Comments on: (Don’t) Pin the Technology http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/ tales of swimming upstream Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:43:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Following Threads | Learning In a Flat World http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-41189 Following Threads | Learning In a Flat World Tue, 20 May 2008 15:58:27 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-41189 [...] a wonderful blog that I follow - The Fish Wrapper. She had blogged a couple of weeks ago about the difficulty in getting students to buy in to the use of technology in classes, but I had not then followed the thread in her post. I [...] […] a wonderful blog that I follow - The Fish Wrapper. She had blogged a couple of weeks ago about the difficulty in getting students to buy in to the use of technology in classes, but I had not then followed the thread in her post. I […]

]]> By: Kevin http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-40244 Kevin Thu, 08 May 2008 12:27:57 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-40244 But unless we build a school from the ground up, technology will almost always be seen as the "additive" because that is what it is. We are trying to squeeze the tools into an existing structure and often that happens before the pedagogy is even in place. I wonder if schools that are now being designed (maybe these are Charter Schools in the current climate) around full technology integration will have a completely different persona, identity, whatever, than a 30 year old school with a new computer lab or laptop cart. Interesting. Kevin But unless we build a school from the ground up, technology will almost always be seen as the “additive” because that is what it is. We are trying to squeeze the tools into an existing structure and often that happens before the pedagogy is even in place.
I wonder if schools that are now being designed (maybe these are Charter Schools in the current climate) around full technology integration will have a completely different persona, identity, whatever, than a 30 year old school with a new computer lab or laptop cart.
Interesting.
Kevin

]]> By: Carolyn Foote http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39827 Carolyn Foote Sun, 04 May 2008 02:40:00 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39827 When I read this statement that you wrote--"I think it allows us and the faculty we work with to practice technology as as an additive as opposed to a baked-in ingredient in what we do in higher education. There is a sense of “otherness” to our use and conversations about technology that removes it from the center of any real intellectual discourse"--it reminded me very much of something Chris Lehmann who teaches at SLA said in a keynote recently. He pointed out that we still think of it as "school PLUS technology" rather than it being integral. He pointed out that technology should be ubiquitious and invisible. Clearly, as you point out, the pedagogy has to be the point of it all. Britt, I'm thinking I need to read HERE Comes EVERYBODY--great quote. When I read this statement that you wrote–”I think it allows us and the faculty we work with to practice technology as as an additive as opposed to a baked-in ingredient in what we do in higher education. There is a sense of “otherness” to our use and conversations about technology that removes it from the center of any real intellectual discourse”–it reminded me very much of something Chris Lehmann who teaches at SLA said in a keynote recently.

He pointed out that we still think of it as “school PLUS technology” rather than it being integral. He pointed out that technology should be ubiquitious and invisible. Clearly, as you point out, the pedagogy has to be the point of it all.

Britt, I’m thinking I need to read HERE Comes EVERYBODY–great quote.

]]> By: Britt Watwood http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39682 Britt Watwood Thu, 01 May 2008 14:03:52 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39682 Martha, I love the visualization and message here. I am struck by parallels of what you say to what Clay Shirky said in HERE COMES EVERYBODY. "The most profound effects of social tools lag their invention by years, because it isn't until they have a critical mass of adopters, <i>adopters who take these tools for granted</i><i>, that their real effects begin to appear." {Italics mine} Jeff and I were talking this morning about how UMW seems to be further along in the use of blogging instructionally than others...you seem to be solving the transparency part.</i> Martha, I love the visualization and message here. I am struck by parallels of what you say to what Clay Shirky said in HERE COMES EVERYBODY. “The most profound effects of social tools lag their invention by years, because it isn’t until they have a critical mass of adopters, adopters who take these tools for granted, that their real effects begin to appear.” {Italics mine} Jeff and I were talking this morning about how UMW seems to be further along in the use of blogging instructionally than others…you seem to be solving the transparency part.

]]> By: Cathy http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39674 Cathy Thu, 01 May 2008 11:01:31 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39674 Martha, thanks for the opening caveats! I'll be sure not to read what I'm reading! Just givin' you a hard time. You know I agree wholeheartedly with you. It's one of the reasons why this notion of a convergence center makes so much sense. By making access to the technologies relatively transparent you enable all kinds of things to happen on the part of the learners, which includes the teachers. Sure beats wheeling in the projector cart. Keep ranting! Martha, thanks for the opening caveats! I’ll be sure not to read what I’m reading!

Just givin’ you a hard time.

You know I agree wholeheartedly with you. It’s one of the reasons why this notion of a convergence center makes so much sense. By making access to the technologies relatively transparent you enable all kinds of things to happen on the part of the learners, which includes the teachers. Sure beats wheeling in the projector cart.

Keep ranting!

]]> By: Lisa M Lane http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39644 Lisa M Lane Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:48:07 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2008/04/30/pin-the-technology/#comment-39644 If we're putting the pedagogy first, how can this happen? In a sense, educational technology <i>is</i> a tool like a typewriter, because we don't want to focus on the typewriting machine but rather on what is typed. If we start with "look kids! I'm typing", of course students would see the emphasis on the technology itself, and it would feel tacked on. But if the teaching goal is first, and we just happen to be using THIS technology (blog, wiki, cms) rather than THAT one (overhead, chalkboard, slide projector), how could they perceive it this way? Surely the whole donkey would be of one piece. If we’re putting the pedagogy first, how can this happen?

In a sense, educational technology is a tool like a typewriter, because we don’t want to focus on the typewriting machine but rather on what is typed.

If we start with “look kids! I’m typing”, of course students would see the emphasis on the technology itself, and it would feel tacked on.

But if the teaching goal is first, and we just happen to be using THIS technology (blog, wiki, cms) rather than THAT one (overhead, chalkboard, slide projector), how could they perceive it this way? Surely the whole donkey would be of one piece.

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