Red Queen's - DVD's v Streaming Movies

The battle between DVD’s and streaming video seems to have taken off very rapidly within the last couple of years. For a long time, DVD’s (including Blu-Ray) have controlled the market after displacing VHS’s and even with the downfall of rental stores such as Blockbuster, Netflix and Redbox brought a new level of convenience to the home movie watching experience. However, streaming movies have become very popular and has not even threatened the DVD market but the television market as well thanks to Netflix and Hulu+. Due to the rapid development of this battle and how it has highly influenced development, Thornburg (2013) claims that this phenomena can be classified as “Red Queens.” I believe that at the beginning of this battle that would definitely be true, streaming movies was not entirely popular yet 5-8 years ago though pioneers like Hulu and Redox jumped into the market early. As this became more popular, its development soared and now has become a competing way to access movies. In fact, I might say that it is on the cusp of replacing DVD’s thus making it an emerging technology and DVD’s are on the verge of being obsolete. The ability store films in the could or in applications so storage space is no longer needed is a great benefit of streaming as is the absence of movies not playing due to damages to the DVD. Yes, internet access can hamper the watching experience of a streaming movie, but as our world becomes more connected that lack of connectivity will likely diminish. The only real gap I see streaming videos having to close is in high quality films such as Blu-Rays. At the moment I have yet to see a streaming film which can rival that of a Blu-Ray. However, once that gap in quality can be closed, DVD’s may find themselves next to VHS’s and cassettes in the trash. 

References: 

Thornburg, D. (2013). Red queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Google Glass - Emerging Tech

Google Glass:

Google Glass is an incredibly innovative piece of technology which exemplifies the current trend of wearable technology which has arisen of late. Yet in many ways, Google glass represents a disruptive technology since it helped create the growing interest in immersive wearable technology. Prior to Google glass, heads up displays were already being seen in consumer products as evidenced by the number of car companies which have utilized the technology in their vehicles to display dashboard information such as speed and mileage. However, that technology had not truly been brought to a wearable consumer device until Google Glass. For this reason, Google Glass can be considered disruptive technology since there was no market for such innovative consumable wearable technology until Google Glass broke into the scene.Though it hasn’t completely done so, I think it is on the way of replacing bluetooth headsets for phones that are worn on/behind the ear. The hands-free capability of Google Glass and the ability to conduct many tasks equitable to those done on a computer or smartphone makes Google Glass very desirable and keeps the consumer connected without having to use a phone. However, there is also some possible negative social implications such as the concern of a loss of privacy with Google Glass being able to record, without the surrounding people knowing about it since there is no discernible camera. I do not know how long it will be before another technology replaces Google Glass but I do feel Google Glass is just barely emerging and has a lot of growth left before it becomes obsolete.  

The Rhymes of History - Wearable Technology and Health

According to Mark Twain, history doesn't repeat itself but it rhymes a lot (Laureate, 2014). In some ways, this can be reflected in emerging technologies because the existence of that technology can cause historical moments and practices to be rekindled. One such example can be found in the wearable technology (Fitbits and Apple Watch) that is rising in popularity. According to the CDC, over 1/3 of U.S. Adults are obese and there has been a dramatic increase in these rates in the last 20 years ("Facts", 2014). However, wearable technology has reinvigorated a healthy focus and brought back a focus on being in shape and fit which was prevalent in historical times. Yes, jobs were more labor intensive in the past and there was lees technology that automized movement, but historically people were more fit. Wearable technology such as the Fitbit and the new Apple Watch allows the wearer to keep track of his calorie intake and burn levels, and even sleep patterns. Having access to this information will motivate and help users become more mindful of their decisions and how those choices affect elements of their health. Making users more health conscious will help them become more healthy and being more healthy is becoming more popular since wearable devices such as fitbands are expected to make 24 million in sales by 2015 and 45 million by 2017 ("Wearing it Well", 2014).

References:

Facts. (2014, September 03). Retrieved October 08, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/facts.html

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014). David Thornburg: Six forces that drive emerging technologies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Wearing it well: The healthcare potential of wearable technology. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2014, from http://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/wearing_it_well_the_potential_of_wearable_technology_in_healthcare_589546

Brain-Computer Interfaces

Brain-Computer Interfaces:

Enhances: the processing and comprehension capabilities of acquiring knowledge, understanding, and communication	Obsoletes: The traditional methods of learning Regret and caution (memory manipulation) Travel and Tourism
Rekindles/Reinvigorates : brain research	Reverses: telekinesis telepathic communication

Enhance: Brain-Computer interfaces would completely revamp a number of elements of our daily lives. How one learns and processes information could be faster and not as difficult if it were able to downloaded into the brain. Images could be projected into our brain thus making us think and feel as if we are doing something else, memories could be erased or emotions could be altered. As unbelievable as this sounds, there is already research being done which is making strides towards these concepts being a reality. Memory manipulation, gadgets which allow the user to interact with their smartphone by thought, and give the suer the ability to on/off switches are already being developed (“Computer-Brain Interfaces Making Big Leaps, n.d.). 

