Month: January 2004

Several individuals on listservs I follow have recently been focused on what they perceive as efforts to end hands-on learning. Educational Psychologists may also have encountered a recent article in the American Psychologist by Richard Mayer – “Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning?” (2004, 59, 14-19).

First, I do not read standards to exclude some student-guided work. In fact, I would argue that standards require students participate in some tasks that require decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, etc. I also think Mayer is correct in suggesting that allowing students to flounder about without guidance (scaffolding) is largely unproductive. I hope this issue is merely a matter of balance.

I have been reading Todd Oppenheimer’s The Flickering Mind. I do make the effort to read the various books (e.g., Cuban, Healy) that argue against the use of technology in schools. I will likely have more to say on this particular book at a later point. Until then, additional material on this position can be found at EdTechNot.

I am having a difficult time getting a good focus on the main ideas of “The Flickering Mind.” There are similar themes in many of these books – inefficient use of meager resources, diversion of teachers and students from core goals of education, lack of good data demonstrating technology is really effective, commercial pressure, etc. I have yet to determine from Oppenheimer’s anecdotes which or all he believes are core problems.

Arguing from anecdotes is something we all do. We tend to find or selectively recall those examples that fit the case we want to make and ignore those that stand in opposition. Actually, if we are skilled, we use some of each, but make certain the number favoring our position are far more numerous.

The problem with equipment breakdowns is one example of a potential technological problem. Some equipment does break down. However, it is difficult to determine how often this happens and why.

I have not had personal problems with computer hardware and so accepting the position that equipment is unreliable is difficult. Because I like to work on the “newest” thing, my real problem is what to do with the past generations of equipment. Multiple generations of the computers I have used accumulate under office tables and in store rooms. Some have been passed on to acquaintances willing to work with older equipment.

On a table in my office is the server I first used to gain personal experience in Internet applications. I turned this machine on in 1995. It has run with the exception of an hour here or there, the week they turned off the power because of the Grand Forks flood of 1997, etc. ever since. Year after year it rolls on (nearly a million pages served last year). I have several “used” machines waiting to replace the old “work horse”, but the machine simply refuses to quit. I have decided not to ever replace this machine as long as it still runs – it is kind of a loyality thing. If the machine can last another 10 years, we will simply retire together.

The machine on the right is the server (the “pizza box” design is a 6150/66 Power Mac still running system 7.6). In contrast, the machine on the left is a G5.

The U.S. Department of Education terminated AskERIC on Dec. 19. Educators Reference Desk to continue some services of the abandoned AskERIC. It appears that some interactive services (Ask ERIC) will not be available, but the database of lesson plans and connections to online information have been salvaged.

This is the 20 year anniversary of the introduction of the Apple Macintosh. The development of the personal computer is probably the one “process” that I feel I have lived and perceived as “historical change.” Talk of the Nation (National Public Radio) recently made available a program Celebrating 20 Years of the Mac.

CNN Online offers a similar feature

Windows users – be alert for a new e-mail virus. CNN.com reports the virus requires that the user open an attachment.

Andy Carvin is one of those people who has created name recognition through his(/her) online presence. First with Public Television (if I remember correctly) and now with the Benton Foundation.

You can become familiar with EdWeb (the web site), WWWEDU] (a listserv – pronounced We Do) and now the “Waste of Bandwidth Blog.” A wide range of topics – educational and otherwise – are explored.