individuals to clarify their own spiritual beliefs in relation to this world.

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ETEC 511

Economics of Educational Technology

economics of ed

This screen clip demonstrates the versatile ways in which we infuse technology into our everyday lives. During this economic crisis, it is clear that a distinct area of opportunity lies in teaching and learning technologies amongst other programs that replace the tangible institutions defined by space and time with technological versions of same.

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ETEC 511

Is access to sites and information on the internet changing, in your experience? What limits have you encountered?

In discussing the economics surrounding content on the Internet, Ciffolilli brings up a couple of good points about the changing access to information.

Personally, this is area that really interests me and one that I am actually exploring in my major paper for this class. In my experience access to site and information in changing, mostly in the name of economics. I find that many sites, whether journals, presentation tools or teacher resource sites, require subscriptions or memberships. In the case of journals, while I can access most through UBC VPN, what happens when I am no longer a UBC student? John Willinsky (instructor of LLED 565) has some great papers surrounding this subject and has started the Public Knowledge Project (http://pkp.sfu.ca/publications) to address this issue.

Some of the limits I have encountered both as a student and a teacher, are beyond the “closed door” of requiring a paid membership for access, rather, they have to do with the limitations in established authority of information. Is there a way of knowing whether the information we are reading is accurate or spoken from a position of authority or personal opinion? This has been a limiting factor for my students who often come across inaccurate information but take it at face value. Like Creative Commons stamps a seal of use on images, I wish there were a way for an authoritative body to stamp a seal of accuracy on information, in the free domain of course!

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ETEC 511

Haraway’s blurred boundaries

Haraway image

Haraway describes the blurred boundaries between “human and animal”, “animal and machine” and “physical and non-physical/virtual”. I think that the mythology structure in ancient Egypt (as referenced in the image above) represents these blurred boundaries well. While the virtual wasn’t a concept all those hundreds of years ago, the blurring between human and animal has origins within this civilization. By starting in ancient Egypt, one can see how the natural progression was to shift to the blurring between “animal and machine” and now finally, “physical and non-physical/virtual”.

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ETEC 511

Philosophy of Educational Technology

Educational Technology

Rachel Bronk (2009)

“We need new methods of education which will leave the child’s mind open longer… methods which teach him that safety lies not in knowledge but in knowing what could be but is not known.”

Dr. Margaret Mead[1]

As a teacher, I observe the interactions between learners, teachers, education and technology and the rethinking of these interactions as dictated by innovations in educational technology. The field of both education and technology are constantly changing and as such, so is my philosophy of educational technology. However, a fundamental component of my changing philosophy is the belief that educational technology has great potential for shaping the way we learn, think and communicate; without being limited to any particular demographics. Given the prevalence of mainstream, accessible, media based educational technologies, I believe that the purpose of educational technology is to facilitate greater understanding of the world and greater communication between its students, revolutionizing the traditional way we view teaching and learning.
For me, educational technology is best defined as comprising of the media based tools through which we teach and learn. Educational technology must be approached not as a novelty but rather as a tool possessing great potential; potential that must be needs to be realized in order to be effective. Educational technology is much more than a superficial tool; it can have biases, limitations and extensions that must be considered before using it in the classroom. I believe that educational technology should be woven into the “multiliteracies” of the classroom rather than being treated as a foreign object and paraded out from time to time. Educational technology reaches its potential in the classroom by being integrated into everyday teaching and learning. The manner in which educational technology is used is greater than the tools themselves, and I believe that as teachers gain more knowledge about how to use these tools, they will be able to enhance the classroom experience for all learners.

I believe that it is imperative for all teachers to learn how to implement educational technology beyond basic mechanics, by learning the pedagogical foundations that should guide its use. Educational technology has the potential to increase accessibility for students with disabilities as well as provide a greater variety of formats by which students can present and learn information. This enhanced accessibility and appeal is not only at the core of my philosophy of educational technology, but also a fundamental component of my teaching philosophy. In working with students with learning disabilities, I have seen firsthand how educational technology has been the great equalizer for these students and their ability to learn as integrated members of the classroom.

Educational technology represents a cultural shift in our society and its increasing presence is indicative of a shift in teaching and learning practices. For better or for worse, educational technology is presenting teachers and students alike with unique opportunities to transcend the boundaries of space and time in order to access knowledge and supplement their understandings. Similarly, educational technology affords increased forums in which to communicate and receive feedback as well as present information in multimodal ways that appeal to various senses. Like a supernova, the Internet caused an explosion of a myriad of technological opportunities and in turn, forced the definitions of teaching, learning, technology and education to be redefined within these new parameters. However, unlike a supernova, these technological opportunities did not fade with time, but rather have increased in prevalence and have proven to be flexible and dynamic, making “traditional” teaching methods appear rigid and inflexible in their offerings. Like a diamond[2], I believe that educational technology is multi-faceted, requiring those who teach with it and learn from it to explore beyond its commercial appeal to realize its full potential.

