5) What is the 'semantic web'?
The semantic web is a way to share content over and above the realms of the internet. “The Semantic Web agent does not include artificial intelligence – rather, it relies on structured sets of information and inference rules that allow it to “understand” the relationship between different data resources. The computer doesn’t really understand information the way a human can, but it has enough information to make logical connections and decisions.”
The semantic web is not different to the internet; it is technology that allows for the processing of the semantics of the internet, what the sites are actually saying. The Semantic Web will put structure into the content of Web pages that create meaning, and allow computers to work together efficiently.
http://www.altova.com/semantic_web.html
Friday, 27 March 2009
Week 9-10 Potential problem for tailored education
Is there a potential problem being stored up for people if 'education' is tailored to fit into their cultural and personal preferences?
I don’t think that there could ever be a type of education that could be tailor made for a certain cultural preference or personal preference. If we are looking at grouping together certain districts or areas then there would be cultural differences within them, England is a cultural melting pot which makes it interesting and unique.
Even if you looked at giving every single child a different way or level of learning to suit their cultural and personal preferences, it would interfere with the development of their identity, their subcultures and preferences change over time as we develop as people and pigeon holing students could possibly stunt their intellectual and emotional growth.
If such a system occurred I can see two main problems that I can see with education being tailored to fit students personal and cultural preferences.
The first relates to the question, ‘should education stretch a person?’ If we allow students to disregard certain subjects or ways of learning, then we aren’t fully preparing them for the challenges that will occur when they finish school. They may be fantastic at digital learning, but we do not (yet?) live in a world where everything is digital and they will need some kind of practical and hands on knowledge, not only in their job, but also outside of it in their life.
The other problem that could occur is students feeling that their culture and way of learning is superior to others. If a child disregards another cultural or personal preference, it may lead them to think that that way of learning is inferior. The only way to battle ignorance and prejudices is through education and learning about other cultures and other ways of doing things. Who is to say what is the best?
I don’t think that there could ever be a type of education that could be tailor made for a certain cultural preference or personal preference. If we are looking at grouping together certain districts or areas then there would be cultural differences within them, England is a cultural melting pot which makes it interesting and unique.
Even if you looked at giving every single child a different way or level of learning to suit their cultural and personal preferences, it would interfere with the development of their identity, their subcultures and preferences change over time as we develop as people and pigeon holing students could possibly stunt their intellectual and emotional growth.
If such a system occurred I can see two main problems that I can see with education being tailored to fit students personal and cultural preferences.
The first relates to the question, ‘should education stretch a person?’ If we allow students to disregard certain subjects or ways of learning, then we aren’t fully preparing them for the challenges that will occur when they finish school. They may be fantastic at digital learning, but we do not (yet?) live in a world where everything is digital and they will need some kind of practical and hands on knowledge, not only in their job, but also outside of it in their life.
The other problem that could occur is students feeling that their culture and way of learning is superior to others. If a child disregards another cultural or personal preference, it may lead them to think that that way of learning is inferior. The only way to battle ignorance and prejudices is through education and learning about other cultures and other ways of doing things. Who is to say what is the best?
Friday, 20 March 2009
Week 9 - A person who threatens theory of digital immigration
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
It would seem that this question asks for a person that “goes against the grain” in terms of their technological ability and age. As I have said, I don’t really know anybody personally who doesn’t conform to this notion, but I know of organisations that threaten the digital native/immigrant.
There are courses run by and for older people to help them become entrenched in the world of technology. The website that I looked at was:
www3.griffith.edu.au/03/u3a/includes/linked_pages/file_downloader.php?id=312&prop=5&save=1
This was about adult learning courses for the elderly and the positive effects that it could have on, not only their uses of technology, but also their overall wellbeing. Although this is a potential threat to the digital native/immigrant notion, I am dubious as to whether older people will embrace this and fully lose all of their traditional “accents” or simply continue in their struggle with the new world.
I think that on the whole, the threat to the digital natives is the traditional digital immigrants. There are people who see educative technology as damaging to children and who are scared or intimidated by the freedom that new media creates. The massive change in the way that we learn, read, communicate, consume etc. has massively frightened some in to campaigning against new media for children. The close-mindedness of the older generation, it seems, is the only threat to the digital natives.
