Module 6

As a leader in educational technology, what can you do to help make emerging technologies valuable to others, while maintaining gender, cultural, and socioeconomic sensitivity?

The first thing would be to work side by side with others to learn the benefits and barriers the technology may present to different people. This would give me more information about various users and make me more aware of and sensitive to aspects that influence the audience. My field is k-12 education. Socioeconomics is a factor with technology when it comes to public schools. A goal I would have is that all public schools would have the capability for families to access their server at no cost whether through wireless or some other manner. If schools had to provide laptops, netbooks, tablets, or other mobile technology to families for access they could. In this way, all of the students would have the same access to information for learning as well as tools for communication and collaboration. All learners would have the same benefits in learning despite socioeconomic factors.

Module 5 blog

Initially, I turned to my computer as a source to view the movie for Module 4 but was unable to view it for free. I am not a member of Netflix so move on to trying movies on demand on my television. None of the movies we were required to view were available on demand so my next thought was to drive to the local Block Buster video store. Well, the store was closed so I returned home and the following day, I drove to the public library and checked out the Blade Runner movie at no cost.

I would argue that the competition between DVDs and video on demand is an example of Red Queens. With increasing returns, there are two technologies competing in which one of them is chosen and the other disappears. Red Queens leaves more room allowing two competing technologies to surge ahead of others because of intense competition. Currently, both DVDs and on demand videos are both leaders in movie viewing and are not causing the other to disappear.

On the tetrad I would say that DVDs enhanced VHS tapes and obsoletes VHS also. I think on demand movies enhance DVDs and other movie viewing sources with the speed and convenience of access. I do not think that on demand features have made obsolete any other media yet. Both DVDs and on demand retrieve recreational film viewing and revert to older forms of movie media such as films.

Disruptive Technology

According to Thornburg (2009), disruptive technology is one that suddenly arrives and exceeds the functions, cost, and efficiencies of an existing technology thereby replacing or making it obsolete unexpectedly.

Rosedale (2008), argued that virtual worlds, such as Second Life, will replace the web as we know it. Reasons for this are that virtual worlds allow us to combine and use our creativity with designing endless possibilities without the barriers such as cost of materials. In addition, virtual worlds allow others to easily access these creations and participate in designing new features with others. The web communicates information mainly with the use of text however, virtual worlds uses symbols. This allows users from all areas of the globe to access, create, design, and collaborate with others without the cultural and language barriers faced by using text only. Human brains will more easily organize and retain information with the use of common symbols and images than with text alone. According to Rosedale, humans have a need for social interaction which is also a huge advantage of virtual worlds over the web. Users are always present with others in real time while in virtual worlds which meets the human need to communicate and collaborate with others. Virtual worlds allow users to experience and create anything that would otherwise be impossible. 

Rodriquez (2009), discussed use of Second Life as replacing traditional educational tools. She argued that virtual worlds would allow learners to create and experience things that would be impossible to experience in the real world. Furthermore, virtual worlds are extremely diverse and provide social benefits with increased communication and collaboration for learners across global barriers now in place using the web. She argued that virtual worlds are disruptive because they replace the existing traditional teaching environments and the long held educational paradigm with a learner centered approach.

Rodriques, L. Second Life as a Disruptive Technology in Education. Retrieved on April 26, 2011 from : http://lrodriguezetc.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/second-life-as-a-disruptive-technology-in-education/

Rosedale, P. (2008). Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

Thornburg, D. (2009). Evolutionary technology Vodcast: In Laureate Education, Inc. Emerging and future technology.

Ryhmes of History

Data Storage devices today are capable of preserving mega data in very small devices. In fact now, one can store data in a cyber cloud. Rhymes of history can be used to explain how data storage impacts users to fill a need that has been in existence since ancient times. It has always been important for people to have ways save and communicate information. Oral history was the first method preserving and communicating important information and the most significant of this that comes to mind for me is how the words of the bible were communicated and saved by oral history until they could be written down. Following oral history, the earliest form of data storage known was paintings and carvings on cave walls Pictures and symbols were used to preserve data initially. (http://www.moah.org/exhibits/archives/brains/ancient.html).

Carving and painting of pictures was time consuming and required a lot of space. Hieroglyphics was the early version of alphabet writing used by the Egyptians to make communicating and storing data in writing more efficient and more compact. The Chinese created a system of writing using pictures and symbols. About 3,000 years ago the alphabet was designed by the Phoenicians and was revised later by the Greeks and Romans. Structures and objects also were built for the purpose of communicating and storing significant data. Ancient temples and tools such as the slide rule are examples of these.

It is clear that communication and storage of data has always been a need for humans. As time progressed, methods of storing data became more uniform, miniature, and portable. Today, humans are capable of storing data in cyber clouds which have replaced older devices. Punchcards used perforated paper storing patterns in 1725. In 1846, punched paper tape was used which miniaturized the cards. The selection tube was designed as a form of computer memory in 1946 and during the 1950s; magnetic tapes were used to store more data in smaller places. Then, in 1963, the compact tapes were introduced and again could hold more data in a smaller device. Since then, we have moved from the floppy disc to flash drives and now storage of data in clouds. When one looks back through the long progression of data communication and storage means, the idea of the need for more efficient devices that could be miniaturized, portable, and hold significant amounts of data is a strong pattern. One can see the rhymes of history unfold when considering human need to communicate and store data. 
Ancient Forms of Data Storage. Retrieved on April 9, 2011 from http://www.moah.org/exhibits/archives/brains/ancient.html.

            History of Data Storage. Retrieved on April 9, 2011 from http://gadgets.fosfor.se/history-of-data-storage/

Mod 2 tetrad 2

ENHANCEMENT Enhances cell phones with the addition of communicating emotional and physical feelings.	OBSOLESCENCE Obsoletes cell and smart phones.
RETRIEVAL Retrieves feelings obtained through face to face conversations.	REVERSAL Reverses due to lack of privacy and communication of feelings one wants to keep to themselves.

Researchers have created a communication device called the Hug. ) http://www.forbes.com/2005/10/20/cx_gd_1024featslide_comm05_2.html?thisSpeed=6000). It would allow phone communication to portray emotional and physical feelings beyond voice. This may replace cell phones as communication devices because people desire the personal aspects of face to face conversations. The Hug may allow this from afar.

Tetrad of the telephone

TELEPHONE TETRAD

ENHANCEMENT Mobile phones today have continually enhanced wired and cellular phones since the first cellular phone public customers in Chicago in 1977.	OBSOLESCENCE Alexander Graham Bell's success with the telephone came as a direct result of his attempts to improve the telegraph. Mobile cellular phones have since made landline wired phones obsolete.
RETRIEVAL Retrieves previous inventions of communication such as the wired phone and early cellular phones as well as means and access to internet information using desktop and laptop computers.	REVERSAL Reverts to previous means of communication and information access via the Internet.

Today, we have an abundance and variety of cellular mobile communication devices. The telegraph, operating since the 1840s, and the early telephone were both wire-based electrical systems (http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventors/a/telephone.htm). It was long ago that individuals began experimenting with wireless telephones. In 1865, Dr. Loomis was one of the first to communicate with another through the atmosphere (http://cellphones.org/cell-phone-history.html). Dr. Cooper designed and used the first cellular phone in 1973 and in 1977; the Chicago community were the first public customers of the cellular phone. Since this time, the cellular telephones have changed and diffused rapidly around the globe. In the 1990s, 2G digital networks were online and replaced analog network frequencies making them obsolete (http://www.tech-faq.com/history-of-cell-phones.html). Soon after, 3G mobile phones arrived and included SMS text, email, and Wi-Fi Internet access.

Mobile phones today are capable of instant communication and information access with increasing miniaturization, speed, and quality. Today we have smart phones, touch phones and more. We can take photos and video and instantly send them to others around the globe or post them to the internet. We can have face to face calls and instantly send a text message. We can download and read books on our phones and play games on the internet with that same device. We can watch television on our phones.

Over the past few years, the cellular phones have continually been improved with changes to retrieved information from earlier devices. Mobile cellular capabilities and use may revert to earlier communication and information access through wired systems such as landline telephones and wired computers. It may even revert back to older forms of communication such as good old letter writing and face to face meetings. Reasons for this reversal could include: newly recognized health risks due to mobile device use, newly discovered environmental risks to due to mobile devices, or a realization of some cultures that mobile devices have destroyed the benefits of our earlier social interactions, pace of life, and personal values.

8848 module 1

When I read this assignment, the first technology that came to mind was the netbook but then I read the article and Thornburg had used the netbook as an example. So, I had to put more thought into this. Although Thornburg discussed open source software I considered using the Wiki but then decided against it. I think I will use the document camera as an example. This is the same device I am using in my project as it replaces the overhead projector. The overhead projector was an essential tool in schools for decades and served the purpose of displaying presentations better than any other technology available. During the 1990s, the overhead projector began losing usefulness mainly because it was not keeping up with other modern technology that people were used to. Modern technologies had vast improvements over the old and people expected a high quality tool. The overhead projectors used transparencies prepared by the user. In later years, the overhead even had color capabilities. The tool was large and inefficient however compared to newer tools such as the document camera. Advantages & Disadvantages of a Document Camera. Retrieved on March 16, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/list_5924983_advantages-disadvantages-document-camera.html Brown. Case Study: Broadneck Elementary School, Benefits of Document Cameras over other classroom Technologies. Retrieved on March 15, 2011 from http://www.averusa.com/presentation/downloads/broadneck_full_report.pdf. Frisk, J. (2008). The Document Camera: Advancing Classroom Visual Technology. Retrieved on March 15, 2011 from http://www.techlearning.com/article/14472 McGilvra, D. Advantages and Limitations of Using a Document Camera. Retrieved on March 16, 2011 from http://www.soyouwanna.com/advantages-limitations-using-document-camera-20859.html