TechIntersect

After observing what is happening around the world with educators utilizing blogs and other digital media, I am eager to get started. I recently mentioned this to a colleague I work with who teaches writing. My friend is using “blogging” in a writing course with our Axio Learning course management software in a password protected environment. When discussing the possibilities of having student write in blogs that are publicly accessible, this teacher whose opinion I greatly value, was adamant that students be offered a choice to go live to the Internet or to remain in a protected environment. Her position is that students should not be required to put their thoughts into the public domain, which is in essence what happens when you post to the web.

I countered that students knowing that a global audience can access their work, might actually put in a greater effort than they do currently in a private setting. She agreed, but is concerned that once you put something out there, it is out there forever. In her opinion, requiring students to give away their intellectual property without their consent is not the thing to do.

So I put the question to my visitors from hither and yon– By requiring our students to blog in the publicly accessible web, are we violating their rights to their own intellectual property? Are we setting up a learning environment that to some might be intimidating and even down right scary, thereby inhibiting the very learning we are hoping to instill? Or are we simply creating a unique learning experience that documents progress in thinking and learning that can always be referred back to at a later time?

One unique perspective comes from my colleague at Kansas State University, Dr. Michael Wesch. You may know Dr. Wesch from his YouTube video The Machine is Us/ing Us.  He recently published an article entitled Anti-Teaching: Confronting the Crisis of Significance. (Links to PDF).

I realize that the Edublogging community is very pro-technology biased. But I am very eager to explore this issue from every angle, because my friend’s concerns are valid. What are your thoughts? How are you creating a safe learning environment, but at the same time using the power of Web 2.0 in your classes? Have you thought about the concerns raised in this post? (Thanks to Sue Waters for encouraging me to start this discussion.)

Tags: art, blogging, critiques, education, technology, web 2.0

I was just perusing Michael Wesch’s Digital Ethnography blog, reading about the current state of education.

“I feel like a minority on this (maybe not on this blog), but I think teaching evaluations should be made public. There should be no room for a site like RateMyProfessors.com. We have much better data on teaching right here on campus, yet we fail to publish it.”

I think this Prof. David Linton sums it up perfectly, don’t you?

Fifty years ago, my grandmother Vivian used to come into town from the farm every week or so to trade milk and eggs for other groceries she needed to feed her family. Things were different back then. People were not nearly as mobile as they are today so people did most of their business with local merchants. There simply weren’t as many options available to the average consumer as there are today.

One option that was available back then was sending away through mail order catalogs. I recently obtained a 1954-55 Montgomery Wards fall and winter catalog because I wanted to see what things people were buying fifty years ago. What fun! The diversity of what was sold through mail order by a single company back then is astounding. Everything from clothing to car engines. I even found a Geiger counter you could use in case you survived a Soviet nuclear attack! If the local economy didn’t offer something needed, you could certainly find it in the Wards catalog.

It was really interesting to see the prices that people paid for the various items. A quick look really emphasizes the change that our economy has undergone over the years. In 1954, according to census.gov, the average rural family annual income was around $2,000. I took a sample of various items from the catalog to see how the cost might compare to similar items purchased today. Here are some of the things I looked at:

1954 Item Price Percent of Income
Rebuilt Studebaker engine $200 10%
Geiger Counter $130 6.5%
Girl's wool skirt $5 0.25%
Men’s Leather Oxford Shoes $10 0.5%
17" B&W Television $135 6.75%

For comparison, the average 2006 household income in my town was around $28,000. Here are some similar items I found with current pricing and percentage of income.

2007 Item Price Percent of Income
Rebuilt Ford Taurus engine $1400 5%
Geiger Counter $400 1.4%
Girl's wool skirt $75 0.27%
Men’s Leather Oxford Shoes $130 0.46%
LCD TV $300 1%

While this is not a scientific study, almost everything I found costs a lower percentage of the family income today than it did fifty years ago. There are a number of reasons for this, including increased family earnings and lower manufacturing costs, especially in the electronics and clothing that are now imported from abroad.

Sometime, I will look into the cost of other items such as a gallon of gas, a new home, a new car. I suspect the trends will hold and things are actually less expensive today when adjusted for inflation and household income.

According to Marc Prensky, who wrote “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” kids growing up today have always been immersed in digital technology, while their parents have had to immigrate into this new world because they did not grow up with it. It is really similar to families who immigrate to the USA from another country, but their kids are born and raised here. With immigrant families, there are two distinct world views, those of an immigrant and those of a native.

Prensky writes, “the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” I agree with this assessment and am concerned with teacher education programs that do not direct enough attention to this problem. Are we simply going to wait for the digital natives to become old enough to be teachers before we have a majority of technology fluent teachers?