It would seem that this question asks for a person that “goes against the grain” in terms of their technological ability and age. As I have said, I don’t really know anybody personally who doesn’t conform to this notion, but I know of organisations that threaten the digital native/immigrant.
There are courses run by and for older people to help them become entrenched in the world of technology. The website that I looked at was:
www3.griffith.edu.au/03/u3a/includes/linked_pages/file_downloader.php?id=312&prop=5&save=1
This was about adult learning courses for the elderly and the positive effects that it could have on, not only their uses of technology, but also their overall wellbeing. Although this is a potential threat to the digital native/immigrant notion, I am dubious as to whether older people will embrace this and fully lose all of their traditional “accents” or simply continue in their struggle with the new world.
I think that on the whole, the threat to the digital natives is the traditional digital immigrants. There are people who see educative technology as damaging to children and who are scared or intimidated by the freedom that new media creates. The massive change in the way that we learn, read, communicate, consume etc. has massively frightened some in to campaigning against new media for children. The close-mindedness of the older generation, it seems, is the only threat to the digital natives.
Week 9 - Youngest digital immigrant I know
I can honestly say that I don’t know a young person who does not fully embrace technology. I have much younger cousins with mobiles and watch whilst they attempt to teach my grandpa to read text messages. I imagine that it would be very difficult to grow up in such a techophilic society without the knowledge that seems to be ingrained our youth. This highlights the issues surrounding the digital divide, and how people can feel alienated if they can’t keep up.
I would say that the youngest digital immigrant I know is almost 30 (I know this does not fully support the task as, technology has advanced too much in the past decade when she was already an adult). Although she has (sort of) grown up with newer technology she hasn’t particularly embraced them. She does, however, have a computer and the internet and a mobile phone, it just seems that she doesn’t really make the most of them and know the different ways to use them. This age is a difficult one because I imagine that people fall at either side of the digital immigrant/native divide.
The idea of digital immigration and digital natives seems to be proven in general, however, technology seems to be run, made and mediated by adults. It is not exclusive to the young, who may feel outcast by new technologies if they aren’t ahead of the game.
I would say that the youngest digital immigrant I know is almost 30 (I know this does not fully support the task as, technology has advanced too much in the past decade when she was already an adult). Although she has (sort of) grown up with newer technology she hasn’t particularly embraced them. She does, however, have a computer and the internet and a mobile phone, it just seems that she doesn’t really make the most of them and know the different ways to use them. This age is a difficult one because I imagine that people fall at either side of the digital immigrant/native divide.
The idea of digital immigration and digital natives seems to be proven in general, however, technology seems to be run, made and mediated by adults. It is not exclusive to the young, who may feel outcast by new technologies if they aren’t ahead of the game.
Week 9 - Oldest digital native I know
In the least offensive way possible, I must say that my lecturers are the oldest digital natives I know. It seems that Prensky was accurate in his description of older people, at least when it comes to my own family or friends. There are older people in my family who have jobs that require them to be ‘au fait’ with technology, such as email and powerpoints, but it seems that when it comes to putting these into practice, they look at instructions and go through the longest motions of the programme, whereas, in general, the younger people in my family can simply open the applications and recognise the conventions of technology instantly. My lecturers have, however, been learning and interacting with technology at a degree level and have had to become in-tune technology in order to teach it at a higher level. Whether or not they found this process as easy as just ‘picking it up’ I don’t know
Week 9 - Technophile in 2020
A guy wakes up to the sound of MGMT from his ipod nano 7.0 (he always did like old school music) and does the 4 move dance that the motion detector recognises to switch his alarm off. Sleepily he realises he only has 2 minutes before his lesson starts. He quickly switches his laptop on and makes himself a cup of tea, waiting for his ‘post new-media cultures’ lecture to start. He adjusts his webcam and voice recogniser that makes the lecture fully interactive and settles down to the video link and taps away at his laptop. He starts a discussion with his friends through the multi screen option before the lecturer starts to talk about how education was 10 years ago, astonishing the students as to how different it was. He can’t imagine his course mates being in the same country as each other, let alone the same city. He laughs when he gets a text from his friend who is going to claim his equipment is broken for that extra couple of hours of sleep, maintenance won’t be happy!
