Hour One: Internet Scavenger Hunt. 20 questions presented. Students are asked to scan the questions before going online to see how many questions can be answered. Then, students are asked to think about where they might go in the library to find the answers, and how they might find the answers. Finally, google the questions! If you can figure out what to ask, you will get the answers instantly.
Hour Two: Here comes Marshall McLuhan.
The first of a four part examination of the contrubutions of Marshall McLuhan to the theory and practice of teaching with media and technology.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thurs. Jan. 24: Assessment; Film Tactics
Part One examined the upcoming assignments. A clarification was attempted as to the "levels" of analysis of appropriate websites for the "ideas worth trying" assignment. In particular, A portal is an internet site which provides access or links to other sites. (Oxford American Dictionary.) That is not our interest. A Website identified (possibly through a portal) is the starting point: Gutenberg.com; cbc archives; Nicenet; Oxford English Dictionary; Kathy Shrock's guide to educators, etc. This is what we are focusing on at the first level for a description, pedagogic potential, potential problems, etc. The example takes the site one level deeper and looks at a particular text in gutenberg, a particular archive (eg. Foster Hewitt on hockey), a particular lesson plan, etc.
If you are confused, please ask.
Second, we explored some generic issues of assessment, in particular norm vs criterion referencing, and how the two get mixed up, which becomes the crux of the problem of grading: You cannot mix two methods, yet we continually do. There is also the separation of technical components vs academic components. In a class go-round, we identified A+ as synonymous with expert, wow!, scholarship, significantly above average, etc. The main point (with which there seemed to be generalk agreement) was that A+ is not equivalent to meeting stated technical criteria.
Third, we looked at the Halliwell Film Guide as a model for a brief descriptive (and evaluative) statement. We looked at Halliwell's evaluation of Begone Dull Care, which he rated as 4 stars (out of 4!) .
Finally, we previewed Film Tactics, a 1945 US Navy training film. The film (Originally in 16mm format) provided an insight into the sophisticated behavioristic model for the development of training films in the 1940s. Several implications seem quite relevant today (in spite of the age), such as prepare the class, review, discuss, test, ventilate, and so on. The film argued for "an hours worth of learning from an hours worth of training." In a class exercise, we explored the idea that "If you tell them what to look for, they will get it. If you don't tell them, they don't have a chance!"
If you are confused, please ask.
Second, we explored some generic issues of assessment, in particular norm vs criterion referencing, and how the two get mixed up, which becomes the crux of the problem of grading: You cannot mix two methods, yet we continually do. There is also the separation of technical components vs academic components. In a class go-round, we identified A+ as synonymous with expert, wow!, scholarship, significantly above average, etc. The main point (with which there seemed to be generalk agreement) was that A+ is not equivalent to meeting stated technical criteria.
Third, we looked at the Halliwell Film Guide as a model for a brief descriptive (and evaluative) statement. We looked at Halliwell's evaluation of Begone Dull Care, which he rated as 4 stars (out of 4!) .
Finally, we previewed Film Tactics, a 1945 US Navy training film. The film (Originally in 16mm format) provided an insight into the sophisticated behavioristic model for the development of training films in the 1940s. Several implications seem quite relevant today (in spite of the age), such as prepare the class, review, discuss, test, ventilate, and so on. The film argued for "an hours worth of learning from an hours worth of training." In a class exercise, we explored the idea that "If you tell them what to look for, they will get it. If you don't tell them, they don't have a chance!"
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
January 22: Lab 2
The first hour today was an open lab to explore information sites.
In the second hour, we focused on getting together the presentation groups.
TED.com was introduced as a "think tank" in which "the best and the brightest" have an opportunity to present their thoughts in a 20 minute presentation. We previewed the presentation by Sir Ken Robinson on creativity in education. His presentation is a challenge for teachers everywhere. He says we are training them for the future, but we don't have a clue as to what that future will be like. He argues for creativity as one thing that can be useful for an uncertain future. His examples of Shakespere as an early and middle years student, and the woman dancer who created Cats! are useful. His definition of creativity: the process of having original ideas which matter. intelligence he says, is diverse, dynamic and distinct.
In the second hour, we focused on getting together the presentation groups.