Obsoletes: These interfaces could make a number of thins essential in today’s world obsolete. For example, imagine how it would alter the learning process and our idea of education. Classrooms and divisions of the educational day and year would no longer be necessary if one can simply “download” information to their brain to acquire certain types of knowledges or skills. If memories and emotions can be altered then no one would have to worry about making the wrong decision or being hurt since that can simply be removed. Also, if one is able to have images projected into their mind, then vacations and trips can be implanted into the brain of the user thus making tourism as we know it nearly unnecessary. 

Rekindles/Reinvigorates: Though brain research has continued on, this type of development in technology would reinvigorate that research and open new doors relating to the possibility of the human brain. 

Reverses: This technology could pave the way for further evolution brain interaction which might eventually lead to telekinesis and/or telepathic communication. The ability to move objects with one’s minds or to communicate with people through thought instead of voice might be more capable with interfaces that allow the brain to connect with and act like a computer.

References:

Computer-Brain Interfaces Making Big Leaps. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2014, from http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/disruptions-rather-than-time-computers-might-become-panacea-to-hurt/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Emerging Technology: An Introduction

A current technology that has emerged within the last few years that is currently shaping the learning and the productive in my school district is Google Apps for Education (i.e. Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, etc.). As my school district has moved into a 1:1 technology environment with (ipads and Dell tablets) the benefits of Google’s cloud computing and their collaborative features in their products has truly begun to elevate the learning experience in our classes. Google Drive allows teachers and student to not only store files within the cloud thus taking away the purchasing of jump drives (Google Drive is free) but those files and folders can also be shared with one another, decreasing the paper trail often found in traditional classrooms. Another way this technology has elevated the learning experience is the seamless capability of fostering collaboration. Almost every Google App/Tool has the ability to not only share that product with one another, but to also work together in that platform at the same time on different devices. So students are able to write on the same document, work on the same presentation, make calculations from the same spreadsheet, but from their own devices. This has made numerous elements of our classes more collaborative and helps the teacher promote and support group structures and 21st Century Skills.  

Since the technology does require internet access, the lack of that access or schools with low available bandwidth could be a challenge with this technology. Also, the technology has stiff competition from Microsoft Office programs therefore resistance from teachers may arise trying to understand the applications of the program. Though Google Docs can be used as a word processor it has stronger applications as a collaborative learning tool. 

In a world where 21st Century Skills are more and more becoming a focus, the effective use of technology within the learning experience helps support those skills. This technology can also help improve the learning opportunities in the classroom by fostering collaborative work. This technology can also help teachers by allowing them innovative tools for collecting student progress data more easily. With tools like Google Sheets and Google Forms, teachers are able to quickly collect student data by completing these forms and that data can then be used to tailor the learning to the needs of the students at those vital moments. 

Much of the possible pitfalls this technology could face lies in the digital divide. Since much of the programming and features built into Google drive requires an internet connection, those without one will not be able to truly benefit from the features of the technology. Google has already begun to address this issue by creating the ability to work offline on drive documents and have them update when it reconnects.

Link to website with more information on Google Edu: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

Assessing Collaborative Efforts - MD 3

Collaboration is a vital tool in online learning and distance education, but how to grade collaboration can be a tricky endeavor. For one, students bring a variety of knowledge and experience levels which can effect how one is graded, especially since that grading system must be “fair and equitable.” This can be done by utilizing a rubric so that the expectations of the collaboration is clearly spelled out and a teacher has the information and tools to know exactly what is required within the collaborative activity. Another benefit of collaboration within a distance learning environment is the opportunity for the student to build his/her professional network and extending his/her learning environment. However, what does one do with a student who is not collaborating? If the non-contributing member’s lack of collaboration is negatively affecting the group then one of them should try to contact the member (non-combatively) to discern what is wrong and ensure their hasn't been a form of miscommunication. If that does not work, then the instructor may have to intervene, which may entail removing him from the group or some other form of action so as not to punish the entire group.

