Having looked at this particular report, the top ten issues weren’t surprising; but were surely significant. Even though all ten issues are important, I paid some special attention to issues number 3 and four which cater to “teaching and learning with technology and security. I am in total agreement with the report that the former […]
Continue reading Educause: 2011 Top Ten IT Issues Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
I chose to focus on the IT issues as I am in part of the decision making team (the academic side) that works with the IT department (sometimes effectively, sometimes not) and so I wanted to explore what the survey participants felt were the barriers to good tech implementation. I found this article so useful […]
Continue reading Top Ten IT Issues Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Brenda,
About the critical questions to consider that are offered in this report, I think this is very useful. Currently I am working on coordinating a graduate program about new technologies for researchers and educators of Social Studies and Humanities. One of the issues that we are facing is that me and the instructors of the courses had agreed in the needed technologies to run this program, but we did not discuss this issue with other faculty members that are involved in the program (they did not show interest on knowing about it before). The thing is that we are about to start the program and there is one faculty member that does not agree with one of the technologies that we are going to use. If we had discussed about this before, and analyze the opportunities that we had based on reports like this, it would be very useful. I will definitely take a look to it and propose to use it as an option for future programs.
It sounds like a common problem – including all stakeholders in major decisions about a technology decision – one that I experience regularly in my board. I will much more vocal in insisting that I have a voice in some of these key decisions and I will make sure that others are included in my own projects thanks to this article.
Even if the IT Funding was not voted the most important, its importance cannot be understated. I can only imagine the juggling act that CIOs deal with when allocating resources to big ticket items such as ERP and security. This report really opened my eyes to another dimension that I hadn’t given much thought about in terms of education.
“after reading each one, and seeing how much cooperation and coordination there needs to be in making the various decisions about learning technologies, perhaps his lack of success was not all his fault!”
I highly recommend reading the short book “The five dysfunctions of a team” by Patrick Lencioni. I am recognizing more and more the importance of “preparing the garden” before you start planting seeds. This is an issue we are also currently discussing in our Advanced Human Performance Technology class: the differing value systems of each group that must work together to accomplish a task. Without taking concerted efforts to develop team trust, openness to conflict and debate, commitment to a fully debated but final decision, holding each other accountable for meeting specific commitments and focusing on the success of the team as a whole (rather than just the tech department for instance or worse, just individual career success), there is never any true teamwork. Instead you just have a bunch of people whose work causes necessary interactions and unfortunate stress: no synergies, no serendipity, no common understanding at all.
that sounds like a book I need to find. True teamwork can be a difficult ideal to achieve, yet what organization can really succeed without it? The differing value systems is something I deal with every day…business groups worried only about the balanced budgets, IT worried about a well-oiled tech machine, and the academics worried about best delivery of learning..not well suited for collaborative discussion when the values are so divergent!
It is a beautiful thing, seeing text evolve from print to PDF to Web version, and the New Media Consortium played a large part in upping the ante while presenting these appealing predictions. The fact that users can download this report in other languages such as German and Japanese, with an (even riskier) option to […]
Continue reading New Media consorts on Horizon Report Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
I decided to do my critical analysis on “Top 10 IT issues”. My primary reason for choosing this report is because I do come from an academic background and I have had some brief dealings with the IT group. I had got a sense from my dealings with them that they were always under pressure and there […]
Continue reading Critical Analysis of “Top 10 IT issues” Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Juliana,
Your posting prompted me to take a look at the report. Your comment about IT issues faced by k-12 schools hit home with me. When delivering a professional development session recently, the top barrier identified by teachers for implementation of more web 2.0 teaching and learning strategies was reliability of the internet connection and security issues. Apparently the issues surrounding students loading apps on their computers and mobile devices to get through the network security are paramount. The connection speed is then being crippled by excessive downloading. Its unfortunate, because while we want to encourage students to use their own devices, we will not be able to do so effectively if there is not a solution found for these problems. In the article, security was described as a problem that was “big, and getting bigger” so apparently this is a universal issue. If someone could come up with a cost-effective solution to this problem (other than “don’t use your own devices”) it would be helping a lot of people.
