Comments on: A new digital divide? http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/11/12/a-new-digital-divide/ Weblog of Wesley Fryer Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/11/12/a-new-digital-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Wesley Fryer Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:19:48 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=482#comment-116 I agree, saying something is "mandatory" often takes the wind out of people's sails and can be counterproductive. However, we have to figure out how to transform classrooms broadly to a new paradigm of digital literacy, and not just make this a voluntary endeavor. We may have a few folks who are doing this now on each campus, but we need to have more. A fundamental question which I don't think anyone has answered satisfactorily is how we can fundamentally shift people's practices in education to embrace and encourage the development of digital literacy. Maybe when all the students have laptops, that will cause the change.... I don't know. The WIIFM factor is certainly critical to realize. I am making the point here that in teacher education programs (which do have mandatory components) including read/write web experiences is something that we need to look at and do. There is not a silver bullet for helping constructively reform education, but I think the types of collaborative and reflective exchanges you see happening with read/write web technologies can form an element of that answer. I agree, saying something is “mandatory” often takes the wind out of people’s sails and can be counterproductive. However, we have to figure out how to transform classrooms broadly to a new paradigm of digital literacy, and not just make this a voluntary endeavor. We may have a few folks who are doing this now on each campus, but we need to have more. A fundamental question which I don’t think anyone has answered satisfactorily is how we can fundamentally shift people’s practices in education to embrace and encourage the development of digital literacy. Maybe when all the students have laptops, that will cause the change…. I don’t know. The WIIFM factor is certainly critical to realize. I am making the point here that in teacher education programs (which do have mandatory components) including read/write web experiences is something that we need to look at and do. There is not a silver bullet for helping constructively reform education, but I think the types of collaborative and reflective exchanges you see happening with read/write web technologies can form an element of that answer.

]]> By: Ewan McIntosh http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/11/12/a-new-digital-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Ewan McIntosh Sun, 13 Nov 2005 09:47:36 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=482#comment-113 I'm not sure I agree with the concept of making read-write web obligatory as part of teacher development (if that is, indeed, what you are implying). There are many areas of personal/professional development that are important to some individuals that are patently not for others, even when it might be 'good' for them to spend some time learning about them. I, for example, am less interested in mind-mapping than my colleagues, but they use this in their lessons and just "cannot imagine" someone not using mind-mapping at every available opportunity. It comes down to the WIIFM Factor (What's In It For Me?). I am currently showing teachers in Scotland how blogging is a useful tool for sharing learning logs. Now, nearly all teachers see the benefit of learning logs (someone else did the hard work in convincing them of that). Using a blog is one, easy-to-understand step up from that. So more of them are now dabbling in it. If there's one thing you cannot do with teachers it is force their hand. We are professionals and respond best when we are provided opportunities that clearly help our professionalism to improve. I’m not sure I agree with the concept of making read-write web obligatory as part of teacher development (if that is, indeed, what you are implying).

There are many areas of personal/professional development that are important to some individuals that are patently not for others, even when it might be ‘good’ for them to spend some time learning about them. I, for example, am less interested in mind-mapping than my colleagues, but they use this in their lessons and just “cannot imagine” someone not using mind-mapping at every available opportunity.

It comes down to the WIIFM Factor (What’s In It For Me?). I am currently showing teachers in Scotland how blogging is a useful tool for sharing learning logs. Now, nearly all teachers see the benefit of learning logs (someone else did the hard work in convincing them of that). Using a blog is one, easy-to-understand step up from that. So more of them are now dabbling in it.

If there’s one thing you cannot do with teachers it is force their hand. We are professionals and respond best when we are provided opportunities that clearly help our professionalism to improve.

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