After his lecture, he decides to pick up the newspaper he ordered online last night. The papers are still talking about the possibility that the internet will run out of space within the year. People are frantically culling sites they feel are old, pointless or unused in order to save the economy and the education system. He shrugs, this is probably one of those millennium bug scares that happened when he was a baby, he thinks that it’ll sort itself out.
He starts to think about what his lecturer was saying about the students 10 years ago, and all the changes that have happened in the last decade thanks to technology. He finds it galling that they had to sit in a lecture together and write things by hand, its years since he wrote with pen and paper in school. He then realises that a large majority of his friends are people he has never seen before or spoke to directly and imagines that it would be nice to sit with friends in a lecture and socialise with them in RL. He can’t quite figure out whether the huge changes in the world were for the better. Things are a lot more convenient, he can’t deny, but he feels isolated by his lack of human interaction that he seems to remember being a lot more apparent when he was younger. Maybe in another 10 years they will reach a happy medium?
After his lecture, he decides to pick up the newspaper he ordered online last night. The papers are still talking about the possibility that the internet will run out of space within the year. People are frantically culling sites they feel are old, pointless or unused in order to save the economy and the education system. He shrugs, this is probably one of those millennium bug scares that happened when he was a baby, he thinks that it’ll sort itself out.
He starts to think about what his lecturer was saying about the students 10 years ago, and all the changes that have happened in the last decade thanks to technology. He finds it galling that they had to sit in a lecture together and write things by hand, its years since he wrote with pen and paper in school. He then realises that a large majority of his friends are people he has never seen before or spoke to directly and imagines that it would be nice to sit with friends in a lecture and socialise with them in RL. He can’t quite figure out whether the huge changes in the world were for the better. Things are a lot more convenient, he can’t deny, but he feels isolated by his lack of human interaction that he seems to remember being a lot more apparent when he was younger. Maybe in another 10 years they will reach a happy medium?
Week 9 - Daily frustrations of a neo-luddite
Daily frustrations of a neo-luddite at university
The girl wakes up early to write up her handwritten work in the University Library and is frustrated that her work must not only be typed up, but also reference relevant websites. She doesn’t have a laptop and finds the process extremely laborious. She had arranged to meet her friends outside the library at 8:50 before their 9 am lecture and waits patiently for five minutes before rushing off alone, later finding out that her friends had texted each other to say they’d be late. When she gets to University, she feels left out when her class mates talk of the great night out they had last night, that they arranged last minute on facebook.
After the lecture, talk turns to music and the new bands that everyone’s into. Her friend mentions a band, famous on the internet site myspace, when everyone starts laughing and singing the lyrics, happy that they have a mutual appreciation for this great new band, the girl once again feels like she’s from another planet to her classmates. Alienated, she goes to the library to get ahead with her work. She’s doing advertising and struggles with the print add she’s supposed to have created on photoshop, and once again asks the IT department for help. She wishes that she didn’t have to use the computer so much and realises her flair for catchy phrases, jingles and slogans won’t make her successful without the technological know-how that came so naturally to her classmates. She sits and quietly resents the new technology encroaching on her life.
Frustrated, she goes to the shops to get something for lunch, and embarrassingly her card is rejected. She realises that her rent has gone out today and sighs as she thinks of the 45 minute walk to the bank across the city to transfer some money. Her friends never seem to have this problem and she wonders how they manage their money without making the long trip. On her way to the bank, she decides to go to the post office to post the letter she has written to her mum telling her of her progress at university. She often speaks to her on the pay phone on the corner of the road as her accommodation does not have a landline, but it’s frustrating not having much time and feels like she hasn’t updated her fully before the pips go.
She goes home to her apartment and sits on her bed trying to read her favourite book, but she can’t seem to get something off her mind. She realises that new technology is surrounding her and feels isolated from her peers, and to some extent, the world. She wishes that the more traditional ways of doing things, shopping, arranging social occasions, talking, working, learning weren’t slowly becoming obsolete around her. She realises that there is nothing that she can do to revive the old ways of doing things and wonders about where the world is going next.
The girl wakes up early to write up her handwritten work in the University Library and is frustrated that her work must not only be typed up, but also reference relevant websites. She doesn’t have a laptop and finds the process extremely laborious. She had arranged to meet her friends outside the library at 8:50 before their 9 am lecture and waits patiently for five minutes before rushing off alone, later finding out that her friends had texted each other to say they’d be late. When she gets to University, she feels left out when her class mates talk of the great night out they had last night, that they arranged last minute on facebook.
After the lecture, talk turns to music and the new bands that everyone’s into. Her friend mentions a band, famous on the internet site myspace, when everyone starts laughing and singing the lyrics, happy that they have a mutual appreciation for this great new band, the girl once again feels like she’s from another planet to her classmates. Alienated, she goes to the library to get ahead with her work. She’s doing advertising and struggles with the print add she’s supposed to have created on photoshop, and once again asks the IT department for help. She wishes that she didn’t have to use the computer so much and realises her flair for catchy phrases, jingles and slogans won’t make her successful without the technological know-how that came so naturally to her classmates. She sits and quietly resents the new technology encroaching on her life.
Frustrated, she goes to the shops to get something for lunch, and embarrassingly her card is rejected. She realises that her rent has gone out today and sighs as she thinks of the 45 minute walk to the bank across the city to transfer some money. Her friends never seem to have this problem and she wonders how they manage their money without making the long trip. On her way to the bank, she decides to go to the post office to post the letter she has written to her mum telling her of her progress at university. She often speaks to her on the pay phone on the corner of the road as her accommodation does not have a landline, but it’s frustrating not having much time and feels like she hasn’t updated her fully before the pips go.
She goes home to her apartment and sits on her bed trying to read her favourite book, but she can’t seem to get something off her mind. She realises that new technology is surrounding her and feels isolated from her peers, and to some extent, the world. She wishes that the more traditional ways of doing things, shopping, arranging social occasions, talking, working, learning weren’t slowly becoming obsolete around her. She realises that there is nothing that she can do to revive the old ways of doing things and wonders about where the world is going next.
Week 9 - Should education stretch a person?
Should education stretch a person do you think?
I am a firm believer that a person is either a practical learner, or an academic one. In my secondary school, the level that you were at in maths and science determined your place in all of your classes. This could restrict people who maybe struggle in maths and sciences to being in lower classes for everything else, including languages, art subjects, and design technology. This would dishearten pupils to the world of learning, and many just give up. I think instead we should test children’s ability and their affinity for different subjects and allow them the opportunity to show their skills at different things. We should find the strengths in students and allow them to flourish in a range of subjects, challenging students to get the best out of them.
Having said that, I think that even if we found a way to discover a student’s potential in certain areas, we should continue to teach them subjects that challenge them and teach them in different ways, digital learning, hands on learning, memory exercises etc. To prepare them for challenges that will inevitably occur after school, not only in the world of work but in life. To stretch them is to take them out of their comfort zone.
I think education should allow a person to stretch themselves as much as they choose, after a certain point. In higher learning, I think that the balance is right. Students can push themselves as much as they feel comfortable with. There is opportunity to learn more advanced theories and do the coursework to the best of your ability, and you can also do enough to scrape by, enjoying the social life and outside activities that University life offers. The only real pressure is the pressure that you put on yourself to get the best marks you can, you have a responsibility to stretch yourself and bring yourself out of your comfort zones. When you reach higher education you realise that you only get out of a degree what you put into it.
I am a firm believer that a person is either a practical learner, or an academic one. In my secondary school, the level that you were at in maths and science determined your place in all of your classes. This could restrict people who maybe struggle in maths and sciences to being in lower classes for everything else, including languages, art subjects, and design technology. This would dishearten pupils to the world of learning, and many just give up. I think instead we should test children’s ability and their affinity for different subjects and allow them the opportunity to show their skills at different things. We should find the strengths in students and allow them to flourish in a range of subjects, challenging students to get the best out of them.