TED.com was introduced as a "think tank" in which "the best and the brightest" have an opportunity to present their thoughts in a 20 minute presentation. We previewed the presentation by Sir Ken Robinson on creativity in education. His presentation is a challenge for teachers everywhere. He says we are training them for the future, but we don't have a clue as to what that future will be like. He argues for creativity as one thing that can be useful for an uncertain future. His examples of Shakespere as an early and middle years student, and the woman dancer who created Cats! are useful. His definition of creativity: the process of having original ideas which matter. intelligence he says, is diverse, dynamic and distinct.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Getting Ready for Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan is arguably the most important University of Manitoba alumnus. He spent his formative years in Winnipeg, attending elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools. He received both his Master's and his PhD here at the U of M.
And yet, we seem to ignore him. Or, at the very least he has been forgotten. Too bad.
McLuhan's contribution to educational theory and practice may seem is tenuous at best. Or is it? If technology is a major driving force of today's society, we as teachers, need to be very aware of what is happening. Mcluhan mahy provide us with the tools for such an examination.
What McLuhan said was that there are four laws the govern how media/technology influence us. They happen all at once in a kind of a tetrad. In order to understand our global world, we need to ask these four questions simultaneously. They are:
- What does the technology enhance?
- What does the technology obsolesce?
- What does the technology retrieve (that we have lost)?
- When pushed to the extreme, what does the technology reverse into?
Our explorations will begin with an old program (produced for schools) called Media and Meaning. This 20 minute program will set the stage for a 90 minute DVD called McLuhan's Wake.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
January 17: About Classroom Presentations and "Ideas Worth Trying"
Assignment #1
This class examined the two major assignments. "Ideas worth trying" is a portfolio of five sites (either communications oriented, information oriented, or "ideas for teaching". One site must be Canadian. For each site, students are asked to give its title, URL, pedagogic potential, potential problems, and a concluding statement. Finally, the entire package should include a title page, an introductory page, a table of contents (listing each website and URL), and a concluding statement.
Note: One item has been changed from the original criteria set forth in the Day One course handout. Omit the section of McLuhan's tetrads. That will not have yet been covered in class.
The assignment is due on Thursday February 7.
At this point, we examined selected websites. Questia was introduced as a subscription database which calls itself "the world's largest library."
Google Images was examined, not as a website, but as a database aggregator. Whatever it is called, it can provide images of literally anything. The danger of google images is that the user can equally well pull up images that are not pedagogic, but in fact unsuitable for school children.
It needs to be reiterated that the internet was not made for teachers and learners; it was made for the rest of the world. We can adapt it to pedagogic purposes, but we need to be aware of its intended focus. and intended audiences. In the world of the internet entertainment and commerce come first. Whether in the near future we can successfully adapt it to our purposes has yet to be determined.
An AUP, or acceptable use policy should be available in all schools or divisions. Teacher candidates need to ask the appropriate school personnel to see the AUP, and find out what is allowed and what is not allowed, before using the internet as a teaching resource. Do you need parental permission? School permission? Which sites are locked out or filtered out?
Another issue is website evaluation. It has become a mantra to say that we need to teach students to be critical users of the web. There are many online sites that provide such critical guidelines. One such popular list asks the user to explore the five W's.
It is an interesting concept. But if you take a look at the page you have just been sent to (the Five W's, note that you cannot quite make those criteria work to satisfy its own page!
In class, we looked at the just released Encyclopedia of Manitoba. In that book, several errors were noted, including a price tag on a Ukrainian Easter egg (1) photo, and an article on a Mr. Simpson that was meant to be a put-on, or an in-joke. The entry on Mr. Simpson is probably the only one in the entire encyclopedia that was tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken seriously. The same article included a deliberate error, a deliberate misuse of the word mentor (instead of creator) and finally was merely initialled, even though the publisher promised that this encyclopedia was NOT like wikipedia: authors are not afraid to sign their names!
In short, to say that we need to teach students "to be critical users of the web" falls short. In fact we need to teach students to be critical users of information, wherever it comes from.
Assignment Two:
Teachers teach. Teachers teach with technology. Teachers teach content with technology. This class will provide an overview of presentation techniques.
In education, this is traditionally called "lesson planning". In the world of business, this is simply called presentation techniques.
There are three steps.