Emily
Hi Emily,
It is true that k-12 schools lack of IT support is a huge issue. I remember that when I was doing my practicum, I had created all my lessons in powerpoint, utilizing videos and images. The problem was that the classroom I was using wasn’t set up for a projector. I had to set up everything from scratch for all of my classes.
Now with the advent of our mobile phones and apps, the technological landscape is completely different and the public schools just don’t have the support that they need to keep up. It usually falls on the shoulders of the Tech teachers who are already taxed to the limit, which is not really fair.
Juliana.
Reassuring to hear that our teachers are not the only ones finding these barriers that cause so much frustration. The article does not provide solutions to the issues, but at least can help institutions consider each of them before they make decisions that can impact our schools negatively.
Juliana,
Well said! The issues are broad-based and cover every level of the education spectrum. I think that these issues are here to stay based on the resource distribution pattern and the rapid advancement of educational technologies. The public schools will continue to take a battering from this wave especially in underdeveloped countries. Should we accept these issues or it is pointless trying to resolve some of them?
Everton
To the average educator, the pace at which new technologies appear may be overwhelming. The 2011 Horizons report has narrowed down the number of technologies judged most likely to impact teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in higher education over the next 4 years, from a list of 50 to a more manageable top 6. SUMMARY […]
Continue reading NMC 2011 Horizons Report: A critical analysis Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Karen,
I’d be interested to hear which of the technologies make the cut in your pro-d presentation, and if possible, bring these ideas to your North Van home for the teachers there. NMC’s Web version is amazing, isn’t it?!
Kyle
I too appreciate the breadth of the Horizon report (but like the Navigator even more now that I have explored the site) and we have used it in our department planning meetings when selecting what tools we would include in our blended learning projects. I will definitely look for the K-12 edition you are referring too. Thanks for pointing that out.
Karen Jones,
Interesting report. However, do you think the 6 selected technologies with be significant globally or just in a few locations? Even though it qualitatively done, I would really like to see some stats to get a better understanding of what actually took place and reasons for decision taken.
It is interesting that they focus on higher education versus K-12. Wondering if that is a more economically viable environment? or is that where many of the technological changes are seen?
Hi Deb, I was wondering the same thing. I posted a critique about ELI’s 7 Things you should know about… and I had the same sense….
Karen, About your ideas, I also read the NMC report and two things that kept my attention was that they specified who were behind this report and that its focus is global.
Angela
7 Things you should know about… is a report published every year by the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). This report provides useful information about emerging technologies and is based on the following criteria: What is it? How does it Work? Who’s Doing it? Why is it significant? What are the downsides? Where is it going? […]
Continue reading ELI’s 7 Things you should know about… Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Angela,
After quickly perusing the Emerging Markets library, this was the site that caught my attention, and the one I thought I would be most likely to come back to because of its clear organization. I don’t think I cottoned on to its emphasis on higher education, however, and appreciate your mention of that emphasis. I also find it interesting to see how this site, supported by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) alone, relates to the NMC Horizon report, which is a result of collaboration of the ELI and the New Media Consortium. Are the predictions of these reports different, and if so, by how much?!
Great analysis,
KJ
This article is also now saved to my Delicious account for future reference..my teachers will really appreciate the information provided in such a concise manner.
Hi Angela, I really enjoyed reading through your post. I do agree that this report is more useful for higher education areas however, it is still a wonderful site to learn about new emerging technologies!!
Jenaca
Hi all, thanks for your comments. even though I highlighted that this report is more useful for higher education, I still think it is a wonderful report for learning about emerging technologies. So, I would definitely revise future publications. Cheers!
As an educator I think ‘7 Things you should know about…’ is very useful for me. I am going to make apart of my “Favorites” and I am planning to introduce the site to my colleagues.
I am in agreement with you Emily that in the future this report should include a description of the implications for learning and teaching in a more detailed format, which includes both higher and k-12 education. Great points, I enjoyed the content of your posting.
