Hello, everyone. I am working my way through the exams. In the meantime, you might be interested in some of the single word responses to your exploration of TED.com via Mcluhan's four laws:
Enhance: knowledge, ideas, think tank,
Obsolese: documentaries, conferences,travel
Retrieve: Curiosity, hype, elitism, orators, sharing
Reverse: monologue, exclusivism, monarchy
Fascinating responses! Thank you all!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Class Ten (November 20)
Covered in class ten were two presentations:
John presented the Catone paper which hinted at the huge variety of what is on the web, focusing on the idea of Web 2.0. The two basic ideas behind web 2.0 are (a) that the programs (and information sites) are housed not on ones own desktop, but on the internet itself. Second, Web 2.0 implies free access or use. Examples include Blogspot, Wikipedia, etc.
Meghan presented the paper by Hall on "the virtual hamburger", a paper which pulled together several of the themes which focused the course. Once again, one of the major "surprise" comments was that the ideal size of an online class should be no different than an insite class, ie 12-20 students.
Two exercises explored the "Ideas worth trying" assignment, and summarized the course readings for generic themes and motifs.
We concluded with an examination of the concept of oral cultures, print cultures and electronic cultures. The term "secondary orality" was coined by Walter Ong to characterize contemporary electronic culture in which we have moved once again to a "kind of" orality, but based on print.
Harold Innis, canadian communication theorist and mentor to Marshall McLuhan uses the term "transpersonal memory" meaning “the art of writing provided man with a transpersonal memory. Men were given an artificially extended and verifiable memory of objects and events not present to sight or reflection.” If transpersonal memory is a significant component of print culture, the question is "how do we characterize contemporary memory?"
John presented the Catone paper which hinted at the huge variety of what is on the web, focusing on the idea of Web 2.0. The two basic ideas behind web 2.0 are (a) that the programs (and information sites) are housed not on ones own desktop, but on the internet itself. Second, Web 2.0 implies free access or use. Examples include Blogspot, Wikipedia, etc.
Web 2.0: a term introduced in 2004 to characterize design patterns in a constellation of new generation Web applications which may provide an infrastructure for more dynamic user participation, social interaction and collaboration.
www.csa.com/discoveryguides/scholarship/gloss.php
refersto a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services - such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies - that let people collaborate and share information online in ways previously unavailable. (source Wikipedia)
www.thewebworks.bc.ca/netpedagogy/glossary.html
Folksonomy: "is an Internet-based information retrieval methodology consisting of collaboratively generated, open-ended labels that categorize content ...
www.thewebworks.bc.ca/netpedagogy/glossary.html
Meghan presented the paper by Hall on "the virtual hamburger", a paper which pulled together several of the themes which focused the course. Once again, one of the major "surprise" comments was that the ideal size of an online class should be no different than an insite class, ie 12-20 students.
Two exercises explored the "Ideas worth trying" assignment, and summarized the course readings for generic themes and motifs.
We concluded with an examination of the concept of oral cultures, print cultures and electronic cultures. The term "secondary orality" was coined by Walter Ong to characterize contemporary electronic culture in which we have moved once again to a "kind of" orality, but based on print.
Harold Innis, canadian communication theorist and mentor to Marshall McLuhan uses the term "transpersonal memory" meaning “the art of writing provided man with a transpersonal memory. Men were given an artificially extended and verifiable memory of objects and events not present to sight or reflection.” If transpersonal memory is a significant component of print culture, the question is "how do we characterize contemporary memory?"
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Google Docs Exercise for November 13
This class focused on two significant readings.
Garry led us through the Marlboro Man. This paper set technology within a postmodern deconstruction of an advertising icon of a generation ago. The paper ties contemporary trends to past practices and revisits the past through the eyes provided by contemporary internet technologies
Karen presented Solove's "I've nothing to hide." The author argues that privacy is an important issue that cannot be dismissed by "I've got nothing to hide." Indeed, the "nothing to hide" argument is a red herring.
The following activity will be scheduled into the November 13 class period. However, if you wish to get a jump on the activity, you can start any time.
In brief, you are asked to complete the following three tasks:
(1) Correct your entry in 50 facts…
(2) Add to new section” One thing you have learned…
(3) Identify and justify briefly one website of particular pedagogic interest.
For #1 above: Correct or adjust your previous entry (posted last week) as follows for consistency: Check spelling. Add to your entry the following: posted by xxx. Use first name only. ALL LOWER CASE. Eg. (posted by denis). Make any changes in your text. If you quoted a source, be sure to put it in quotes.
c. Add to the following sections.