First you need to organize and prepare your presentation. Second, you need to understand the strengths and limitations of powerpoint (or whatever technology you are using. Third, you need to know basic delivery techniques.
One useful site which summarizes these is by a professional consulting company called Garr Reynolds. Their online links are useful:
Planning tips
Slide tips
Presentation tips
This class examined the two major assignments. "Ideas worth trying" is a portfolio of five sites (either communications oriented, information oriented, or "ideas for teaching". One site must be Canadian. For each site, students are asked to give its title, URL, pedagogic potential, potential problems, and a concluding statement. Finally, the entire package should include a title page, an introductory page, a table of contents (listing each website and URL), and a concluding statement.
Note: One item has been changed from the original criteria set forth in the Day One course handout. Omit the section of McLuhan's tetrads. That will not have yet been covered in class.
The assignment is due on Thursday February 7.
At this point, we examined selected websites. Questia was introduced as a subscription database which calls itself "the world's largest library."
Google Images was examined, not as a website, but as a database aggregator. Whatever it is called, it can provide images of literally anything. The danger of google images is that the user can equally well pull up images that are not pedagogic, but in fact unsuitable for school children.
It needs to be reiterated that the internet was not made for teachers and learners; it was made for the rest of the world. We can adapt it to pedagogic purposes, but we need to be aware of its intended focus. and intended audiences. In the world of the internet entertainment and commerce come first. Whether in the near future we can successfully adapt it to our purposes has yet to be determined.
An AUP, or acceptable use policy should be available in all schools or divisions. Teacher candidates need to ask the appropriate school personnel to see the AUP, and find out what is allowed and what is not allowed, before using the internet as a teaching resource. Do you need parental permission? School permission? Which sites are locked out or filtered out?
Another issue is website evaluation. It has become a mantra to say that we need to teach students to be critical users of the web. There are many online sites that provide such critical guidelines. One such popular list asks the user to explore the five W's.
It is an interesting concept. But if you take a look at the page you have just been sent to (the Five W's, note that you cannot quite make those criteria work to satisfy its own page!
In class, we looked at the just released Encyclopedia of Manitoba. In that book, several errors were noted, including a price tag on a Ukrainian Easter egg (1) photo, and an article on a Mr. Simpson that was meant to be a put-on, or an in-joke. The entry on Mr. Simpson is probably the only one in the entire encyclopedia that was tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken seriously. The same article included a deliberate error, a deliberate misuse of the word mentor (instead of creator) and finally was merely initialled, even though the publisher promised that this encyclopedia was NOT like wikipedia: authors are not afraid to sign their names!
In short, to say that we need to teach students "to be critical users of the web" falls short. In fact we need to teach students to be critical users of information, wherever it comes from.
Assignment Two:
Teachers teach. Teachers teach with technology. Teachers teach content with technology. This class will provide an overview of presentation techniques.
In education, this is traditionally called "lesson planning". In the world of business, this is simply called presentation techniques.
There are three steps.
First you need to organize and prepare your presentation. Second, you need to understand the strengths and limitations of powerpoint (or whatever technology you are using. Third, you need to know basic delivery techniques.
One useful site which summarizes these is by a professional consulting company called Garr Reynolds. Their online links are useful:
Planning tips
Slide tips
Presentation tips
January 15 Lab
This class was an introduction to "social networking" and "web 2.0". The latest iteration of the web supports collaboration. Interestingly, this is in line with current pedagogic thinking characterized by constructivist models of learning.
Be sure you know these three terms: social networking, web 2.0 and constructivism.
The sites we explored were blogspot (blogger), Nicenet, Google Docs and Google Notebook. All have pedagogic potential. But all are potentially problematic. In times in which cyberbullying and cyberpornography are rampant, these tools can be warped as sites to contain the worst of humankind as well as the best. Be careful and be vigilant.
On the sidebar of this blog, I have posted a survey. Please respond...
Be sure you know these three terms: social networking, web 2.0 and constructivism.
The sites we explored were blogspot (blogger), Nicenet, Google Docs and Google Notebook. All have pedagogic potential. But all are potentially problematic. In times in which cyberbullying and cyberpornography are rampant, these tools can be warped as sites to contain the worst of humankind as well as the best. Be careful and be vigilant.
