Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 1 Questions/Comments"
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The timeline of technology in the classrooms surprised me. It was strange to see what year a piece of equipment was created and to then try to remember what grade I was in when my classroom actually had the equipment. The interactive whiteboard for example was listed as having been created in 1999, I don’t remember actually coming in contact with one until the beginning of my senior year of high school. | The timeline of technology in the classrooms surprised me. It was strange to see what year a piece of equipment was created and to then try to remember what grade I was in when my classroom actually had the equipment. The interactive whiteboard for example was listed as having been created in 1999, I don’t remember actually coming in contact with one until the beginning of my senior year of high school. | ||
-Kathleen Mead | -Kathleen Mead | ||
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| + | Pursell makes a lot of good points throughout his introduction, touching on the good vs. bad of technology depending on who's using it, and the improvements to everyday life. Pursell cites Joseph Corn's beliefs that people follow believe three fallacies in regards to their understanding of development of technology and it's impact in America. Corn claims that all three of the fallacies (total revolution, social continuity, technological fix) many people tend to believe are "false", claiming that new technologies join rather than replace older technology. However, some of these improvements contradict Corn's fallacy of technological fix. Take medicine for example, outbreaks of smallpox or measles used to devastate communities. However, one day science discovered a cure and boom. Problem solved. This is true in some circumstances, however almost all technology becomes obsolete and is replaced contrary to the Corn's fallacy of total revolution, such as Kathleen's example of the VCR. -Will | ||
I enjoyed reading the Pursell introduction, and like Matt I also thought about the iPad and the assumption that it will be the "end of the textbook." Personally, I don't think it will be the end of the textbook. It is like Matt said, a textbook doesn't need recharging... whereas an iPad will. That is not to say the iPad won't have an influence in how we learn, because I think it will. Most likely though it will be through something that isn't defined yet. Which brings me to the point that really struck me in this reading. Quite early on (page 2) Pursell brings up a couple of assumptions about technology and promptly debunks them. The one that struck me the most was the second one, where we assume the only change that will take place is the replacement of the old with the new. In this case the old being books, and the new being the iPad. Personally, I don't think the iPad will be the culmination of technology.(I keep holding out for the [http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2007-04/memory-hacker Brain Chips] to hit the market, which will actually create and solve more problems) As society grows and changes and faces new problems, the technology will follow. As it has done, for mankind. We create what we need. From something as simple as fire, to something as complex as the iPad. -Jenn | I enjoyed reading the Pursell introduction, and like Matt I also thought about the iPad and the assumption that it will be the "end of the textbook." Personally, I don't think it will be the end of the textbook. It is like Matt said, a textbook doesn't need recharging... whereas an iPad will. That is not to say the iPad won't have an influence in how we learn, because I think it will. Most likely though it will be through something that isn't defined yet. Which brings me to the point that really struck me in this reading. Quite early on (page 2) Pursell brings up a couple of assumptions about technology and promptly debunks them. The one that struck me the most was the second one, where we assume the only change that will take place is the replacement of the old with the new. In this case the old being books, and the new being the iPad. Personally, I don't think the iPad will be the culmination of technology.(I keep holding out for the [http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2007-04/memory-hacker Brain Chips] to hit the market, which will actually create and solve more problems) As society grows and changes and faces new problems, the technology will follow. As it has done, for mankind. We create what we need. From something as simple as fire, to something as complex as the iPad. -Jenn | ||
