Incorporate Technology into Curriculum

Bringing urban schools into the information age: planning for technology vs technology planning

Fishman, B. J., & Pinkard N.

The authors noticed that many schools put computers into classrooms and thought that was it. However, hardware alone would not guarantee technology-enhance learning effect.

Fisherman and Pinkard pointed out three pitfalls in computer installed schools: insufficient use of computers, lack of technology support for teachers, and no connection between technology, learning theory or curriculum. To address these pitfalls, they suggested a “Planning for Technology” model.

(This paper was published in 2001 when computers were less common in schools or at home. Today, teachers in general gain better skills and knowledge in using computer.)

7 years passed and I wonder how many schools, including colleges, are aware of the pitfalls addressed and do use computers to enhance teachings. I mean, not by simply allow students to use pre-installed software such as word processor, digital graphic processor, searching on the Internet. I still consider these as insufficient use of computers.

I am more curious: how many schools have hold teacher discussion on how to incorporate technology into curriculum to form a shared vision?

Fisherman and Pinkard’s article was valuable because the model did gave out a step-by-step solution.

In our last class discussion we realized that provide computer and Internet access did not mean Digital Divide was eliminated, because unintended use of computers was popular and the envision goal was not achieved. I have the same worry the same would happen in schools, hardware access alone does not equal to obtaining technology-enhanced learning environment.

Digital Divide: is that so scary?

Lots of us agree that digital divide is the inequity access of computer / Internet.

What may be the consequence? One answer is that unable to access to them causes information inequity and further marginalized those who unable to access them, further push the digital divide gap. So in the stand point of social justice, we begin to fear.

Many people believe that digital divide is the cause of social-economic status. Say, if you can’t afford a computer and the Internet access, you fall into the victim of information and computer skill inequity. So you have a large chance to be in the disadvantage side of digital divide, just like the wealth divide and power divide.

(In the following discussion, I would like to refer computer / Internet access as “Digital”.)

I contemplate: what Digital brings to me? The answer is: I do gain information access and obtain computer skill development in a very general means. Just mention the informal learning side, say, I love taking pictures and I visit photography sites daily and absorb knowledge on camera component, accessories and digital editing skills. As for formal learning, we all use online library, Google scholar.

I can’t help thinking how popular Internet cafe is in China, which provides computers and Internet access for those who could not afford them (young people or students), to allow many activities such as studying, working, gaming, entertainment and instant message. Many times I passed the cafes simply to find young people were playing computer games or taking video chat, hanging on with net friends afar.

Digital use is voluntary. I noticed that my mom, with all convinience at hand (we had Digital at home), still prefered to use phone to connect to me. This pushed me to think that after all, Digital is a consumer product; some choose it while others don’t.

What troubled me was, the fear of digital divide pushes everyone to be Digital consumers.

Unexpected consequence of digital divide:

For those who on the weak side, they have

No Internet overuse
No video game overuse
No compulsive shopping, social networking, even blogging

Say, no Internet addiction disorder.

Cloud computing & distributed cognition

Somehow I connect these two concepts.

Let's see distributed cognition first.

After 3 weeks' reading, I guess now we all agree that:

1. it is a cognition process distributing between individuals & groups

2. cognition process connect internal (human) and external (invironment, including tools, aids to enhance cognition)

3. cognition across time & space. (prolong cognition)

Cloud computing:

The unitary definition has not come out yet, because its meaning and application still in evolution.

From a "hard" point, numerous computers / servers connected via the Internet (wifi, satellite) to form a super power

From a "soft" point, this super power handles numerous simutaneous requesting, filtering and outputing.

Do you see that this cloud computing fit cognition in all three of its features? It allows communication and cognition between individuals + groups + environment + time.

Individual distributed cognition: incarnation?

"Incarnation" jumped out of my mind when hanging on distributed cognition. For individual, he/she extends or exchange his/her thoughts/actions to/with external environment. Strange mind, isn't it?

Distributed cognition: simple or complex concept?

Last week I figured out what was distributed cognition:

1. Human brain was unable to handle everything in mind calculation, thus it needed tools and aids. It needed pencil and paper, etc, to extend its ability.

2. Sometimes tools and aids became part of cognition, this was especially true for sophiscated matters. Without them, a cognition process would break down. Eg, I lost my data when a hard drive failure occured, I was unable to continue my contemplation before I made a recovery of previous data.

3. Social aspect (environment) brought about impact on individual cognition and group cognition. When in Rome, you think as Rome thinks. (Wikipedia: 1980s Edwin Hutchins proposed distributed cognition, one of the insights was taken from Vygotsky who emphasized social aspects of cognition)

I wonder what is NOT DISTRIBUTED COGNITION.