Several years ago, I was a fan of Clifford Stoll’s book, “High Tech Heretic: Why Computers Don’t Belong in the Classroom and Other Reflections by a Computer Contrarian“. In it, he extols the virtue of the profession of teaching, and urges teachers not to defer to technology as a primary teaching platform. I believe many of the issues and concerns he raises about computers in the classroom back in 1999 have been resolved with improvements in technology and it’s associated costs. However, one issue where he hits the nail on the head, and it is still on target in my opinion is that by and large, teachers do not know how to effectively use the technology that they have available to them. Lack of training, lack of interest, and lack of time are all reasons for remaining ignorant in the ways of technological pedagogy. (Obviously if you are reading this, you should not be counted among the aforementioned ignorant!)

When we permit new teachers to enter the profession with little or no grounding in the principles of good technology-based education, we are only prolonging the problem. Web 2.0 is upon us, and there are many innovators, thrill seekers, experimenters and otherwise fool-hardy teachers out there who are doing a marvelous job of using the very latest in modern communications technology for teaching. Schools that are preparing would-be teachers should take notice of these new developments in technology; the rest of the world certainly is.

Tags: internet, technology, web 2.0

Tonight at bedtime, my kids and I read one of their favorite books: A Bad Case of the Stripes. I don’t know how many times their mother or I have read that book to them, but they never seem to tire of it. As I was reading, I noticed something that never occurred to me before. The imagery is remarkably similar to that of Salvador Dali.

If you don’t know the story, it is about a little girl is afraid of what everyone will think if she eats the lima beans that she loves. So she catches “the stripes,” a disease that causes her body to take on characteristics of whatever people around her suggest. Eventually, after one person who tries to help her by suggesting she “become one with the room” the girl literally becomes her room, with a bed for lips and pictures on the wall for eyes.

When we finished the book, I ran and grabbed a book of Dali art that I have and showed my kids the picture of Dali’s 1935 painting “Mae West’s Face Which Can Be Used as a Surrealist Apartment.” We talked about whether or not the “Stripes” author was influenced by the Dali painting

.

Hmmm, I dunno. Looks pretty similar to me!

This is a video my Networking class made to demonstrate how packets move between networks through the Internet. The quality is a little rougher than I would like, but we are still learning video production for the web techniques.

***Note*** If you cannot see the video, you may need to update your Flash Player.

Tags: fun, internet, networking, technology, web 2.0

One of my favorite classes that I teach is also the one that forces me to stretch the furthest and forces me to stay on my toes simply because it is near the edge of what I would consider to be my area of expertise. It is a survey course entitled “Humanities through the Arts.” I have taken hold of that class and adopted it as my own with the mission of connecting the arts with technology and the sciences. Our campus is a remote location from the main campus of Kansas State University, and as a result we have far fewer course options available for students to study in the humanities. As K-State’s College of Technology and Aviation, we have a strong technological bent which explains my desire to demonstrate strong connections between the arts and humanities.

One question I like to pose to the humanities class is “Why do all college curriculums require study outside of your major? Why do we like to see technology students study the humanities?” Typical answers include a desire to produce well rounded graduates, or to get more of our money, but I like to let the question develop over the semester to see if any deeper answers emerge. I believe some of my students really start to get it when I read some of their comments and responses to some of the art that we have been experiencing. Here are some examples:

Our first communication is usually visual. As infants we see somebody doing something and we do. We see a picture and look to see how our mother or father react to the image, and react the same way. We need to see something to believe it even if what we are looking at isn’t real. In art we see through others’ eyes. By color changes or texture of an art piece you can feel the hatred or love of the subject and with what you have learned from you parents you can like it or not like the art piece. But either way your mind grows from another’s experience/option.

Or how about:

The mind reacts to differently to different colors and music and textures. A ridged rock would raise our brain activity, hard metal rock would excite us, and the color red could anger us. Using this things in a commercial or performing art you could cause chaos. Now take a smooth rock, soft classical music, and a light purple color and you would get a calmer effect. Its how our brain works as humans and what we see hear, taste, see, touch, and smell can make all the difference giving artist the edge they need to get their point across.

Or this one:

I was recently effected from an art piece at the art center. I was about an Indian child who killed her self. It was in black and white so already in mind I was put into a good vs. bad mind set, or life vs. death. I hate to admit it but I had no good thoughts on Indians since recently my high paying job was sent to India; where they would only get $2.15 a week. I was hurt and angry. After reading and seeing that art display I realized the sadness and hurt some have to suffer, that most have to suffer. And that a child could take her own life over it. Its black and white there, you have the money or you don’t, you live or you die.

