Technology and Sustainability
Conformity:
Having watched several You Tube videos of
Sir Ken Robertson and Noam Chompsy, I can see that there are people who ‘think
outside the box’, do question ‘the norm’ and ‘think about what we conform to’.
According to my computer’s thesaurus, conform
means:
be conventional, be traditional, do the accepted thing, obey the rules, play the game, kowtow. Rebel being the Antonym stated.
To me the word conform registers as ‘fitting in’ (don’t rock the boat), which seems less disturbing to me than ‘obey the rules’ or ‘play the game’. When I think about it, it really is a game. If I ‘don’t play by the rules’ I am absolutely certain that the ‘powers in charge’ will tell me to ‘play nicely or else there will be negative consequences’. Life could become quite difficult if I don’t follow ‘the rules’.
be conventional, be traditional, do the accepted thing, obey the rules, play the game, kowtow. Rebel being the Antonym stated.
To me the word conform registers as ‘fitting in’ (don’t rock the boat), which seems less disturbing to me than ‘obey the rules’ or ‘play the game’. When I think about it, it really is a game. If I ‘don’t play by the rules’ I am absolutely certain that the ‘powers in charge’ will tell me to ‘play nicely or else there will be negative consequences’. Life could become quite difficult if I don’t follow ‘the rules’.
The question which I might ask at this
point is: who actually does make the rules and why?
Once I find that out, will I still agree with the rules, see them as ethical, are they taking into account the wellbeing of everyone or just a few? Who do the rules really benefit?
Once I find that out, will I still agree with the rules, see them as ethical, are they taking into account the wellbeing of everyone or just a few? Who do the rules really benefit?
When I read through long ‘blurbs’ about
some law or other, not to mention the small print and then also try to ‘read
between the lines’, I usually wilt halfway through. I’m sure it’s the same with
some of the ‘rules and regulations’ for the Educational system.
Then there is the issue of ‘wanting to
change the rules’. Having to deal with longwinded, written ‘blurbs’, which most
likely have been set up to not have many loopholes, finding these loopholes is
often a costly (lawyers) and time consuming exercise, which not many people (or
organizations) can afford. It gets
really tricky when the issue addressed is with any Government, which can direct
taxpayers money towards ‘getting rid of’ annoying cases, all for the good of
the people of course.
I wonder, if I really
look at ‘freedom of choice’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and other ‘freedoms’ any
public individual is meant to have, is this truly so or just seems so?
So what’s it with all
the technology that seems to be inevitably creeping into the field of
education? Who will this benefit?
Studying:
I have studied
extramurally for the last six years. To do this, I was required to have a
computer with Internet access and a telephone.
The programs used during my art studies were:
Email, Skype (for tutor feedback on my work), a student blog site (set up by the school) to upload process/work & students comments, telephone for the odd chat with any other tutor or the school, listening to recorded tutorials (pod casts);
For the GCTLT: Telephone, Moodle, Adobe chat, Blog, email, course website.
The programs used during my art studies were:
Email, Skype (for tutor feedback on my work), a student blog site (set up by the school) to upload process/work & students comments, telephone for the odd chat with any other tutor or the school, listening to recorded tutorials (pod casts);
For the GCTLT: Telephone, Moodle, Adobe chat, Blog, email, course website.
To me, having 1
computer, Internet access and 1 telephone seems to be quite sufficient. I can
study at home at any time when it suits me and live in any location. I don’t
use any time or petrol to get to a lecture, which to me seems a good thing too,
although there is a lack of social, face-to-face interaction. Hearing someone
on the phone or through any app (Adobe/Skype) is in a way only ‘half real’. I do save paper (no printouts but save
info on desktop), which is more sustainable than chopping down trees to pulp up
for paper. No ink needed for printouts.
Undoubtedly – modern
technology has its place and advantages.
Skimming through the
Horizon Report and watching part of the video on the FL course www
(trends) – leaves me feeling a tad overwhelmed.
I start questioning
myself: how many technological ‘gadgets’ do we really need to study (or teach)?