As a newbie in the tech world, particularily edtech, I found this report very informative and easy to navigate. It stays clear of technical words and provides simple descriptions in plain language making it very accessible to a variety of readers.
I too noticed that much of the information is geared toward higher ed. and adult learners. I am wondering if this is because some of these edtechs are more prevalent in these settings and a matter of accessibility. Post-secondary institutions may have access to more money as well as individual students are more likely to use these technologies in their day-day lives as they may pruchase them themselves as opposed to an k-6 student who may only have access through school or at home. It would however be more beneficial to child educators to provide more discussion around how younger students may use these tools to enhance their learning experience.
There must have been something appealing about this article, because it seems to be popular so far with the reviewers. At the risk of being redundant… The 7 things you should know about… This is an awesome resource for teachers. It would also work for someone who is working in the education technology role within […]
Continue reading lucky number 7? Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Emily,
While seven is a lucky number, I had the feeling that the list of qualifications could be whittled down to five, and your mention of Web 2.0 reminds me of how 1.0 the information is presented. As Deb pointed out in there “To be totally honest…” post, most of the articles are committee-written, and not exactly ground-breaking results. There is neither a clear understanding of who is evaluating the technological resources, nor how others can add to or contest points being made. I agree with your GI Joe logic for “the other half of the battle” and Educause could include more more feedback posts, links or even peer-review “I like” responses for each article.
Kyle
Hi Kyle,
While I agree with you that none of the info is groundbreaking or presented in a very critical light, it does give the reader a quick idea of whether they want to engage with it further. For a lot of busy teachers, a quick 2 minute skim of an overview is all they want to commit to ‘yet another’ new technology. I definitely think this type of ‘quickie’ has a market.
Emily
Hi Kyle and Emily,
Your discussion makes me think that the more in-depth NMC Horizons report could be a good follow up to the quick intro that the 7 Things… report introduces. However, as a counter to your valid Web 1.0 format criticism, I would suggest a peek at the http://navigator.nmc.org/ website, which is a more visual, interactive, and up-to-date resource for emerging technologies.
Interesting points!
good point Karen – the Horizon navigator does give much more information…but I also appreciate the “coles notes” provided by the Top 7 article.
Hey Everyone,
I agree with Karen, this should definitely be used as an intro to the Horizon navigator. I find that by using the 7 things you should know about…. you can pick and choose which topic you would like to learn more specifically about and which topics you’d rather leave alone!
I read, “7 Things You Should Know About iPad Apps For Learning “ from the Educause Learning Initative. I found the format and content of the article useful and valuable for the following reasons: -It begins with a “Scenario” that reveals a ‘tangible’ example of how an ET can be used for someone who may […]
Continue reading 7 Things You Should Know About…(review) Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Well said Murray – I agree that some of these sections sound like promotions by the venture creators rather than a true assessment of a new tool. Did it help me make my decision of what tablet to purchase? No, I am still just as unsettled as before. I expect that I would have preferred an article on the merits of tablet use in general rather than one that specifically targets a brand such as the iPad. I agree that the Educause site is a valuable resource and so I have added it to my Delicious account for future reference!
I too commented on how this resource would be a good starting point. It is a great, quick tool for getting an idea of what something is and what it has to offer. By reading this, you could quickly get a gauge of whether or not you would be interested in investigating something further. I think that this is a valuable tool, since the available tools out there are so extensive, and can be overwhelming to navigate without a starting-off point. This could be something that an administrator sends out to a school staff once a month as a prompt for implementing more technology in teaching. Good point about the tone sounding like an advertisement!
Emily
Thanks for your feedback. After reading the article I actually DID send it to my administrator, who is a big tech-head. No response from him yet, but I’ll assume he feels the same way we do.
Great review, Murray, and I should take a closer look at the website (more than just skimming over to cover other sites). The apprehension you felt over iPad advertising reminds me of an account of the Wired magazine I am currently reading, which claims that the magazine’s purpose was to go deeper than just introducing a product, but examine the sociological impact of technology. That said, I found Educause a bit clunky with the abstracts and hyperlinks to the PDF – why not frontload the seven things when you first click on the topic? Also great that the articles are downloadable, which saves a few navigating clicks.