For #2: We have used the theme ”Ideas worth trying” to focus major concepts from this course. With that in mind, Identify one thing you have learned in this course. In other words, what stands out as a critical point, issue or theme? At the end of your comment, add (posted by xxx) as described above.
For #3: The course has also introduced a variety of websites. To name only ten: (1)google images, (2) Questia, (3)Oxford English Dictionary, (4) Google docs, (5) Nicenet, (6) TED.com, (7) delicious (8) New York Times (9) blogspot.com (10) wikipedia.
Identify one of these or any other that stands out for you. For this exercise you are allowed to select a website also selected by someone else. Limitation: Only include those that you learned about in this course.
Garry led us through the Marlboro Man. This paper set technology within a postmodern deconstruction of an advertising icon of a generation ago. The paper ties contemporary trends to past practices and revisits the past through the eyes provided by contemporary internet technologies
Karen presented Solove's "I've nothing to hide." The author argues that privacy is an important issue that cannot be dismissed by "I've got nothing to hide." Indeed, the "nothing to hide" argument is a red herring.
The following activity will be scheduled into the November 13 class period. However, if you wish to get a jump on the activity, you can start any time.
In brief, you are asked to complete the following three tasks:
(1) Correct your entry in 50 facts…
(2) Add to new section” One thing you have learned…
(3) Identify and justify briefly one website of particular pedagogic interest.
For #1 above: Correct or adjust your previous entry (posted last week) as follows for consistency: Check spelling. Add to your entry the following: posted by xxx. Use first name only. ALL LOWER CASE. Eg. (posted by denis). Make any changes in your text. If you quoted a source, be sure to put it in quotes.
c. Add to the following sections.
For #2: We have used the theme ”Ideas worth trying” to focus major concepts from this course. With that in mind, Identify one thing you have learned in this course. In other words, what stands out as a critical point, issue or theme? At the end of your comment, add (posted by xxx) as described above.
For #3: The course has also introduced a variety of websites. To name only ten: (1)google images, (2) Questia, (3)Oxford English Dictionary, (4) Google docs, (5) Nicenet, (6) TED.com, (7) delicious (8) New York Times (9) blogspot.com (10) wikipedia.
Identify one of these or any other that stands out for you. For this exercise you are allowed to select a website also selected by someone else. Limitation: Only include those that you learned about in this course.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Class Nine: Eco, McLuhan and the book
Todays class did the following:
1. Presentation on Umberto Eco
2. lab demonstration and workshop on Google docs.
3. Discussion of McLuhan's four laws.
Umberto Eco is known both as an academic and as a popular novelist. His Name of the Rose became an international best seller as well as a film with Sean Connery. This reading is a speech given by Eco, which presents his views about the internet. Significantly, he grounds his discussion in print and the relations between the two media. We will return to this topic again. Perhaps the most interesting comment is his discovery of a chapter in the Victor Hugo novel Notre Dame de Paris usually translated in English as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In Part V, Chapter II, Hugo steps out of the story, to comment on the significance of the media of print. The title of the chapter is "This will replace that", a remark made by the archbishop in the story. Hugo suggests not the usual media of writing or manuscripts, but the architecture of the cathedral as a medium of communication. The Cathedral, he says, represents the church, and communicates to its audience through the building itself, and through what happens inside the building. But, says Hugo, print will destroy and replace the cathedral.
For us in this course, it is useful to be able to step back and think about the next phase. Do the new electronic communication modes in turn replace print? Specifically, will the internet in turn, replace the book? (Which is why we discussed how many of you had read an online book. The surprising response was that most of you had not, and some of you were adamant that you would not! And of course, for those of you with a crystal ball, the next question is "What will replace the internet?" Interesting, isn't it, because, each time, with each technology, we think that we have reached the limit of progress. Yet, innovation continues.
Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan has also thought considerably about the effects of new media on old and with his son Eric McLuhan has penned four "Laws of Media" which he believes should help us put all media in perspective. Too often we get carried away with the glitz and glamour of the new, and find it difficult to step back and consider the full impact. The four laws ask us to consider what a medium enhances, obsolesces, retrieves and reverses into. McLuhan felt that these four laws were universal and complete. You may choose to disagree with him, but it is nevertheless useful to be able to consider their potential.
Our four questions, following McLuhan, should be:
What does the pedagogic internet enhance?
What does it make obsolete?