Philosophy

Figure 1 – Realizing the potential of educational technology.

[1] Mead, M. (1955). Cultural patterns and technical change. New York: Mentor.

[2] See Figure 1

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ETEC 511

Are we cyborgs?

Haraway says that “a cyborg is a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction” (p.65).

The phrase “social reality” is the one that resonates the most with me. It is our social reality that machines comprise a large part of what do, how we do it and (let’s face it) who we are. I suppose we are part machine because we are the ones manipulating the physical machines; acting through these vessels and using them to replace former ways of doing things (especially communication). We are the cyborgs forged from the social reality that that machines are among us, so deeply entrenched in our way of living that to remove the cybernetics would surely drastically alter the world we now know.

As educators, it is our job to not only recognize this but ensure that students utilize the organism as much as the machine and develop a positive co-dependence between the two rather than a complete reliance on the machine.

This was a really interesting article and has not lost relevance since it was authored in 1985. I remember reading this article in a second year English class and the point was sadly lost on me. At that time, I did not have the breadth of knowledge to see past images of The Terminator. I’m happy to say that this program, combined with years of educational clarity have caused a complete change of heart 🙂

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ETEC 511

Heidegger vs. Baudrillard

I’m going to admit that the concrete thinker in me has always been terrified of philosophy and I have successfully avoided having to address it until now! I found Heidegger’s article difficult to digest and I had to really go outside of my normal thinking patterns to begin to understand what he was saying. I thought I would address the question “Is there a connection between points in Heidegger’s The Question Concerning Technology and Baudrillard’s notions of simulacra?”…. not because I think I have any definitive answers, but because I can start to see some connections and I thought perhaps others would be able to expand upon them. My disclaimer is that anything I know about Baudrillard, I learned from Wikipedia 😉 The immediate (superficial) connection I made between Baudrillard’s notions of simulacra and Heideggers thoughts is the existence of a fourfold:

Heidegger  – 1) causa materialis 2) causa formulis 3) causa finalis 4) causa efficiens

Baudrillard – 1) basic reflection of reality 2) perversion of reality 3) pretence of reality 4) simulacrum (no relation to reality)

There are parallels between each corresponding stage of the fourfold , in particular, the fourth stage. Heidegger stages that causa efficiens is the catalyst that brings about the effect that is the finished product – in the case of a chalice, the causa efficiens is the silversmith. However, in the case of a concept (not an inanimate concept) what then is the causa efficiens? Is it created by the collective users/knowers of the concept? Baudrillard says that simulacra is not a copy of what is real but rather becomes a truth in its own right. So maybe this is the connection to Heidegger’s causa efficiens… I’m a little over my head here… any other thoughts?

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ETEC 511

Mead and “cultural relativity”

What particularly struck me about the Mead article was the fact that because it was written in 1955, there were not the associations with the word “technology” that there are now. I think that for the most part, we use the word technology as something synonymous with computers, the Internet etc. These modern connotations with technology are not seen in Mead’s article as she uses “technology” to refer to those tools, procedures and inventions that defined and altered specific cultures.

As for the ways that educational technology is culture… Mead says that “a change in any one part of the culture will be accompanied by changes in other parts”…. since the modern system of technology is largely defined by the innovations in computer technologies, the other parts of modern culture (such as political practices, education, daily habits etc.) are changing as a result. Educational technology, as computer based innovations in learning, is changing the landscape of communications, information gathering and other methods by which our culture is defined. Educational technology may not be historically a driver of “cultural relativity” but is a current defining force in our culture and an agent for change. The question is, how long will this remain the case?

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ETEC 511

Computers and smarter kids

I think, or at least hope, that the thinking has changed from “computers will make kids smarter” to “computer literacy is an important life skill for kids to acquire”. I too don’t buy any argument that would say computers contribute to smarter kids. Of course, I think a lot of studies blur the lines between socio-economic status and computers. In the case of the third world, computers are equal to an unlimited range of knowledge not otherwise available which in effect, has the potential to broaden the mind of students and brighten their futures. However, in Canada (or the US etc.), computers are more of a tool and computer literacy is as valued by many as basic math, reading, writing etc. The fact that computers allow us to access more knowledge, do calculations faster etc. is an affordance that does broaden the learning process because without it, we would be more limited because of the constraints of time and space. Definitely would be interesting to investigate the then vs. now mindset!

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ETEC 511

The many faces of technology

I grew up watching the evolution of technology but it wasn’t until I had to reflect upon this evolution did I realize how broad this field really is. I found also in talking to colleagues that there are many misconceptions about educational technology and the powerful place that it has in education. My favorite response when people hear about the program I am taking…. “How can you do a whole degree about computers?”. I find that the majority equate educational technology with the actual devices/tangible objects which, as we know, doesn’t even scratch the surface. It is my hope that teacher education programs will start to incorporate educational technology into core courses. I am definitely interested to see what the future holds with respect to technology and all of its associated definitions!

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