Week 9/10 - Blog tasks

Without giving references to articles or websites, write five blog entries which creatively describe the digital technologically imbricated world (or not) of:
a) The oldest digital native you know.
The oldest digital native i know is my mother. She has been able to learn how to use the internet by using it to research holidays and buying things online a well as using email. Email is important to her for work, so it was compulsary she learnt how to use it. However surfing the web she learnt rather quickly and she still seems to be well adapt to most things available online, but it is obvious she does not know the boundaries on the internet and she can often get confused, or lost. Therefore, although this make make her more of an immigrant, i beleive she is comfortable on the internet and can do most things available to her.

b) The youngest digital immigrant you know.
The youngest digital immigrant i know would be my sister. She only really uses the internet for facebook, and she doesn't even understand most of the applications on that. Her web surfing abilities are very limited, as she cannot shop online, or know what websites are the best for what she's looking for. Nvertheless i do not think she is totally inept to use the internet, she does get by, and although she may be confused, she does manage to find what she is looking for most of the time.

c) A person known to you (could be you, but you don't need to admit it!) who most threatens the notion of native/immigrant in digital culture.
My Uncle, who, thinking about it, should have been the oldest digital native i know, as he is very accomplished when using the internet and most modern technological equipment available in the current climate of the digital age. He has really enjoyed following the growth of the digital era, and his skills have developed and changed with it. He has been responsible for teaching my how family how to use a computer and the internet, showing his extended and polished skills when it comes to anything 'new'. He gets all the gadgets as soon as they are available and just teaches himslef how to use them, proving how he loves the progression of technology.

d) Describe the daily frustrations of a fictional neo-luddite at university now in the UK.
A neo-luddite is a sort of political movement, who are against the progression of technology and the digital age that is occuring today. Their main points against the changes to our world include: dehumanisation, increase in government control, health problems, cruelty to animals and nuclear war. Some of these risks are quite 'out there' but health risks and government control are important to be aware of, as no one is doing as much exercise as they use to (couch potato culture) and the government is able to influence the internet, thus influencing public opinion.

A neo-luddite at university would really struggle, because the internet is constantly used to: communicate, share files, post information and complete work. It shows how important the internet is when at university, most of us would struggle to cope without it. Therefore it is evident that a neo luddite would probably end up pulling their hair out if they attended a university in the UK.

e) Describe the experience of a fictional technophile student in 2020.
A technophile is the opposite of a neo-luddite, and has many similar characteristics to my uncle i mentioned earlier. A technophile is someone who is very excited and supportive of the new age developing digital age, managing to adapt to change and learn all the new applications quickly and succinctly, enjoying it at the same time.

In 2020, with the expected web 3.0 plan, i imagine a technophile would be in their element, taking advantage of all the possible features available to them when working at university.

www.wikipedia.co.uk

Week 9/10 - Q5&6

What is the 'semantic web'? How does it differ from web 3.0?

The semantic web is an extra feature to the world wide web, which is used to define a web search allowing to satisfy all the users requests. The semantic web is very technological and very clever, as it works by providing information that is understood by computers, so it takes some of the hardwork away from humans when searching and sharing information on the internet.

Web 3.0 is the internet design and plan people in the Silicon valley are working on for 2020. It is similar to the semantic web, as its main feature will be doing most of the work for users, making website suggestions when writing an email. It will be able to understand what users are writing and the main theme of the email, making suggestions for articles on the same subject. Nova Spivach is the evangalist for the next phase development, and she actually names web 3.0 and the semantic web as the same thing.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2726190.ece

Week 9/10 - Q4

Is there a potential problem being stored up for people if 'education' is tailored to fit into their cultural and personal preferences?

This would be a major problem due to the fact that people do not know what kind of learning techniques they are best suited to until they have experienced all of them. For example, some people learn from reading, or from observation or from what they hear. I believe that different subjects are best taught in different ways, using different teaching methods, such as english is best taught by reading. Therefore i do not think education should be tailored to fit personal preferences, as i don't believe everyone knows what is best suited to them.

However, some schools may not be able to offer tools, such as the internet, or top sports facilities, that help benefit a students education, therefore some are getting a better opportunity than others. This shows that culture play a big part in education, as Bruner states, "culture shapes minds", so peoples future education is set up for them as soon as they are put into a certain community. As a result it shows that education is part of someones culture, not the other way around, so it cannot be a problem, as it will never change, because someones culture cannot change.

Bruner, J.S. (1997) The Culture of Education, London: Harvard University Press.

Week 9/10 - Q3

Should education 'stretch a person do you think? (What do you mean by 'stretch'?)

My interpretation of stretching a person, when it comes to education, is getting the most out of someone that it possible, using motivation, knowledge and social interaction so that a person can achieve the best to their ability, or even further. I do believe education should stretch a person, because they should be able to get everything in life they can, and be privilidged to do whatever they want to do in life.

Nevertheless i do not think students should be pushed or have education piled upon them constantly, otherwise it could have a damaging affect on them, as it would put them off learning forever.

Education should stretch a person by using all possible forms of teaching techniques, so people know how they learn best. Also motivation from parents and teachers and peers helps to create a nice atmosphere in which learning becomes possible. As well as this teaching tools, and variation is key to help learning, like computers and the internet, and going out side and observing the real world.

Week 9/10 - Q2

What difference to all this might the 'digital divide' make? a) To socioeconomically related access issues within a society? b) To global access issues across countries and regions?