Also what happens with the incredible speed these apps seem to outdate
themselves with a newer version? Where do the outdated ‘gadgets’ go? What age
is appropriate to start using modern technology in education? What might happen
to social skills due to a lack of face-to-face human interaction?
Some people question
the benefit of using more and more electronic devices for social interaction or
study. Some links for some interesting reading:
Electronic devices /
not looking at people
Another www. same concern:
vid:
Teachers view on attention span and tech:
complete article:
Found on Fb with
photos:
Teenagers and cell phones:
Anyone who has or had
a teenager glued to a computer or cell phone knows how that can become rather
‘anti-social’. They are socially interacting with another person on another
electronic device but are not in the same place. Nevertheless, the place they
are in, which might also offer social interactions, is neglected.
Social networking:
When it comes to
social networking sites, I use Facebook. A friend talked me into it about 3
years ago. I made a point of ‘befriending’ people with similar interests,
namely artists from all over the world.
When I started to study the paper ‘Education for Sustainability’ I ‘clicked on’
to pages, which supported solar power, rooftop gardens or Greenpeace etc. I was
surprised who many pages there were. I clicked onto one and then look at their
interest list, which was full of similar pages.
In that respect I can see that this is quite useful, as I can access
information from all over the world. It is rather ‘un-personal’ though and I
have no idea what it would be like to meet any of these people in person.
Similar interests don’t necessarily mean I would get on with that person. It’s
rather different being ‘friends’ on Facebook with a person I know than with one
I don’t.
I started to look for people who are interested in Education and there are some as well, but I haven’t followed that one through.
I started to look for people who are interested in Education and there are some as well, but I haven’t followed that one through.
Trends and Marketing Psychology:
The word trends
(Thesaurus = tendency, fashion, inclination, movement, development) sounds like
something which might come and go, replaced by another ‘trend’ (like in
fashion, different trends ‘coming and going’). This made me wonder about what
might be behind trends, hence on other area I looked into was marketing
psychology.
Marketing Psychology
links:
Interesting:
All marketing is
social psychology www.
Social marketing =
getting an idea across rather than selling a product.
Promote something (idea) through motive
working towards ‘social good’.
Green / Sustainable
Marketing:
Greenwashing (brainwashing?)
Who’s really green and who’s pretending? Greenpeace www.
Greenwash brief
history:
After looking into marketing psychology briefly, I wondered if the ‘technology trend’ has a very profitable outlook. I came across this article:
If I put ideas of profit orientated market psychology together with the obviously financially lucrative predictions in the above article, I am not surprised that there is a ‘trend towards electronic devices in/for Education' but of course that is obviously not the only reason for the trend in adding more technology to education.
Is this sustainable?
Somehow I doubt it, as – in my opinion - nothing can replace actual human
contact.
I am actually quite pleased that I work in an environment where there are no electronic options. It is definitely very much based on human-to-human contact/relationships. My teaching context can definitely not be considered ‘technologically trendy’.
I am actually quite pleased that I work in an environment where there are no electronic options. It is definitely very much based on human-to-human contact/relationships. My teaching context can definitely not be considered ‘technologically trendy’.
Pictures like the one
below do irk me a bit. If I would be out in nature, why would I want to take my
laptop along (unless I am entering data on – say – the quality of the grass I’m
standing on)? Maybe I would go to a park and do some homework on my laptop (I
actually don’t) but why is this particular picture on the ‘Innovating Pedagogy 2012’
report? They both don’t actually look very comfortable either and it looks
awkward to me. Is this picture meant to show that anyone can go anywhere and
study anything anytime? Maybe it’s meant to show that we are not stuck in
offices or classrooms anymore if we have ‘one of those’? Anyway – I find it a
little odd.
Production and Recycling e-waste:
So what happens with
all these PC’s, cell phones etc when they are ‘outdated’ and where are some of
them produced?
Production:
Production:
This is a link to an
article of the Foxconn company, where there have been suicides from workers.