What does it bring back that we used to have?
What happens when we let it go to its fullest?
Interesting questions...
One other conceptual idea was presented in class, namely the work of Andrew Feenberg, Communication theorist at Simon Fraser. He provides another four way visualization which suggests that media / technology can be perceived in four ways, based on a 2 x 2 matrix. One the one side we identify whether the technology is neutral or value laden; on the other we identify whether the technology is humanly controlled or autonomously controlled. He labels each philsophic position as instrumental, determinist, substantive, and critical theory. Most commonly, we think that "technology is a tool." As such it is neutral and we are in control. On the other side, try to think of a situation where technology is value-laden and also autonomous. Can you? Why do you own a television set, but not audio cassette player in your home? Because someone has decided that no one will support the cassette format. Likewise VHS is being replaced by DVD? What will replace DVD? Whatever it is, most of us will purchase it, because that is the only way to go. The technology starts to run away with itself, and we can do nothing except buy into it. And that technology also has built in biases as well.
Finally, our practical component of the day was to explore google docs, a system whereby a team of individuals can contribute to a final document.
Last comment: In retrospect, this writing of a summary should be your job, not mine. It forces me to reconceptualize what we have done in class. Perhaps that should be a useful task for all of us...
Denis
Addendum:
(Posted Nov 9)
Additional thoughts about McLuhan’s four laws of media:
Why this exercise not trivial. It may seem unusual to spend time examining media and searching for single words which capture the essence of a technology. Think of this as a framework to help one philosophize. Try to think metaphorically. Of course, eventually, you need go beyond the single word. Or do you? Perhaps McLuhan tetrads make up a short visual poem, like a Haiku. The purpose of a Haiku is to make us think about relationships and to think emotionally and with feeling. Our thinking is too often mundane, influenced by hype, and constrained by commonalities. The four laws in tetrad form allow one to break free.
In addition, the four laws extend the concept of medium and media. Note that in our dicusssion, we covered not just television, radio, and computers. But “capitalism” and the “automobile”. McLuhan asks us to extend our reach.
In class, I got stuck at the retrieve quadrant for the automobile. It was easy to see how the automobile enhanced speed, obsolesced the horse and buggy, and can reverse into traffic gridlock. But the retrieval response of “Age of knights?” That one caught all of us off guard, and I promised I would check it out with my “experts” and come back with a more detailed explanation. Once again: How is the “age of Knights” a response to the Retrieve quadrant for the automobile? Here is my response:
What does the automobile bring back from the distant past? The age of knights, of course. The vehicle is your armour. With a car, you have your own horse(power). You can go do things. You go on your own quest. You are on a crusade. You go to places to gather and meet people.
The age of knights had a code of chivalry. In particular, male knights sougt to save maidens in distress. Today, the automobile is still considered a male “toy”. A popular image is the helpless female standing by the side of the road with a flat tire, The legend continues!
However, the male domination can be quickly deconstructed. The knight is covered in armour, so you cannot really see who is behind the mask. A knight is visibly gender neutral. Likewise, one cannot see through the black windows of a car.. You cannot see into the armour.
At still another level. the black knight metaphorically stood for death. The automobile, too, metaphorically can be death.
Finally, without a car, you can go out at night, even in dangerous territory, where you would not normally go without your armour. You are no longer afraid of the (k)night.
In short, it works! The automobile indeed really does bring back the “age of knights.
Now that that is out of the way, here are three more tetrads for you to complete. Give one word for each of the four quatrants... if you can. I will give you my answers at the beginning of next class.
Internet pedagogy course
Enhance:
Obsolesce:
Retrieve:
Reverse:
Virtual textbook
Enhance:
Obsolesce:
Retrieve:
Reverse:
Classroom Teacher today
Enhance:
Obsolesce:
Retrieve
Reverse Slavery.
1. Presentation on Umberto Eco
2. lab demonstration and workshop on Google docs.
3. Discussion of McLuhan's four laws.
Umberto Eco is known both as an academic and as a popular novelist. His Name of the Rose became an international best seller as well as a film with Sean Connery. This reading is a speech given by Eco, which presents his views about the internet. Significantly, he grounds his discussion in print and the relations between the two media. We will return to this topic again. Perhaps the most interesting comment is his discovery of a chapter in the Victor Hugo novel Notre Dame de Paris usually translated in English as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In Part V, Chapter II, Hugo steps out of the story, to comment on the significance of the media of print. The title of the chapter is "This will replace that", a remark made by the archbishop in the story. Hugo suggests not the usual media of writing or manuscripts, but the architecture of the cathedral as a medium of communication. The Cathedral, he says, represents the church, and communicates to its audience through the building itself, and through what happens inside the building. But, says Hugo, print will destroy and replace the cathedral.