Kyle
Murray,
Great analysis on “7 Things You Should Know About iPad Apps for Learning”. I also felt like reading an advertisement when I read this article. However, it gave useful tips and information on educational apps. I was also satisfied to read the downsides of using iPad apps for learning. Your critique was well said.
Deb
The article “Evolving Technologies” offered insights to the different popular technologies and their best practices. The “7 Things You Should Know About…” and scenarios are good guidelines on how to assess particular technologies. I believe it is more suitable for community of educators and for learning technology ventures. Community of educators are interested in various technologies […]
Continue reading Is this technology right for me? Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Your list of 6 key issues that were not mentioned reminds me of Bates and Poole’s SECTIONS model (2003) of assessing technology. Anyone who has taken ETEC 531 will be very familiar with this model. Even though I also read their book excerpts in other MET courses, it was not until 531 that I really appreciated their list of assessment tools when selecting a technology. As a “purchaser” of technology for our school board, I see the importance now more than ever to ensure that we are spending our limited funds as effectively as possible. Your list of the 5 considerations for SMEs is very interesting as well – a very good summary of something else we should be considering. Great post!
So true – anyone spending money in this area needs to take 10 minutes to read that article. Ten minutes to save yourself ten years of flailing around! 😉
Brenda, you stole my post! Well… part of it, anyway. B&P’s SECTIONS model is what immediately came to mind for me, too. It is one of the things that has stuck with me the most after my first five courses. It’s something that’s “everyday useful”, so it pops into my head / use from time to time. When I was helping to deliver a PD day to school tech contacts last year, it was something I shared with the group… I could see several of the keeners copying it down & taking note(s). Like the other guidelines Stephen mentioned, it’s helpful to have a concise checklist to run through and force one to think of a technology’s many facets.
haha! your comment about the keeners taking notes made me chuckle. I bet those guys were nodding a lot too. 😉
Your comments made me think about another possibility for a list of recommendations, given that lots of educators want to pick something that doesn’t require much infrastructure (beyond internet access) or tech support. It could be rephrased into something catchy like, “the seven things you should know about technologies that are able to be used with little to no help like …”. On second thought, maybe they should just stick with the title they have. 🙂
Very astute observations of the missing components of the article ….and very valid reasons for concern. Often we miss some of the key components – like the cost of ownership, which makes a big difference versus the upfront pricing model. Very interesting – thanks for sharing.
schiong,
Great observation! There’s no way those significant considerations should be omitted. In ETEC 565, we learned about the importance of those missing pieces. Well I guess they will deal with these issues in future publications.
I have made impressive observations. The listing of six key issues reminded of Bates and Poole’s SECTIONS model (2003) of assessing technology, ETEC 531 and 565. I guess that points you have stated could be very useful in the selection of most suitable technology for an individual.
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
Angela Novoa 9:34 am on September 14, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Everton,
I agree with your concern about security and how the former has the potential to become very significant. As everything on earth (or what is related to human existence) has positive and negative effects, I would tend to think that what we need to do is to contribute on the development of a digital citizenship, where people (in our cases, our students) learn how to discriminate between ethical and unethical actions through the use of technologies. Risks will be there always, security issues will be there. But I think that the issue is: how can we inspire our students to take care of themselves just as they care of themselves when they are on the bus or walking on the street? There is the potential significance of formers (the power of moderation and feedback).
Angela
bcourey 3:57 pm on September 14, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Like Angela, I agree with your concern about security and the more we are opening our classrooms to wider access to the internet with the use of personal devices. We are faced with potential security issues as we move forward and try to provide the service they need for learning.
Keisha Edwards-Hamilton 7:20 pm on September 14, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Everton,
Security risk cannot be overstated as the cyber world is populated with a spectrum of malicious actors such as hackers and crackers.
Keisha