The digital divide is the gap between people who benefit from the development of the media and technology, compared to those being left in the dark and lost in this digital age. Digital divide researchers have stated that it is the fact that middle - upper class have access to digital technology, whereas the poor are ignored because they cannot afford the luxuries, like broadband, or an ipod. Even if the poor do get access, it is normally very low in standards, compared to what others have, therefore they do not get the full experience and the maximum amount of knowledge needed. This just shows that socioeconomically, society suffers, because the divide just increases, less priviledged families get left behind, without the knowledge and experiences that digital technology provides. We are in the digital age, so if people cannot cope or afford to change and develop with the progressing technological world then society will just spread further apart and the economy slowly colloapse.

On a global scale it has been suggested that the digital divide has caused terrorism. This is due to the fact that religions have felt left out, because they did not take part in the digital progression, so they felt undermined and alienated. Nevertheless continents like Asia, have actually caught up with Britain and the USA over the last ten years because of the dotcom bust in the late 1900's. This means that Asia have become one of the leading continents in the digital age, having created many wireless networks throughout, growing as a digital continent quickly and cheaply.

http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/digitaldivide.html

Week 9/10 - Q1

How might Wenger's notions on practice communities relate to Prensky's on education?

Recapping on Wenger's notions on Communities of Practise (CofP), he states that in our day to day running of our lives, there are people and a certain group of people that help us get through life, deal with issues and are always there to help, interacting daily with them. As a stated on a previous post, my CofP is my local football team, as i do not just interact with them on the field, they are my mentours and friends throughout the week, and every week, and help me deal with issues and problems i have.

These Communities of Practise relate to Prensky's ideas on education because he states that interaction is very important when learning, therefore communities of practice help develop knowledge, as you learn off others, and through other peoples experiences. However, as i have stated in 'Journal 4 and 5 abstracts', Prensky stated that game based learning, and learning tools are good sources for education, but how can this be in anyway interactive?

Week 8 - Disagreements with journal aricles

Journal 1 - My main disagreement with journal one, is the fact that it is quite a short article, without much evidence of their own gathered by Bayne and Ross. It seems as though they have relied on previous articles to gain the information to prove their point and come to a conclusion, which is not neccesarily a wrong thing to do, however it is my only issue i had with it. It is also two years old, and i believe teaching methods and techniques have developed since then, therefore, maybe they would look at the issue from a different angle if they were to do it today. As well as this i am unsure if i agree that everyone needs to be at the same level, when it comes to dealing with computers, the interent and technology as a whole, because most adults do not even need to use it, although they will be at a disadvantage to most in the future.

Journal 2 - To an extent, i do understand what Livingstone is saying; that people should cope with the new media progression, as it is rapid and it will soon be impossible to catch up with it. However i believe that most people don't have a choice but to develop with new technology, as it occurs and knowledge increases quite naturally, because it is such a major influence in everyones day to day lives. As well as this i think that the changing media scene does effect the economy and politics etc. because of the new techniques and new ideas that enhance peoples lives and choices.


Journal 3 - This article has gone to a lot of trouble to actually gain its own qualitative data to prove the hypothesis, that girls attitudes and language is different and more risky when talking online compared with talking face to face with someone. Although the article is three years old, i do believe that the article makes a very good point, and is still relevant with todays society, as girls are still getting into difficult situations when talking on chat rooms, as they don't know who the other person is. Overall i think it is a very good article, and i do not really have any disagreements, as it is detailed, proven and succint.


Journal 4 - I do think that Prensky makes a good point in this article, however i do not believe that game based learning will ever take over classroom learning. This is because, although e - learning does have its advantages, it is not possible to be sociable enough, active or as productive, because of the limitations working on a computer has.


Journal 5 - Again, Prensky does highlight an issue that could come about in the future. Nevertheless i disagree with the fact that it is something that needs to be addressed, as i do not think it will be much of a problem, that younger generations will be able to gain more information through new media technology.

Week 8 - Journal 5 abstract

In this article, whereas in the previous article, where Prensky outlines the advantages of gaming to help learning, he explains how 'tools' such as mobile phones, ipods and computers will encourage young people to learn more as they have more advanced materials to gain more knowledge. Therefore, Prensky believes this will create more of a divide between immigrants and natives that will continue to expand, as natives have more opportunities and materials available to them.

Week 8 - Journal 4 abstract

Similar to journal one, by Bayne and Ross, Prensky analyses the issue of learning in the classroom and how the teaching techniques are changing, developing game based learning. Prensky came up with this idea through the new e - learning system, discussing whether or not using gaming can be as effective or more effective than regular classroom lessons. Games can be more interesting and more fun, and this can encourage learning skills to develop. Therefore Prensky has explained how the new media scene can have a positive influence on the progression of education.

Week 8 - Journal 3 abstract

This article experiments how teenage girls talk and socialise on the internet, such as web forums, chatrooms and instant messaging compared to talking face to face with someone in real life. It mainly focuses on the issues of femininity and how teenage girls used the internet, and its exclusivity to experiment with gender roles and be more adventurous with their language and approach to certain conversations when on the internet. The article points out that results showed girls tend to be more defensive, shy and wary when talking to people face to face, whereas on the internet, they talk alot more about love interests and romance and take more risks. On the whole, the article does prove that teenage girls are likely to get into dangerous situations because of their belief of safety when on the internet, however this is why people get caught out and put at risk.