For us in this course, it is useful to be able to step back and think about the next phase. Do the new electronic communication modes in turn replace print? Specifically, will the internet in turn, replace the book? (Which is why we discussed how many of you had read an online book. The surprising response was that most of you had not, and some of you were adamant that you would not! And of course, for those of you with a crystal ball, the next question is "What will replace the internet?" Interesting, isn't it, because, each time, with each technology, we think that we have reached the limit of progress. Yet, innovation continues.
Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan has also thought considerably about the effects of new media on old and with his son Eric McLuhan has penned four "Laws of Media" which he believes should help us put all media in perspective. Too often we get carried away with the glitz and glamour of the new, and find it difficult to step back and consider the full impact. The four laws ask us to consider what a medium enhances, obsolesces, retrieves and reverses into. McLuhan felt that these four laws were universal and complete. You may choose to disagree with him, but it is nevertheless useful to be able to consider their potential.
Our four questions, following McLuhan, should be:
What does the pedagogic internet enhance?
What does it make obsolete?
What does it bring back that we used to have?
What happens when we let it go to its fullest?
Interesting questions...
One other conceptual idea was presented in class, namely the work of Andrew Feenberg, Communication theorist at Simon Fraser. He provides another four way visualization which suggests that media / technology can be perceived in four ways, based on a 2 x 2 matrix. One the one side we identify whether the technology is neutral or value laden; on the other we identify whether the technology is humanly controlled or autonomously controlled. He labels each philsophic position as instrumental, determinist, substantive, and critical theory. Most commonly, we think that "technology is a tool." As such it is neutral and we are in control. On the other side, try to think of a situation where technology is value-laden and also autonomous. Can you? Why do you own a television set, but not audio cassette player in your home? Because someone has decided that no one will support the cassette format. Likewise VHS is being replaced by DVD? What will replace DVD? Whatever it is, most of us will purchase it, because that is the only way to go. The technology starts to run away with itself, and we can do nothing except buy into it. And that technology also has built in biases as well.
Finally, our practical component of the day was to explore google docs, a system whereby a team of individuals can contribute to a final document.
Last comment: In retrospect, this writing of a summary should be your job, not mine. It forces me to reconceptualize what we have done in class. Perhaps that should be a useful task for all of us...
Denis
Addendum:
(Posted Nov 9)
Additional thoughts about McLuhan’s four laws of media:
Why this exercise not trivial. It may seem unusual to spend time examining media and searching for single words which capture the essence of a technology. Think of this as a framework to help one philosophize. Try to think metaphorically. Of course, eventually, you need go beyond the single word. Or do you? Perhaps McLuhan tetrads make up a short visual poem, like a Haiku. The purpose of a Haiku is to make us think about relationships and to think emotionally and with feeling. Our thinking is too often mundane, influenced by hype, and constrained by commonalities. The four laws in tetrad form allow one to break free.
In addition, the four laws extend the concept of medium and media. Note that in our dicusssion, we covered not just television, radio, and computers. But “capitalism” and the “automobile”. McLuhan asks us to extend our reach.
In class, I got stuck at the retrieve quadrant for the automobile. It was easy to see how the automobile enhanced speed, obsolesced the horse and buggy, and can reverse into traffic gridlock. But the retrieval response of “Age of knights?” That one caught all of us off guard, and I promised I would check it out with my “experts” and come back with a more detailed explanation. Once again: How is the “age of Knights” a response to the Retrieve quadrant for the automobile? Here is my response:
What does the automobile bring back from the distant past? The age of knights, of course. The vehicle is your armour. With a car, you have your own horse(power). You can go do things. You go on your own quest. You are on a crusade. You go to places to gather and meet people.
The age of knights had a code of chivalry. In particular, male knights sougt to save maidens in distress. Today, the automobile is still considered a male “toy”. A popular image is the helpless female standing by the side of the road with a flat tire, The legend continues!
However, the male domination can be quickly deconstructed. The knight is covered in armour, so you cannot really see who is behind the mask. A knight is visibly gender neutral. Likewise, one cannot see through the black windows of a car.. You cannot see into the armour.
At still another level. the black knight metaphorically stood for death. The automobile, too, metaphorically can be death.