Having said that, I think that even if we found a way to discover a student’s potential in certain areas, we should continue to teach them subjects that challenge them and teach them in different ways, digital learning, hands on learning, memory exercises etc. To prepare them for challenges that will inevitably occur after school, not only in the world of work but in life. To stretch them is to take them out of their comfort zone.
I think education should allow a person to stretch themselves as much as they choose, after a certain point. In higher learning, I think that the balance is right. Students can push themselves as much as they feel comfortable with. There is opportunity to learn more advanced theories and do the coursework to the best of your ability, and you can also do enough to scrape by, enjoying the social life and outside activities that University life offers. The only real pressure is the pressure that you put on yourself to get the best marks you can, you have a responsibility to stretch yourself and bring yourself out of your comfort zones. When you reach higher education you realise that you only get out of a degree what you put into it.
Week 8-9 Digital Immigration
Find out about 'Digital Immigration'.What Is it? Who cares about it? What sort of general attitudes have been based upon it?
The term ‘Digital Immigration’ was coined by Marc Prensky. He used it to describe how students nowadays learn and interact differently to before, and believed that the education system should change accordingly. He believes that “Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” He sees a generation of pupils growing up with new technologies and spending more time on computer games and watching TV than with reading and more traditional ways of learning. He believes that this has made the younger generation think and process things differently.
Digital Natives – A term that suggests young people speak the digital language of computers and new technology. They have been brought into this environment and have picked it up effortlessly
Digital Immigrant – A term describing people brought up without technology who have had to adapt to it accordingly, without ever picking it up as well as digital natives and speaking the digital language with a traditional ‘accent’
The main point of interest in the article is teachers who have been brought up as a digital immigrant are now trying to teach digital natives. He thinks that digital natives will want to learn at a fast ever-changing pace, whilst digital immigrants, although they try to keep up, will still do a lot of their work by hand and use traditional methods.
I agree with a lot of his notions, and am always interested to find out about how new media affects us. I like his approach to the subject and he brings up some interesting points. I think the only problem is that he is very general with his findings, how do we know the extent of the effects yet? And also, he assumes that all youth will have had interactions with new technology, when this is not necessarily correct.
The term ‘Digital Immigration’ was coined by Marc Prensky. He used it to describe how students nowadays learn and interact differently to before, and believed that the education system should change accordingly. He believes that “Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” He sees a generation of pupils growing up with new technologies and spending more time on computer games and watching TV than with reading and more traditional ways of learning. He believes that this has made the younger generation think and process things differently.
Digital Natives – A term that suggests young people speak the digital language of computers and new technology. They have been brought into this environment and have picked it up effortlessly
Digital Immigrant – A term describing people brought up without technology who have had to adapt to it accordingly, without ever picking it up as well as digital natives and speaking the digital language with a traditional ‘accent’
The main point of interest in the article is teachers who have been brought up as a digital immigrant are now trying to teach digital natives. He thinks that digital natives will want to learn at a fast ever-changing pace, whilst digital immigrants, although they try to keep up, will still do a lot of their work by hand and use traditional methods.
I agree with a lot of his notions, and am always interested to find out about how new media affects us. I like his approach to the subject and he brings up some interesting points. I think the only problem is that he is very general with his findings, how do we know the extent of the effects yet? And also, he assumes that all youth will have had interactions with new technology, when this is not necessarily correct.
Week 8 - 9 URL's of digital immigration websites
URL's of digital immigration websites
1) http://technologysource.org/article/digital_natives_digital_immigrants/
2)http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/12/reconsidering_digital_immigran.html
3)http://www.digitalnative.org/#
4)http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4295414.ece
5)http://www.openeducation.net/2008/07/14/of-digital-immigrants-power-browsing-and-bouncing-out/
1) http://technologysource.org/article/digital_natives_digital_immigrants/
2)http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/12/reconsidering_digital_immigran.html
3)http://www.digitalnative.org/#
4)http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4295414.ece
5)http://www.openeducation.net/2008/07/14/of-digital-immigrants-power-browsing-and-bouncing-out/
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