EDC&I 585 4/27/11 What’d We Talk About Last Week? Organizing Our Discussions for This Week Setting the Stage for Next Week
Our Reactions to Cuban (pt. 1) Young Children & Tech – Why not? They’re using it now! And it will be in classroom – But do they need non-tech time and manual work?
More Reactions to Cuban (pt. 1) Individualization vs. Distraction – Individualization is great, but tech has many downsides (games, gambling, etc.) – Kids’ enthusiasm varies – Can create real engagement through complex problems and social interaction (but difficult to do and have it come out right)
Yet More Reactions to Cuban (pt. 1) Interaction and peer instruction – Are potential upsides, but depend on adequate tech availability and instructor preparation in advance – Use tech to support deeper thinking, engagement, understanding (not just glitz and novelty) – Careful design for tech use is key
Questions for Cuban (pt. 2) and Lanier (pt. 1) Cuban: – Writing 10 years ago, he characterized ed tech as a “slow revolution” in schools, and discussed the environment of “contextually constrained choice” within which teachers need to operate. Has this changed in the interim? If so, how? Lanier: – Approach of the “noosphere” and “hive mind”: Is this happening in education? Where do you see it and what are the signs? What do we do about it?
For next week… Lanier 9-14 and Afterword – Does contemporary ed tech aim more towards the hive mind or towards Bachelardian neoteny? – What would Bachelarian neoteny in education look like? – Could the world survive it?