Finally, without a car, you can go out at night, even in dangerous territory, where you would not normally go without your armour. You are no longer afraid of the (k)night.
In short, it works! The automobile indeed really does bring back the “age of knights.
Now that that is out of the way, here are three more tetrads for you to complete. Give one word for each of the four quatrants... if you can. I will give you my answers at the beginning of next class.
Internet pedagogy course
Enhance:
Obsolesce:
Retrieve:
Reverse:
Virtual textbook
Enhance:
Obsolesce:
Retrieve:
Reverse:
Classroom Teacher today
Enhance:
Obsolesce:
Retrieve
Reverse Slavery.
Week Eight Summary: Anarchy / Student Papers
This week two issues highlight the presentations.
First, Brian analyzed Gordon Graham's explorations of anarchy on the internet. Anarchy, of course is normally considered a "bad word" and even a dangerous concept. If Anarchy means that "all hell breaks loose", then it is not something to encourage. On the other hand, anarchy can mean lack of government control. The internet is not a national phenomenon, owned by any one country, so individual government control on "their" part of the internet will not work. We can place physical border guards at physical border crossings, but internet information travels freely. There is no international internet police. Yet, scams, spams and (there must be a third word rhyming with scam!), bullying, and other inappropriate and even illegal activities need to be addressed. Graham worries that a moral anarchy can ensue, which will benefit no one. Just like our city streets can become locations for shootouts, so the internet can become a haven for criminals. These activities can completely take over the internet such that no one will dare go on or even care. The implications for pedagogy are profound, if such elements take over and drive out the good. If you don't think that that can happen, look at the world of modern television, a site of so much intellectual promise, and yet a field that has long ago been dubbed "a vast wasteland." Will the internet become in its time another wasteland? Or an unequaled educational resource? Even if the negative elements do not succeed, we may still be left with a bland, uninteresting site for nothing in particular. At worst, a gloomy picture.
The second paper discussed was by Rothenberg, a professor who feels that the quality of student research papers is declining precisely because students are resorting to simple "cut and paste" methods that produce seemingly breadth, but no depth. One negative (and anarchic) result, of course, is the phenomenon of purchasing papers online and submitting them. One site advertises
(www.affordabledegrees.com/?engine=adwords!4589&keyword=%28phd+on+line%29&match_type=). (search "affordable accredited degrees")
The hands-on component of this class was an hour looking at a Course Management System called Nicenet. This no-cost, user friendly allows teachers to plan a course featuring a variety of elements including content posting, web links, and discussion forums.
"
First, Brian analyzed Gordon Graham's explorations of anarchy on the internet. Anarchy, of course is normally considered a "bad word" and even a dangerous concept. If Anarchy means that "all hell breaks loose", then it is not something to encourage. On the other hand, anarchy can mean lack of government control. The internet is not a national phenomenon, owned by any one country, so individual government control on "their" part of the internet will not work. We can place physical border guards at physical border crossings, but internet information travels freely. There is no international internet police. Yet, scams, spams and (there must be a third word rhyming with scam!), bullying, and other inappropriate and even illegal activities need to be addressed. Graham worries that a moral anarchy can ensue, which will benefit no one. Just like our city streets can become locations for shootouts, so the internet can become a haven for criminals. These activities can completely take over the internet such that no one will dare go on or even care. The implications for pedagogy are profound, if such elements take over and drive out the good. If you don't think that that can happen, look at the world of modern television, a site of so much intellectual promise, and yet a field that has long ago been dubbed "a vast wasteland." Will the internet become in its time another wasteland? Or an unequaled educational resource? Even if the negative elements do not succeed, we may still be left with a bland, uninteresting site for nothing in particular. At worst, a gloomy picture.
The second paper discussed was by Rothenberg, a professor who feels that the quality of student research papers is declining precisely because students are resorting to simple "cut and paste" methods that produce seemingly breadth, but no depth. One negative (and anarchic) result, of course, is the phenomenon of purchasing papers online and submitting them. One site advertises
It is now possible to earn an accredited degree on the basis of work and life experience you already have and receive your degree in just 5 days! No Studies, No Attendance, No Waiting, No Examinations, No Hefty Fee.
(www.affordabledegrees.com/?engine=adwords!4589&keyword=%28phd+on+line%29&match_type=). (search "affordable accredited degrees")
The hands-on component of this class was an hour looking at a Course Management System called Nicenet. This no-cost, user friendly allows teachers to plan a course featuring a variety of elements including content posting, web links, and discussion forums.
