Oct 15 2007
5-A-2 Blogical Discussion Forum
As we scramble to implement the latest changes in technology, adding weblogs, resource pages, and aggregators to our repertoire, George Siemens quotes Jean Baudrillard on his distinctions between “change” and “becoming.” (http://www.conncectivism.ca/blog/2007/09/on_distinctions_between_change.html) Siemens says that while we have “a vague sense of what we don’t want to be,” we are “grasping for clarity on what we are becoming.” He says that “as educators, our emphasis needs to be on increasing learners’ ability to function in unknowing environments. A lesson we first need to learn ourselves.” Siemens further writes that the first role of education is to react to trends and use the tools we think learners need and will use. The second role, as he sees it, is that of moving educated people toward a desire to change society for the better. Siemens’s concern (in response to my comment on his blog) is that unless we teach the value of diversity, social networkers risk surrounding themselves with like-minded people rather than “understanding others who hold dramatically different worldviews from our own.”
In light of George Siemens’s comments, do you see technology, especially the Read/Write Web, as an opportunity to help students “become” more democratic and sensitive toward individual freedom or not? Is it the responsibility of the educator to ensure that students are not networking only with people who think like themselves? I look forward to your thoughts.
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Your post was very thought provoking. Thank you, Deb! In my opinion, the world of the Read/Write Web holds the same responsibilities as the physical world and one of the responsibilities that I feel is to move the people in my classrooms toward an understanding of people who do not think like themselves. Siemens offers a fair comment. It is interesting, though, to think of the situation of moving into unknown environments while trying to figure out what we “are becoming” as a type of cross-cultural experience. Without wanting to sound naïve, I hope that in some situations the Read/Write Web may mitigate one of the “stumbling blocks” to face-to-face communication between diverse groups – the emotional reaction which results in judging the ways of those who are not like oneself. Asynchronous communication may buffer this knee jerk reaction and when confronted with something “strange,” instead of shutting down, students might display a sense of inquiry.
It has been said that we are educating students for jobs that haven’t even been created yet. Now, if we don’t have a clue about what is to come, but we do know change is coming, then we must exposed students to new ideas, new tools, new techniques, and new learning environments. I believe the greatest things we can teach our children are the ability to adapt, creative thinking, and the desire for more knowledge. If we can accomplish these things, our students will be able to take advantage of the changes that will occur in their lifetimes.
Siemens commented that he is “a bit apprehensive about the 21st century skills movement” because it may be based more on hype than on research. An increased use of technology for both teaching and learning is the foundation of this movement. Is the Read/Write Web just another of the many trends that have come and gone in education or is this the beginning of a revolution?
Ohhhhh. These thoughts are extremely deep and complex. If we are training students to be critical thinkers I would then agree that we would be making them more democratic or at least more selective about what they regard as important and trustworthy. Since we are opening their thoughts to a more global perspective, I would only hope that our US students would see the benefits to their freedoms.
It seems that in the present blogging world people mostly stick to sites that appeal to their own (narrow?) interests. Some people seek to be reinforced in their beliefs or in their ignorance at the risk of discovering competing information and attitudes. I am hoping to set the stage for my students to begin communicating with students in another country. They are rather uninformed and, at the moment, uninterested, in learning about other cultures and the people who share them. People worldwide know a great deal about the United States but we, as a nation, do not reciprocate in interest. When we begin communicating and sharing thoughts and information about school and family and friends I hope this will change and they will begin to glimpse the Big Picture-that WE ALL are the Big Picture….The technology of the Web really helps shrink the globe and open windows and doors wherever it flows.
Hi David. You must be very excited about the opportunity to enable your students to communicate with people from other countries; this will undoubtedly change some of their perceptions. I guess the web is no different from other resources where people may choose to reinforce their own beliefs rather than to open their minds to other possibilities. At least as an educator, you will have the chance to open a door. Good luck!
Deb, I’m very glad that you brought this up. After researching and reading a lot about connectivism and Siemens this week, this is a big concern. I think you hit the nail on the head with having both parts of your question. I do not think that technology like any media source will single handedly help the students become more democratic. Siemen himself is concerned about vacuuming or an echo chamber effect. With web 2.0 tools we have the ability to listen or subscribe to the only the people who support our view points. This is where we as teachers must step in. It is important for us to know/see the whole picture and be able to play devils advocate if needed. Furthermore, it is becoming our responsibility to teach students how to use these technologies. Part of this responsibility is communicating their downfalls or possible implications and how to overcome them. We must make sure these “amatures” as Siemens calls them are well educated and well rounded before they begin using web 2.0 tools to network.
Justin, thank you for your comments about the connectivism movement and Siemens’ concerns about the use of web 2.0 tools. Teachers are responsible for drawing out the benefits and detriments of all the tools students use, including the good old textbook that has been the mainstay of education for so long. Isn’t education ultimately about teaching people not only how to obtain information, but also how to analyze and evaluate what they hear and read? That seems to go for us as well; just using something new and exciting without first thughtfully considering its implications and meaningful applications is the difference between a fad and a revolution.
In light of George Siemens’s comments, do you see technology, especially the Read/Write Web, as an opportunity to help students “become” more democratic and sensitive toward individual freedom or not? Is it the responsibility of the educator to ensure that students are not networking only with people who think like themselves? I look forward to your thoughts
The challenge, as stated in other blog responses, is to not limit the resources for our students to our “narrow thoughts or comfort zone.” Our obligation is to allow students to become critical thinkers and become more democratic. We must not allow our personal restrictions to inhibit the thought process of the students we are encouraging to grow.
Secondly, we do have a responsibility to gather what the students feel comfortable with and then navigate in an opposite direction. This will channel new doors to open and networking in areas that will bring enrichment, dialogue and possible controversy. The hope is that this sparks positive debate and develops more critical thinking.