If tools were part of distributed cognition, then no tool was more powerful than the Internet which connected people around the globe. Cloud Computing is the product of it. Maybe, advanced artificial intelligence is in its way.

Grassroot reporting Beijing hotel fire

The building belongs to CCTV - China Central Television, No. 1 in China. Its voice represents the government.

A high-rank official decided to celebrate Lantern Festival with fireworks. Those fireworks were so powerful that they had to be approved by the government.

As it began to burn, thousands of onlookers (well, a burning flame over 170 yards) used cellphones to take pictures / video to send to friends. In half an hour the news spreaded over the Internet.

As the building was burning, CCTV calmly reported the wild fire in Australia, with little word mentioned this striking 70 million lose (building along. with Olympic Games reporting equipments, the number can raise to 100 million).

Enraged grassroots live broadcasted the fire. It was said that the police had tried to stop the illegal firework use but was in vain. A fact was that in the past 3 years CCTV broke the law without any punishment.

In sum, the most influential network CCTV did little while grassroots live broadcasted with cell phone and the Internet (SMS, text, audio/video clips.) Professional pretends not knowing anything, amateurs did the job.

When doing the reporting, many discussion threads were deleted. Virtually grassroots fought with net moderators until they got the instruction from above allowing such discussions to continue. Even so, many posts were still cleaned up in the following day.

As the fire started, it was about 9 am in US and I was viewing a photography site and follow a thread with high quality photos live report. In the evening when I came home, this thread was no longer exist.

Text Message in Education

Required reading:

When fingers do the talking: a study of text messaging
Faulkner, X, Culwin, F.

Abstract:

The article examed Short Message Service (SMS) activities using questionnaire and diary recording. 565 return questionnaires were collected. 265 (45%) and 298 (55%) were completed by females and males respectively. 24 mobile phone users took part in the diary study. Most participants were United Kingdom university students, others were mobile shop customers.

Findings:

People of various age used text messaging for many activities. Females slightly preferred to use text messaging than males.

Comment:

This is a phenomenon study with no obvious intention for exploring SMS educational use. I need to find an article target to SMS in education use.

Self-pick article:
Improving learning performance in laboratory instruction by means of SMS messaging
Martinez-Torres, M. R., Toral, S. L., Barrero F., & Gallardo, S.

Abstract:

The authors used a case study to compare performance difference between traditional approach and SMS service enabled approach in a microcontroller course. 142 students took the course.

Students were asked to rank the importance of 12 dimensions that impact learning performance. The authors found out that 4 top factors were significantly improved by the SMS messaging (motivation, real examples and practice, feedback), thus confirmed the contribution of SMS messaging to learning performance.

Critic on both articles:

The required article "fingers talking":
1. it was a phenominon study. Many SMS-relate issues were covered while not specificly address SMS's educational use.

2. Both authors were from UK, and citing European studies, most of them were from Finland. We need to be aware of the geographical and psychological difference.

3. This article was about mobile phone SMS environment, but not computer-generate Instant Message environment.

The self-pick article:

The learning performance measured in the research was by motivation, satisfaction, desired behavior change and desired interactions, mostly by naturalistic observation and self-report.

Somehow, it is different from what I expect: score.

Week 3: Grassroot, wiki, casual learning, and democracy

Shirky provided me a new angle from a cost-effective way to view wikipedia as an efficient way to organize volunteers. Altruism and shared wisdom were also be praised.

Wikipedia project was not highly authoritative but was certainly highly informative. It represented Web 2.0's value: user-generate, freedom to contribute and free sharing, which had rich democracy means.

Though in his book Keen focused on entertainment industry, I would like to further extend the discussion to the other aspect of our society: democracy.

I don't know how people America people read "grassroot", but I was surprised to find the totally different explanation of "grassroot" between English and Chinese on wikipedia.org. Part of the explanation goes:

"草根或草根阶层在社会里指平民百姓、群众、消费者或网民。他们的个人势力较弱，但是数量众多。这些特征与政府、统治阶级、大型企业或其它社会强手的特征对立。草根象征着社会低层。"

If translated into English, that is "Grassroot or grassroot class refers to civilians, the masses, consumers or the Internet users. They are on the weak side, but they are in large numbers. These characters are in contradiction with government, the ruling class, large enterprises or other similar influential social groups. Grassroot represents the low class of the society."

You will see this is totally different from the English version you read on wikipedia.

Here is the most recent case on how grassroot class suffered in China: beginning from this month, car owners need to pay extra money when filling gas tank. Ironically, they had to pay for many services they had never heard of nor enjoyed. Such a law could never have been approved but the reality was that it was enforcing now. So far most media (radio, TV, print) are at the hands of the government and such complains will not show up on any of them. But they show up on the Internet. Many of such posts were deleted right away.