"
Monday, October 29, 2007
Class Seven: Globalization
Three major concepts arose from this class.
Globalization is a phenomenon which deserves close scrutiny. It is a term fraught with difficulty, and is easily dichotomized into a positive/negative split. Globalization in the classroom is opposed by localism. Do we teach the world? Or do we teach “our own backyard.” Problems of globalization include the breaking down of borders, the potential disappearance of local cultures as “stronger” cultures take over. Today that means American culture. In education, globalization is evidenced in online universities and courses. The autonomy of the university as being grounded in a “sense of place” is challenged. The entrepreneurial aspect of education takes over from the academic. This negative side of globalization is expressed in phrases such as “the McDonaldisation of society, ” a term which is relatively self explanatory
The second paper was grounded in three simply and provocative questions.
Does the web make learning more accessible? Does it improved learning? Does it reduce cost? It may well be that the answer to each of these questions is “No.” In spite of evidence to the contrary, the common perception is to answer “yes.”
AT THIS POINT, I NEED HELP. I LOST THE REFERENCE THAT SUGGESTED THE OPTIMUM CLASS SIZE FOR AN ONLINE COURSE IS ABOUT 20. CAN ANYONE HELP ME?
To conclude the class, a portion of the video series Nerds 2.0: A history of the internet was screened. Most interesting perhaps, was the overarching theme of entrepreneurship. The raison d’etre of the internet seems to be to make money and become rich. And to be a millionaire is not enough. One starts counting at the billionaire level. This stands in stark contrast to the idea the the internet is something useful and needed for education, for pedagogy, and to enhance our culture.
To review. What are the three concepts covered in class: (1) globalization. (2) Key questions to ask re the educative value of the web: accessibility, learning, cost. (3) focus of the internet, as per the video, is metaphor #3 in the survey question, ie. to make money...the web as marketplace.
Globalization is a phenomenon which deserves close scrutiny. It is a term fraught with difficulty, and is easily dichotomized into a positive/negative split. Globalization in the classroom is opposed by localism. Do we teach the world? Or do we teach “our own backyard.” Problems of globalization include the breaking down of borders, the potential disappearance of local cultures as “stronger” cultures take over. Today that means American culture. In education, globalization is evidenced in online universities and courses. The autonomy of the university as being grounded in a “sense of place” is challenged. The entrepreneurial aspect of education takes over from the academic. This negative side of globalization is expressed in phrases such as “the McDonaldisation of society, ” a term which is relatively self explanatory
The second paper was grounded in three simply and provocative questions.
Does the web make learning more accessible? Does it improved learning? Does it reduce cost? It may well be that the answer to each of these questions is “No.” In spite of evidence to the contrary, the common perception is to answer “yes.”
AT THIS POINT, I NEED HELP. I LOST THE REFERENCE THAT SUGGESTED THE OPTIMUM CLASS SIZE FOR AN ONLINE COURSE IS ABOUT 20. CAN ANYONE HELP ME?
To conclude the class, a portion of the video series Nerds 2.0: A history of the internet was screened. Most interesting perhaps, was the overarching theme of entrepreneurship. The raison d’etre of the internet seems to be to make money and become rich. And to be a millionaire is not enough. One starts counting at the billionaire level. This stands in stark contrast to the idea the the internet is something useful and needed for education, for pedagogy, and to enhance our culture.
To review. What are the three concepts covered in class: (1) globalization. (2) Key questions to ask re the educative value of the web: accessibility, learning, cost. (3) focus of the internet, as per the video, is metaphor #3 in the survey question, ie. to make money...the web as marketplace.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Class Six Summary: from museums and galleries to Benjamin
October 17, 2007
Focus: expanding the domain of internet pedagogy to museums/galleries
There are many ways we educate. First we think of schools. But there are also museums and galleries. There is also the internet. How do these relate? Are they independent “silos” that don’t speak to another? Or does Castells “network of flows” apply here?
Museums and galleries often consider themselves to be primarily educational institutions. Their stated goal is often “to educate”. But they do it differently than the classroom.
Lisa Robert’s study is called from knowledge to narrative. She distinguishes four functions: entertainment, empowerment, experience and ethics. Interestingly, her chapters are not "museums as …" but "education as …" Under the heading of “experience” she discusses the culture of imitation, of authenticity and of simulation.
The internet, too, focuses on these same dimensions.
We need to expand the concept of education beyond the classroom walls. The museum and gallery do this as stand-alone institutions. The internet also teaches as a stand-alone phenomenon...with or without the input of the formal educational establishment. But these can also relate. Museums and galleries can use the internet to enhance their image and to promote their programs. This is the idea behind Croft’s analysis of museums in the 21st century, To highlight just one of Croft’s comments (from Lucille’s presentation) “Looking at a screen is a chore; Looking at the real thing becomes a rare treat in comparison.”
Antoinette led us through the complex classic paper by Walter Benjamin (1936) provides a challenging and theoretic position. His title “the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction: is critical. Today we have gone beyond “mechanical reproduction.” Perhaps it should be “electronic reproduction” or “”the network society.” But his work is remarkably contemporary.
He is chronicling the move from a world of real objects to a world of copies. The internet is a world of copies and inauthentic objects. One does need to be clear… that is not necessarily bad; it simply is. Indeed, Benjamin likes the new media: technology (film in his case) “extends our comprehension of the necessities which rule our lives.” On the other hand, what is lost is “aura”. There is an almost spiritual reverence towards the real thing which disappears when everything is a copy.
In today’s world, the original has lost its power; indeed often there may not be an original any more. Everything is a copy. This moves towards the postmodern theories of Jean Baudrillard.
[The following did not come up in class, but is added here. An interesting move from Benjamin in 1936 to today can be found in two works. Patrick Geary's Phantoms of remembrance: Memory and oblivion at the end of the first millennium discusses the transition from orality to the written record. Sophie Simons follows this with her analyses and review of The Jerwood Photography Project at the British Library. She writes :
Other essays in the book present case studies examining the multiple identities given to or created by photographic objects as they move between different domains: from private to public, from commercial commodity on the art market to the confines of an institutional home in museum, gallery or library.
AND
“A photograph might be invested with an aura of sanctity.”
And finally…
"The concluding essay by Joanna Sassoon illuminates many of the preceding discussions by contrast. It is a sharp critique of the negative impact on photographic materiality, as she sees it, caused by the huge and ongoing wave of contemporary institutional digitisation projects. While not denying the benefits to public access and preservation, Sassoon interprets digitisation as a process that changes the meaning of photographic objects. She argues that it is often the materiality of photographs which is lost in the process of creating 'digital ghosts' and considers the impact of this loss on photographic research. She warns that 'institutions that manage photographs as digital image banks shift the way photographs are understood and likewise limit the origins of photographic meaning from being contextually and materially derived to being content-driven.'"
Sassoon asks:
Is the original different from its digital surrogate? Can context change meaning? Does digitization serve us well?
This leads to what must be a significant question for us today: Is the internet (google) the collective memory of the 21st century?]
…all of this is heady stuff.
-------------------------------------
The last part of the class moved towards one of these unique internet constructs in which the idea of an original is stretched to the limit. Wikipedia created by Jimmy Wales is such an object. Its ideal is an encyclopedia in the hands of everyone. We previewed Wales at TED, explaining his concept. The strengths of wikipedia are (1) its currency (2) its democratic nature (3) its volunteer base. Its weaknesses are (1) lack of credibility (2) unsigned articles (3) open to vandalism.
AJ Jacobs is one journalist who has explored the co-operative nature of wikipedia entry creation. (See his latest just released book The Year of Living Biblically.
Best advice at this point: Use wikipedia for gaining a quick overview of a topic … but don’t tell anyone. Don’t reference wikipedia in a paper. (You cannot reference it anyway, because there is no author.)
Wikipedia also has implications for the concept of “constructivist learning” and indeed may be the quintessential example of constructivism operationalized. And pushed to the limit. What happens when “everyone” is the author of a paper? Gilbert and Sullivan wrote in the Gondeliers “When everyone is somebody, no one’s anybody.”
We concluded the evening by examining two interesting websites with a pedagogic potential: Sparknotes.com and nytimes.com. These were both listed in my day five notes (one of the five research sites noted), but we ran out of time to complete that. Both are useful resources, though the latter is heavily American in content and should be used with care.
Next Class: Please read assigned articles. (See previous blogpage)
Focus: expanding the domain of internet pedagogy to museums/galleries
There are many ways we educate. First we think of schools. But there are also museums and galleries. There is also the internet. How do these relate? Are they independent “silos” that don’t speak to another? Or does Castells “network of flows” apply here?
Museums and galleries often consider themselves to be primarily educational institutions. Their stated goal is often “to educate”. But they do it differently than the classroom.
Lisa Robert’s study is called from knowledge to narrative. She distinguishes four functions: entertainment, empowerment, experience and ethics. Interestingly, her chapters are not "museums as …" but "education as …" Under the heading of “experience” she discusses the culture of imitation, of authenticity and of simulation.
The internet, too, focuses on these same dimensions.
We need to expand the concept of education beyond the classroom walls. The museum and gallery do this as stand-alone institutions. The internet also teaches as a stand-alone phenomenon...with or without the input of the formal educational establishment. But these can also relate. Museums and galleries can use the internet to enhance their image and to promote their programs. This is the idea behind Croft’s analysis of museums in the 21st century, To highlight just one of Croft’s comments (from Lucille’s presentation) “Looking at a screen is a chore; Looking at the real thing becomes a rare treat in comparison.”
Antoinette led us through the complex classic paper by Walter Benjamin (1936) provides a challenging and theoretic position. His title “the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction: is critical. Today we have gone beyond “mechanical reproduction.” Perhaps it should be “electronic reproduction” or “”the network society.” But his work is remarkably contemporary.
He is chronicling the move from a world of real objects to a world of copies. The internet is a world of copies and inauthentic objects. One does need to be clear… that is not necessarily bad; it simply is. Indeed, Benjamin likes the new media: technology (film in his case) “extends our comprehension of the necessities which rule our lives.” On the other hand, what is lost is “aura”. There is an almost spiritual reverence towards the real thing which disappears when everything is a copy.
In today’s world, the original has lost its power; indeed often there may not be an original any more. Everything is a copy. This moves towards the postmodern theories of Jean Baudrillard.
[The following did not come up in class, but is added here. An interesting move from Benjamin in 1936 to today can be found in two works. Patrick Geary's Phantoms of remembrance: Memory and oblivion at the end of the first millennium discusses the transition from orality to the written record. Sophie Simons follows this with her analyses and review of The Jerwood Photography Project at the British Library. She writes :
Other essays in the book present case studies examining the multiple identities given to or created by photographic objects as they move between different domains: from private to public, from commercial commodity on the art market to the confines of an institutional home in museum, gallery or library.
AND
“A photograph might be invested with an aura of sanctity.”
And finally…
"The concluding essay by Joanna Sassoon illuminates many of the preceding discussions by contrast. It is a sharp critique of the negative impact on photographic materiality, as she sees it, caused by the huge and ongoing wave of contemporary institutional digitisation projects. While not denying the benefits to public access and preservation, Sassoon interprets digitisation as a process that changes the meaning of photographic objects. She argues that it is often the materiality of photographs which is lost in the process of creating 'digital ghosts' and considers the impact of this loss on photographic research. She warns that 'institutions that manage photographs as digital image banks shift the way photographs are understood and likewise limit the origins of photographic meaning from being contextually and materially derived to being content-driven.'"
Sassoon asks:
Is the original different from its digital surrogate? Can context change meaning? Does digitization serve us well?
This leads to what must be a significant question for us today: Is the internet (google) the collective memory of the 21st century?]
…all of this is heady stuff.
-------------------------------------
The last part of the class moved towards one of these unique internet constructs in which the idea of an original is stretched to the limit. Wikipedia created by Jimmy Wales is such an object. Its ideal is an encyclopedia in the hands of everyone. We previewed Wales at TED, explaining his concept. The strengths of wikipedia are (1) its currency (2) its democratic nature (3) its volunteer base. Its weaknesses are (1) lack of credibility (2) unsigned articles (3) open to vandalism.
AJ Jacobs is one journalist who has explored the co-operative nature of wikipedia entry creation. (See his latest just released book The Year of Living Biblically.
Best advice at this point: Use wikipedia for gaining a quick overview of a topic … but don’t tell anyone. Don’t reference wikipedia in a paper. (You cannot reference it anyway, because there is no author.)
Wikipedia also has implications for the concept of “constructivist learning” and indeed may be the quintessential example of constructivism operationalized. And pushed to the limit. What happens when “everyone” is the author of a paper? Gilbert and Sullivan wrote in the Gondeliers “When everyone is somebody, no one’s anybody.”
We concluded the evening by examining two interesting websites with a pedagogic potential: Sparknotes.com and nytimes.com. These were both listed in my day five notes (one of the five research sites noted), but we ran out of time to complete that. Both are useful resources, though the latter is heavily American in content and should be used with care.
Next Class: Please read assigned articles. (See previous blogpage)
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