Considering Technology: Depth vs Surface Learning

Think, for a moment, about your use of and dependency upon technology.

Does it promote or inhibit your learning and expertise? If it does the latter, how can you become more aware and ensure that this does not become a permanent trend.

When we consider the use of tech, are we fostering depth of knowledge or promoting surface understanding?

Bean, Kyle. Digital image. Http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/the-great-forgetting/309516/. Theatlantic.com, 23 Oct. 2013. Web.

Bean, Kyle. Digital image. The Atlantic, “All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines” 23 Oct. 2013. Web.

Read and consider Nicholas Carr’s article, “All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines.” (excerpts below)

…Most of us want to believe that automation frees us to spend our time on higher pursuits but doesn’t otherwise alter the way we behave or think. That view is a fallacy—an expression of what scholars of automation call the “substitution myth.” A labor-saving device doesn’t just provide a substitute for some isolated component of a job or other activity. It alters the character of the entire task, including the roles, attitudes, and skills of the people taking part.

…The way computers can weaken awareness and attentiveness points to a deeper problem. Automation turns us from actors into observers. Instead of manipulating the yoke, we watch the screen. That shift may make our lives easier, but it can also inhibit the development of expertise.

… Psychologists have discovered some simple ways to temper automation’s ill effects. You can program software to shift control back to human operators at frequent but irregular intervals; knowing that they may need to take command at any moment keeps people engaged, promoting situational awareness and learning.

… knowing demands doing. One of the most remarkable things about us is also one of the easiest to overlook: each time we collide with the real, we deepen our understanding of the world and become more fully a part of it. While we’re wrestling with a difficult task, we may be motivated by an anticipation of the ends of our labor, but it’s the work itself—the means—that makes us who we are. Computer automation severs the ends from the means. It makes getting what we want easier, but it distances us from the work of knowing. As we transform ourselves into creatures of the screen, we face an existential question: Does our essence still lie in what we know, or are we now content to be defined by what we want? If we don’t grapple with that question ourselves, our gadgets will be happy to answer it for us.

DIY: Make An App

AppMaker is a free, online application that enables tech users, regardless of digital skill set levels, to create and publish apps. Currently in pre-alpha phase, AppMaker’s long-term goals are to:

“[C]reate a mobile app drastically more accessible to a brand new set of app creators who are not self-identified as developers, and are primarily motivated by something other than “desire to learn the web”. We expect their motivations will range from creative satisfaction of ