Most recent public comments by Caitlyn Kolhoff https://nowcomment.com/users/65344 https://nowcomment.com/documents/198743?scroll_to=1851346 https://nowcomment.com/documents/198743?scroll_to=1851346 Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:56:35 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/198743?scroll_to=1851342 https://nowcomment.com/documents/198743?scroll_to=1851342 I feel like this was such a big part of EDU 807. Many of us came in with certain beliefs around technology and what technology can do for a classroom. I love that this video asks us to take a step back and evaluate/question these ideas. Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:57:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1570972 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1570972 Thu, 23 Jan 2020 13:16:03 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1570427 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1570427 I also see this problem on a regular basis. Technology is awesome and because it is awesome people sometimes expect a product to do more than it was made to do. Sometimes its okay to say that a product does not fit a specific need. This does not make it a bad product, it just means it was not meant to do that specific thing. Since budgets are often tight in education, I think we want to push our ed tech products to do everything and that does not work out well. Thu, 23 Jan 2020 07:03:04 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1563764 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1563764 The first ISTE standard addresses the need for educators to set professional learning goals, participate in learning networks, and to stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes. This standard focuses on understanding how technology is improving learning outcomes and staying current with research. I think this ties to what Selwyn is saying here about understanding what it is you want to achieve with the technology. If an educator or administrator does not have goals in mind or research to support implementing new technology, then they are less likely to have success with that technology. I agree that it is important to go into an implementation with a clear sense of direction. With this said third parties that develop educational products can sell then aggressively. It is important that we provide schools with the tools and networks to be able to evaluate products and see beyond the sales pitch. Wed, 22 Jan 2020 22:28:40 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1563762 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1563762 At times we can fall into this trap of thinking that technology is altruistic and I think Selwyn is reminding us to challenge this idea. Technology, as he argues in the video, can be political and capitalistic. Sun, 26 Jan 2020 23:38:51 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1563742 https://nowcomment.com/documents/164891?scroll_to=1563742 Neil Selwyn argues that ed tech is not neutral but rather rooted in societal conflict over the distribution of power. He argues that ed tech is inherently political in nature and that this can be illustrated by looking at the discourse used in ed tech. Most of this speech resonated with me. I agree that ed tech is often spoken of in optimistic terms and framed as the future of education. However, equal weight and conversation is not given to the “positive concerns” he discusses, i.e. social justice and education as a collective public good. There are two other ideas that really struck home with me from Selwyn’s video this week. First, the discourse we use in ed tech frames learning as competitive; second, that ed tech has increased the expansion of education into unfamiliar areas of society. With the first point, he uses the term “industrious self-improvers” to describe how ed tech can transform students. Just last week in our discussion, I found that I used language that described students becoming more independent through technology. Now, I am re-evaluating my prior week’s post. Regarding expanding education outside of traditional environments, this is one I really go back and forth on. I have historically had terrible work-life balance and technology has never helped this issue. Between my phone and my smart watch, I am always connected. Selwyn made me consider if we are currently doing this to our kids as well through their various electronic devices. This is actually an area that could be interesting to look at in the future. There was not really anything I disagreed with in this speech. Overall, I found the speech to be thought provoking and a call to action. Toward the end he discusses how we can promote debate and scholarship that challenge the current state of ed tech. This is something that I will keep in mind as I go through this program. Sun, 19 Jan 2020 08:44:40 -0500