I believe we produce better engineers, scientists and technologists when they can see and understand how the work they do is for the benefit of human beings; when they can start to see the bigger picture. I believe that humanity suffers when technology people focus more on technology than on the people which it serves. My primary reason for starting this blog is to explore the interconnection between the arts and technology. As I teach this course, finding these connections has actually been much easier than I anticipated.

For example, I took the class on a tour of the Salina Art Center to see the exhibit of contemporary Indian art and there were numerous pieces that included video and interactive multimedia technology. It is almost as if I had specially requested these type of artworks be displayed for my class, but I hadn’t. Technology is playing a huge role in contemporary art and students are surprised to learn this.

We also toured the Blue Heaven Studios, a world class recording studio in a converted church right here in Salina. Then we watched the Kenny Wayne Shepherd DVD 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads), filmed in part in Salina at the studio. Studens are amazed to learn that this even exists in their hometown and that every year the finest Blues artists come to Salina to perform.

Anywhere I can find a connection between the arts and technology, it is fair game for my course. I would love to hear your suggestions of topics to explore that address the intersection of technology and the arts.

Tags: art, education, technology

While the word “digit” relates to fingers or toes, “digital” has an entirely different meaning, although the words share the same origin. If something is called “digital” these days, it most likely means that a computer is somehow involved. So how is it that fingers are related to computers?

Mathematics and numbers began with a desire to keep a count of something. The decimal system of numbers we use has ten unique numerals, 0 through 9 because human beings happen to have ten fingers or “digits.” It is likely that if humans had a different configuration of fingers, we would be using a different number system to match.

Each day we all at least indirectly use a numbering system other than decimal. If you use a bank ATM, a telephone, drive a car, scan groceries at the market, or nearly anything else that involves modern electronics, you are likely making use of this number system.

I am talking about the binary number system; a system of numbers that uses only two numerals for counting, 0 and 1. If computers had fingers for counting, they would only need two of them. When a device is called “digital” it uses the binary system to store information as “binary digits” or “bits” for short with each bit being either a 1 or a 0. This system works well with electronic devices since the ones or zeros can be stored as voltages on or off. Everything stored as computerized data, from movies and music, to telephone conversations, even this paper you are reading, at some point along the way existed as a series of binary digits, as does any computerized information.

It wasn’t long ago that most electronics were non-digital devices. These are called “analog” devices and they use something other than 1’s and 0’s to store and retrieve information. A cassette tape, a VCR, a picture tube television, a vinyl record and a film camera are all examples of analog technology. Plenty of people are still firmly attached to their analog equipment, but the trend is moving towards making anything and everything digital when possible.

Is digital superior to analog? Not necessarily. Many art photographers still use film and prefer to process their own images by hand with chemicals in a darkroom. Audiophiles pay exorbitant prices to purchase high-end stereo equipment without solid-state electronics. Yes, I am talking about $20,000 stereos that use vinyl LP turntables and vacuum tube amplifiers. (See www.acousticsounds.com if you are in the market.)

For most consumers, the shift began in the 1980’s when the digital compact disc was introduced bringing us crisp, clean sound without the hiss and pops of old fashioned tapes and records. Analog systems are prone to noise, while digital systems will either work noise free, or they usually don’t work at all. For example, during a thunderstorm, an analog TV signal may have lots of snow showing up in the picture, but some picture is still discernible, while a digital satellite TV signal will either make it through clearly, or will quit working altogether.

These days, we don’t even need a physical item like a CD or DVD to get digital music or movies we want. These things can be downloaded or ordered through pay-per-view services. It won’t be long before many people have a very large collection of 1’s and 0’s stored on a hard disk representing all of their favorite entertainment but nothing to show in the physical world.

Much of digital appeal comes down to convenience and cost. It is far easier to locate and play that favorite song on an iPod than on a cassette tape. And I do appreciate being able to e-mail my photos, or upload them to an online photo processor after I have selected the best ones for prints. (Walgreens photo processing has a special on April 15, 2008. Enter promo code “TAXDAY” to get 15 free 4×6 prints.) Thanks to digital cameras, I can afford to take more photos and immediately learn from my mistakes rather than wait for the film to be processed and wonder what I did wrong if I get unexpected results.

The Internet allows us to easily share the digital media we produce with our friends and loved ones around the world. Technologies that only Hollywood could afford a few years ago have become attainable to anyone today. So get out there and take some pictures and make some video; do what you can to learn more. Just be sure to remember that it all comes down to those little zeros and ones.

K-State Professor Michael Wesch achieved international recognition a year ago when a small video he made for YouTube caught on and was viewed by millions of people. His video, “The Machine is Us/ing Us” is about how the modern Internet, sometimes called “Web 2.0″, is learning from the people who use it and contribute to it.