On the sidebar of this blog, I have posted a survey. Please respond...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Reading: 7 things you should know about blogs
This reading is a useful overview on the topic of blogging. Here is the document.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Functions of Media/technology
What precisely do we need technology for? Seven functions stand out. It must be clear that one does not merely add technology to the teaching and learning situation. One adds technology for a purpose. Here are seven purposes; seven things that technology can do for education.
1. Technology can be used to solve a particular identified TASK
5. Technology is a DELIVERY system
6. Technology provides MOTIVATION. Media Motivate. Technology motivates. Potentially, kids like working with media and technology. If it can be integrated in pedagogic functions, it makes learning fun too.
7. Technology is a tool for COMMUNICATION.
1. Technology can be used to solve a particular identified TASK
- Internet: wikihow
- YouTube: How to fold a shirt
- Film: Paul Tomkowicz.
- Internet:
- Video: Video courses,
- Print: textbooks
- Internet: ubiquitous
- Training videos
- Begone Dull Care featuring Norman Mclaren with a sound track by the late Canadian jazz great, Oscar Peterson.
- Audio: Music. (eg. archival recordings)
5. Technology is a DELIVERY system
6. Technology provides MOTIVATION. Media Motivate. Technology motivates. Potentially, kids like working with media and technology. If it can be integrated in pedagogic functions, it makes learning fun too.
7. Technology is a tool for COMMUNICATION.
- Blogger
- Nicenet
- Google Docs
- Google notebook
Class one
Several guiding questions will focus this course over the next few weeks. The fundamental question is simple: What do middle-years teacher candidates need to know about educational technology, The corollary question takes us a step further and asks: What do middle years students need to know about technology?
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Teacher and Technology
Welcome to the blogspot for EDUB1990 Teacher and Technology at the University of Manitoba for January - March 2008
Several guiding questions will focus the course over the next few weeks. The fundamental question is simple: What do middle years teacher candidates need to know about educational technology? The corollary question takes us a step further and asks: What do middle years students need to know about educational technology? What do they need to know about technology? In spite of the similar "look", these are very different questions with very different answers. Each is important, but it is the first which must remain the focus of this course.
The first class begins with a video/film: Norman McLaren's 1961 classic Opening Speech . The short film asks more questions than it answers, though its ultimate question is indeed answered. Within the short film lie the germ of the idea of educational technology.
At the outset, it is important to state what this course is NOT, and at the same time what educational technology is NOT. This is important, because it is almost always misunderstood. The question about technology, the philosopher Heidegger famously said, "is nothing technological." The question about educational technology is not to turn teachers into technicians. You are teachers. You are NOT techies. For those of you who are teachers and who are also techies, we will try not to hold that against you. Nor is educational technology about becoming computer scientists, and understanding how to use Java, or how to program in html or how to set up a website.
Then what is technology about? Technology is a complex system that involves cultural, political, social, economic and aesthetic issues. These shall form the foundation for this course, but all funnelled through a pedagogic or educative filter.
Names to remember from Class One:
Norman McLaren
National Film Board of Canada
Opening Speech (1961)
Several guiding questions will focus the course over the next few weeks. The fundamental question is simple: What do middle years teacher candidates need to know about educational technology? The corollary question takes us a step further and asks: What do middle years students need to know about educational technology? What do they need to know about technology? In spite of the similar "look", these are very different questions with very different answers. Each is important, but it is the first which must remain the focus of this course.
The first class begins with a video/film: Norman McLaren's 1961 classic Opening Speech . The short film asks more questions than it answers, though its ultimate question is indeed answered. Within the short film lie the germ of the idea of educational technology.
At the outset, it is important to state what this course is NOT, and at the same time what educational technology is NOT. This is important, because it is almost always misunderstood. The question about technology, the philosopher Heidegger famously said, "is nothing technological." The question about educational technology is not to turn teachers into technicians. You are teachers. You are NOT techies. For those of you who are teachers and who are also techies, we will try not to hold that against you. Nor is educational technology about becoming computer scientists, and understanding how to use Java, or how to program in html or how to set up a website.
Then what is technology about? Technology is a complex system that involves cultural, political, social, economic and aesthetic issues. These shall form the foundation for this course, but all funnelled through a pedagogic or educative filter.
Names to remember from Class One:
Norman McLaren
National Film Board of Canada
Opening Speech (1961)
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