Distance Education Diffusion MD 2

In reflecting on three likely elements of DE which is creating a more successful learning experience, collaborative interaction plays a vital role and has evolved greatly. In looking at a traditional classroom the collaborative structure and opportunities play an important role in offering students effective educative experiences. The issue though, pertaining to collaborative interaction as it pertains to DE, has always been the lack of a physical classroom. Yet, thanks to learning management systems such as Blackboard, collaboration within discussion forums have been able to help facilitate learning collaboratively more easily. Other programs such as Skype, a video conferencing program, can also offer methods for collaborative interaction without the necessity of a physical presence in a classroom. Twitter and blogging forums are also great places for a student to build their professional network and constantly interact with fellow students, again emphasizing the benefits and conveniences of distance education.

Presentation for DE Conference

Static vs Dynamic Technology in Distance Education

Technology and Media for Distance Education

In reviewing various forms of technology applicable to distance education, I find that though I embrace dynamic technologies in some areas I still utilize more static technologies in others. For example, identifying possible dynamic technologies I realized that in collaboration I use more dynamic tools in my classroom with the use and promotion of blogs, wikis, and Google Docs. However, I struggled determining content generation tools that were dynamic thus realizing that I must not use many dynamic content generation tools. This was a humbling realization because I pride myself on student creation opportunities in my class and a project-based learning approach yet the tools and technology I incorporate in my classes may not be dynamic. Bearing this in mind, I intend on doing more research into possible technologies and programs which offer students dynamic learning experiences, especially in content generation.

Non-negotiables in Teaching Today

Teaching to the way our students learn is a non-negotiable facet of teaching all educators and supporters of education must be willing to embrace. The way today’s students have evolved is a perfect example of this necessity. The students in classrooms today are completely different than those of decades past, with both groups being products of the time period and societies they live in. Since our society is different from the past, so too are our students, and so too must be our ways of teaching those students. Although there are facets of theories and teaching practices which will always be applicable someway in teaching any group, to blindly follow past theories is like trying to fit a square block in a round hole. Bearing this in mind, educators must be willing to adapt and change with their students to stay relevant and affective in the learning journey of the students.

Having said this, the inclusion of educational technology into the learning process and the adoption of newer learning theories such as connectivism must be accepted by teachers and educational supporters. Today’s students are constantly connected to information and often rarely seen without some type of web based device in their presence. As teachers we have to use this fixation with technology to our advantage instead of fighting it because, both society, and today’s students now learn with this constant access to information. Teachers and administrators need to look at these devices, not from the lens of them being a distraction, but as a valuable learning tool which can engage and excite today’s learners. Once again I am reminded of an old teaching adage which applies nicely to this idea. “If you cannot learn from how I teach, then I will teach in a way you can learn.” Education and its members have to adhere to this saying and change with the times or risk wasting a perfect opportunity to reach today’s students and those of the future.

Obviously the use of technology within a class can be very overwhelming for anyone who is not comfortable with technology. However, if this generation of students are in fact the digital age, then the use of technology to teach and motivate them is almost a necessity. I have had numerous opportunities when it comes to technology in my classroom (iPads in the classroom, first in my school to get a Smartboard, etc.) and have benefited greatly from these opportunities. Like most situations with these opportunities came the responsibilities of sharing my experiences and knowledge which I enjoyed. Although most of those experience have been very rewarding I do remember an incident where I felt I lost the focus of my fellow colleagues. I was teaching during a professional development about numerous technologies able to implement in the classroom and I quickly learned I had probably overwhelmed my group. Many of them were not comfortable with technology and that discomfort combined with too much information proved disastrous. Pertaining to the ARCS model I had left out a crucial piece of information: confidence. I was moving at a speed to advance for my group of learners which could have been easily avoided had I simply polled their experience/comfort level with technology prior to the development beginning. One I realized I had a group of learners not as comfortable with technology I could have adjusted accordingly and went a slower speed to ensure they did not check out due to a lack of confidence. Had I done this I probably would have created a positive experience with technology in their classroom which could have served as motivation for them to continue their learning about technology’s use the classroom.

In looking at this Mind Map of my connections there are some interesting patterns that I notice. First my learning has changes and my networking has evolved with it. Most of my learning is now internet based and many of the connections I use to influence and facilitate that learning are network dependant. Although that is probably expected with the nature of Walden's learning platform it is a far cry from the way I learned in my undergrad days at a brick and mortar university. Secondly, in my professional network there are numerous technologies which I use to connect to my students and fellow colleagues. I use a lot of technology in my teaching craft but I did not realize how much was intertwined with technology until completing this mind map. Digitial tools that work best for me are those which allow me to take in new knowledge and apply it to my goal or craft and when posed with new questions I now use my constant connectivity to help verify and craftt any responses I might have.  