The Internet is no longer a passive experience for many people, but instead it allows anyone to share ideas and contribute to the body of human knowledge. This has always been possible on the Internet, but until recently you needed a certain amount of technical knowledge to be a contributor. New technology developments have made it possible for more people to contribute. Anytime that you are able to put your ideas and creativity on the Internet without working directly with web pages and HTML, there is a good chance you are using a Web 2.0 application.

As a teacher, I am very excited about the new ways of teaching and learning that are becoming available with this new technology. As a resident of a small, rural Kansas town, I am really jazzed about the possibilities it offers for revitalizing our community. When else in human history could you start a home-based business far from any city, yet still have the entire world as your potential customer base? The potential is unlimited and I challenge the good citizens of Clifton and Clyde to dive it and start learning. There is no reason for us to miss the opportunities that are right in front of us. The technology of the Internet has reached a point where absolutely anyone can now be a contributor as well as a consumer of information on the web. This has enormous implications for anyone wanting to make a living on the Internet, since you no longer need to be a web developer to get started.

However, if as Dr. Wesch points out, “the machine is us/ing us” then it follows that the machine will reflect all of the characteristics of the human race, even our ugly side. This became apparent to me as I learned of the story in Florida where a teenage girl was beaten senseless by a gang of thugs she thought were her friends. These sick kids video recorded the beating with the intention of posting it to YouTube. Our culture has become infatuated with celebrity and it seems that some will pay any price to earn a place in the spotlight; even if it results in a jail sentence.

The girl’s mother was on CNN this week and she made an assertion that I find frightening. She said that parents pretty much have to operate on the information provided to them by their kids. She said that not much can be done if kids are hiding information from you. She mentioned that as parents, they were uncomfortable with some of the social networking sites such as MySpace and that they tried unsuccessfully to get MySpace to close their daughter’s account. She even stated that the family implemented filtering software on the computer that the “clever” daughter was able to circumvent.

Here’s an interesting idea– maybe the problem is not with MySpace. Maybe the parents should be removing some computer privileges if the daughter is not willing to follow some established ground rules. Parenting experts Jim & Charles Fay recommend that children not be allowed to have computers in their rooms. It seems to be pretty drastic, but look at the dangers. Most parents simply have less computer knowledge than their kids, and parents really need to be on top of what the kids are doing online. That is pretty hard to do when the computer is hidden away in the bedroom.

Wendy and I have noticed that our daughter is starting to explore a little on the Internet beyond Webkinz world. We are planning to set up a computer in a prominent location in the house so we can keep an eye on the kids as they use it. I will also probably soon be looking for some filtering software to help keep them safe. But we will not rely on software as a complete solution, only one piece of the puzzle in setting some limits.

I expect that my kids will become computer savvy enough to someday find work-arounds to defeat filtering software, so in the mean time we will have to work on building our relationship and helping them learn to make good decisions. We wear seat belts in the car for the same reason; to be safe, not because there is a law that requires it or because we cannot get away with not wearing them. I want my kids to grow up wearing seat belts simply because it is a smart choice, not because someone forced them to. I believe that a similar attitude towards the computer will help them make good decisions using that tool as well.

Kids do not outwardly appreciate boundaries and limitations, but at a very deep level they cannot understand, when they discover the boundaries, they feel loved and secure. Too many kids are growing up with few limitations, and it’s not healthy. I can’t help but wonder if the young girl in Florida was growing up with little supervision and few boundaries and limits. Maybe I’m naive, but I think parents can do a pretty good job of keeping tabs on their kids if they develop good strong relationships from the beginning.

I really want to encourage parents to look into the online activities of your children. If you don’t know what they do online, maybe you should ask. Be curious. Ask them to show you their site. See how many Facebook or MySpace friends they have. Don’t let your lack of interest or knowledge of technology keep you from taking an active role in their online lives. I’m lucky that my daughter is young. Right now, she begs me to play with her on Webkinz. My hope is these early online experiences will continue as she grows older and that she will want to keep me in the loop. One can only hope, right?

Tags: internet, technology, web 2.0

I teach a few classes online and after having done this blogging thing for several days now, I can see how Web 2.0 could be very useful tools in bringing a virtual class together. I plan to research what has already been done in the near future. In the mean time, if anyone who happens to stumble across my humble blog and has some good examples to recommend, I would appreciate it.

I am particularly interested in teachers who are using these tools to teach art and design skills to virtual classes. I believe I would start with my photography class. I really am lacking in know-how for getting a virtual critique session on their work going. Our course management system is clunky for this purpose and I know there has to be a better way. Now I just need to find it.