So is the Internet destroy our culture or enrich our culture? If, according to Keen's argument, those grassroot, the amateurs, have a chance to voice out?

Concerning learning, I have an example here:

I am taking advanced Flash now, and at times I search for tuturials on the web to learn new tricks. Well, any textbook may cost money, but I do found many high quality tutorials generously provided. Honestly, if I run into problem, I can call for help in many discussion sites and am expect warm hands from Flash users over the world, isn't it amazing? Well, for me, this is a formal learning experience (I am taking course); but for other Flash learners, they are doing informal learning or casual learning.

Since I can't do this without the Internet, I can say that the Internet offers me new opportunity, and, in a larger scope, bring in a new learning culture.

We can back to technology for a while. In the past 20 or 30 years, we relied on computer installed word processors to do office work, but many free online word processor, graphic editor, media convertors are available now. People don't even rely on free distribute software at all, thus avoid ethic problem. You can use google doc, Microsoft Office Live, or other similar products for free.

Free tools (text processor, graphic editor) and free content (Flash tutorials) provide new opportunities for education, while education has close tie with democracy. In this point, the Internet bring in new life in culture instead of destroying culture. Culture is not static so we have nothing to lament.

Week 3: The Cult of the Amateur

The Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture

Summary:
Lament over how new media challenge the once dominant media and how everyone (in author's eyes, amateur), who are not professionals and not qualified, can publish.

Thoughts:
"People, and people alone, are the motive force in making of the world history." (Chairman Mao)“人民，只有人民，才是创造历史的真正动力。”

Week 2: Here Comes Everybody

Here Comes Everybody: the Power of Organizing without Organizations (Ch1-Ch6 )

by Clay Shirky

Summary:

Shirky began his book by using a story about how to get a lost phone back to demonstrate the power of group work and collaboration tool -- the Internet. The following chaper (Ch2) sounded more like telling organization and communication theory and principle. Cost / effectiveness were mentioned. Ch3 described the downfall of traditional media. Shirky observed that now everyone could release media (text / audio / video product) on the Internet, challenging current pop culture structure. Ch4 wondered an ethic question: what to release, what not to release, who held the power to check publication on the Internet. In Ch 5, wikipedia story was cited to reveal how people volunteerly contribute to such a mass scale non-profit project, and what technology had helped such a project (work breaking). Ch6 described how collaborative action blowed out Catholic church in Boston, with Internet collaboration.

Thoughts:
With Internet, many used-to-be impossible things happened and the new media is reshaping our world.

Week 1 -- 3 articles

1. As We May Think
by Vannevar Bush, July 1945

Summary:

Bush worried that since human got sharper tool than before to observe and to exploit the world, knowledge was ever expanding, which was hard for individuals to handle with current technology.

Thoughts:
I like what the editor pointed out: "For years inventions have extended man's physical powers rather than the powers of his mind", this was to imply that reasoning is more important than knowledge itself.

Mr. Bush might be amazed by current technology on the way individual communicate and the power of mega calculator (computer, of course) and the future technology is far more striking. If some day all individual can plant in a bio-chip which stores all knowledge of the world, is that a dream?

In that case, man's reasoning power will be highlighted.

2. The Cultural Logic of Media Convergence
by Henry Jenkins, 2004

Summary:
The development and application of new media has changed the shape of our world and culture. However, people hold contradictory view on new media. In a scholar's view, Jenkins listed nine sites where heavy change for media producers and consumer may occur.

Thoughts:
Well this article is about the new media's change on culture. What I pay attention to is the power shift, which I had exchanged with John. You guys perhaps did not think of that current media (TV, radio and newspaper) is at hands of capital and no news which will slam the face of capital would allowed. Consider the high entrance barrier of such media, the Internet provide a cheap way for us to utter "unfiltered voice", as John said. I agree with that. So I applause to the Internet on this point.

I appreciate Jenkins' summary about potential cultural change (some of the points were mentioned by others as well, such as copyright).

3. Toward a Connective Ethnography of Online / Offline Literacy Networks
by Kevin Leander

Summary:
The topic of this book chapter is self-explaining. Leander collected he Internet / off Internet ethnography studies, trying to explain and build up the validity of the mixed Internet / off Internet studies, or Internet environment alone.

Thoughts:
Great, this is the first time I am seriously consider the validity of mixed or Internet alone ethnography studies. To be honest I need to read more and think more on this topic.

Purpose of this blog

To discuss new media's impact + how to use new media in education field at graduate level. New media mention here refer to Internet product such as blog, wiki, discussion forum, and more.

Communication, literacy majors may also interested in discussion here.

Yiyang
Jan 22, 2009