There are nettings outside the building to prevent people falling to their
deaths:
Some www on e-waste:
An article about e-waste with links and pics:
Designed to last vs designed for the dump:
Another one on Ethical Reflections On Modern Technology (& recycling electronics):
On Consumerism; ‘Let’s stop hiding behind recycling and be honest about consumption’:
An other one:
Electronic Waste Wiki:
Article on ewaste:
an other one:
statement:
Ethics and electronic
waste article: Personal comment: Humans as throw away commodity?
ewaste problem
greenpeace international option
Options on computer recycling in NZ:
Free pick up of 10 or more items:
Upcycling:
Phew – there is a lot of information pro and cons modern technology available.
Some people wonder if there are any negative health effects from using technology:
Some links:
Cell phones:
Laptops:
TV:
Electronic tablets,
e.g. iPad:
Interesting about
microwaves/sourced from Fb/strange adding biblical quotes at end of article
And we could question that what we believe to be correct today, might prove to be incorrect 'tomorrow'?
I'll add a link to a very fascinating talk, well worth while spending 18 minutes on J :
The science of delusion – Rupert Sheldrake
Reliability:
Then there is the question, how reliable is technology, what could potentially go wrong and what would the consequences be? Apart from natural disasters like earthquakes and such, there seem to be 'cosmic' happenings, which apparently can affect technology:
Solar Flares:
Sun
Unleashes four Massive Solar Flares in two days
NEWS, WORLD TRUTH
MAY 16, 2013
........... "When CME occurs it propels bursts of billions of
tons of solar particles and electromagnetic fluctuations that can reach Earth's
atmosphere and harm satellites, communications systems, and even ground-based
technologies and power grids.
The March 1989 CME produced by a X15-class solar flare resulting in a geomagnetic storm that caused the collapse of Hydro-Québec's electricity transmission system in Canada."
The March 1989 CME produced by a X15-class solar flare resulting in a geomagnetic storm that caused the collapse of Hydro-Québec's electricity transmission system in Canada."
Concluding:
When I look at technology in Education, I do wonder how much is too much and what is sustainable?
For me personally, I wouldn’t like having to deal with spending a lot of time keeping up with the latest apps available to teach an Art class or for studying (long distance). Saying that, before FL I didn't know (in fact, didn't need to know) how to set up and use a blog. Now I do. Is that a good thing? I think so, even so setting up this blog proved to be a bit of a nuisance at times and it used up time I would have preferred to spend on actually studying the subject. If I would have to learn and spend that much time on setting up various new 'technological aids', it would not be sustainable for me.
I also wouldn't want to keep spending money for the latest technological options (possibly) needed for me to be able to study this or that course. Financially, this would also not be sustainable for me and I suspect that a lot of other students with student loans probably wouldn't want to increase it more than is needed.
Supporting the (profit orientated) production and the questionable disposal of technological gadgets all in the name of needing to keep up with 'the trend' is not sustainable for my conscience.
I enjoy hands on projects and to me that is sustainable. Saying that, for example - my attempt to work on a piece of marble with only traditional tools soon turned into me buying an angle grinder (electric tool), an invention I prefer not to do without. I am definitely pleased that I can study from home.
As an independent artist, I myself would not choose to use Photoshop to create or alter Art but instead would use materials I can manipulate and transform in a hands on way.
Luckily, the Arts are divided into many different sections and if someone wants to learn Graphic Design or Film making for example, there are wonderful tutors available who feel a lot of enthusiasm for the subject they teach and of course would enjoy and know the technology needed for teaching those subjects :-).
On this note, why
not use some of the old PC’s for an artistic, recycled hands on project?
I really enjoy reading your informative posts - it looks like you really enjoy exploring these topics. You make some important points about technology - how much is too much? Good design principles for learning need to make sure that the pedagogy is decided on first rather than choosing the tools and then deciding what to do with them. So technology should enhance pedagogy rather than the other way round.
ReplyDeleteThe information about technology stats seems to be copyrighted. ©AAP 2012 - you had better fix that if it is a copy and paste. I will comment on the rest of the post in a second response.
Hi Bronwyn
DeleteThank you for pointing that ©AAP 2012 out. I deleted the article but left the link.