Blog Post #4 - Foundations of Technology

Realism is Virtual Reality

On February 12, our class began exploring the topic, Foundations of Technology.  We made it to the first three concepts which were:
1. Technology can solve a particular identified task
2. Technology can provide realism
3. Technology can provide information

I want to elaborate on the second point, 'Technology can provide realism'.  To me, this point is what really makes technology fascinating to study.  For example, the realist film City in Siege was a documentary of the 1950 Red River flood.  This film was shot in such a way that the events of the flood happened chronologically.  This gave the impression of realism because the events of the flood were unfolding in front of the audiences' eyes.  The director of the film could easily have made the documentary from the past tense.  This is what most documentaries seem to do.  However, the director chose to shoot the film from the present tense, which gave the impression of realism.  This realism makes the events come to life in front of the audience, and I believe this scenario is more engaging for the audience. 
The interesting point about technological realism is that it really isn't real at all.  Videos/films are in reality, something of an illusion.  For example, we watched the documentary about a flood from 1950, yet we still remain in 2013.  Videos can never actually take us to another time or place.  Videos present an artificial reality, which we call virtual reality.  However, realism fits in nicely with the concept of virtual reality, because realism is all about giving the impression of reality.  That is what the realism in the art movement was about, and this concept has now been transferred to technology. 

Realist Art:

Blog Post #3 - All about Really Simple Technologies

Really Simple Technologies

Really Simple Technologies (RST) are something I have become familiar with thanks to my own presentation on this topic as well as my fellow classmates' presentations.  I learned through these classroom presentations what RST's are all about and how to successfully integrate them into my own class.  I believe that the usefulness of RST is twofold.  First, it enhances student's learning, through reinforcement.  RST's allow students to exercise their abilities - which is like a workout for your intelligence.  This mental exercise reinforces concepts that the students have learned because it allows them to exercise their skills in a variety of ways and it increases student engagement.  Second, RSTs provide teachers with resources to help teachers in planning, teaching and assessing.  For example Cody's RST, Rubistar, provides teachers with rubric templates as well as suggested rubrics that a teacher can use for their assessment.  These sorts of RSTs are excellent for teachers - especially new teachers, because they expand the teacher's repertoire and gives the teacher ideas when they can't think of anymore on their own.  I think that Amanda's Jeopardy Lab RST fulfils both requirements for RST usefulness.  It helps assists the student's in their learning because their knowledge is 'tested' in a unique way, that is fun.  Also it is a very practical resource to aid teachers in teaching and assessing their class.

RST's can fit nicely with multiple intelligences.  This TED talk is about creativity and multiple intelligences.

Blog Entry #2 - Teaching Belongs to the Teacher

Countermarch

On February 5, we viewed an American military video (Countermarch) from 1945.  Although this video is nearly seventy years old, the pedagogy that was taught in it was very relevant.  The video presented different scenarios of how to utilize pedagogy and technology together in order to teach students.  Just like in the video, technology cannot be utilized on its own to teach children.  The unsuccessful instructors in the video tried to just use the video to teach their class.  However, the teaching is still depended on the teacher.  Technology can only be an aid to teaching, but it cannot successfully take the place of a teacher.  We cannot just play a video for our class and then expect the students to learn and retain everything we think is important for them to know. If there is no discussion before and after the video, and if the class is not told what to look for, then most of the video will not be useful to the students.  Educators are constantly looking for ways to increase student engagement in learning.  However, videos, computer apps and the Internet cannot by itself accomplish lasting student engagement.  I really think that only humans can make technology engaging.  In reality, technology can enhance learning, but it cannot replace the teacher, and this was one of the main themes of the Countermarch video.   

Blog Post #1 - Marshal McLuhen

The Law of Retrieve

The video we viewed in class, Marshall McLuhan’s Wake, gave four laws that describe the rise and fall of technology.  In particular, I'd like to focus on McLuhan's third law - the law of retrieve.  This law states that when advanced  technologies replace older technology, eventually the older technology will see a revival.  I believe that this law has credibility to it.  It is directly related to humanity, for we humans are not all about utility and convenience, and new technologies cater to both those concepts.  This means, that older technologies, if they have some other qualities that a new technology does have, will continue to survive, or reappear, as long as humans find a benefit to it.  For example, electricity has replaced dependence on oil lamps and candles, yet both these technologies are still demanded and bought.  Candles for instance have a quality about them that electric lights don’t.  Candles add ambiance and set moods, so they appeal to our emotional needs.  They have been retrieved in our society today and now candles are re-marketed to us by being scented and given all sorts of designs.  McLuhen’s Law of Retrieval will always hold true, no matter how useful our technologies can be to us, as long as there is something attractive in the older technology.