Constructivist Learning and Technolgy Ed Tech 8845 MD 3

I do think that humans have a natural affinity for social learning yet, being a middle school teacher I do see some resistance to group work at times. I feel much of this resistance derives from negative social/group experiences had by the student. However, prior to that negative schema occurring, I do feel humans naturally progress in social structures and are highly inclined to group work. The difficulty an educator has is to to help these students get passed those prior negative emotions relating to group work and to begin to build positive experiences thus creating new schema.

            Technology seems to help students bypass some of the negative feelings they may have with group work, especially if that technology is current. The allure of using relevant technology often supersedes any negative feelings of the group work concept and I find that technology lends itself greatly to cooperative learning techniques. Delivering a lesson using constructivist approaches promotes the benefits of the technology by making the learning experience more student centered. Also, students can be eager to help those who may struggle with the technology creating opportunities for collaboration where some may not have existed if the technology was not being used. In a study evaluating the usage of mobile technology in a middle school math class one of the observations found were the surprising willingness of students to help those who were struggling with the technology. This excitement to use and help those less familiar with the technology not only promote cooperative learning but also can help to create a stronger bond between the classmates and educator within the class.

Resources:                                                

Franklin, T., & Li-Wei Peng. (2008). Mobile math: Math educators and students engage in mobile learning. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 20(2), 69-80. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12528-008-9005-0

Battles of Educational Theories

In the Blog post, "Out and About: Discussion on Educational Schools of Thought" http://www.uleduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/ there is an interesting conversation being held by multiple educational minds and in this conversation the concept of the various educational theories is addressed. In this conversation, the speakers agree that there are various "isms" in education and that maybe the best school of thought is to utilize/employ the best of each of these theories instead of one or the other. I definitely agree with this idea for there are numerous ways to learn and to exclude completely any educational theory would be shortsighted. As mentioned in the original blog, learning encompasses many aspects therefore it makes sense that multiple theories should be incorporated in the learning process. I also think the division of the major theories into learning appropriate ages was well done too. Behaviorism definitely seems best applicable to a younger learner while cognitivism seems to fit a young adult learner, leaving constructivism to be the best approach for older/adult learners. The only issue I have with this post, isn't really an issue but a question/idea to pose. Undoubtedly there are numerous theories in education and each theory can overlap in ideas while still having offering something useful. However, I do feel there are some theories which possess contradictory approaches or elements. Bearing this in mind, how does one decide which parts of each theory to use in the education process when some of those theories have contradictory components.  

Changing the Culture of Education

If anyone was at the residency in MN this summer you may have already seen this video but I absolutely love both what is said and the illustrations. This video, by Sir Ken Robinson, is a very creative way of showing viewers where education was, where it is now, and how it must evolve to prepare for a successful future. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

How People Learn and the Importance of Learning Theory in Educational Technology

There exists numerous learning styles and there are various ways people effectively learn. Much of my ideas of how people learn best revolve around the theories postulated by John Dewey. Much of his social learning theory focuses on the importance of experiential learning (learning through educative experiences) and the role of the teacher being more of a facilitator than a dictator of learning. Allowing people the opportunity to learn through experiences instead of rote memorization presents the learner with a practical application of the content being learned while allowing him the chance to associate that content with a memorable activity. This association makes it easier to recall the information thus increasing retention and the experience allows for a deeper level of understanding as well. The teacher’s role in this learning process is also a vital component of effective learning because the teacher is more of a guide through the learning journey instead of a dictator of content to be memorized. Through this role the student and the teacher go through the learning experience together allowing the teacher to help along the way and be an integral part of the learning process.  

This type of learning applies perfectly to educational technology because when learners are allowed to experience the technology (with some guidelines) then the experience becomes more memorable as does the content. Plus, the nature of technology forces users to experience the powers of that technology, and to dictate everything the learner is to do would stifle creativity while handcuffing the learner. Knowing effective learning theories such as this which apply to educational technology allows the teacher a better opportunity to craft a learning experience which will be engaging, effective, and educative.

Welcome

Welcome, ladies and gentleman, students and teachers, colleagues and guests. I am not exactly certain how this blog will develop or transform but my initial hopes are for it to become a place where teachers and colleagues can refer to for links, reviews, and ideas of various way to implement educational technology. I also hope this space can be a place for my students and myself to reflect on our learning while being a gateway for those not in my classroom to view the educational journey we will be on this year. This is my first attempt creating a blog, and although I know there will be some bumps and mishaps along the way, I look forward to the journey. I hope as I grow in my knowledge and usage of this technology so will yours through the readings and interactions of the content presented. Thanks for visiting and comeback often.

Sincerely,

Danny Wysong
MAED - Curriculum and Intruction
PhD - Education w/ Specialization in Educational Technology (Currently Pursuing)
7th grade Honors/Accelerated ELA Teacher
Forestrbook Middle School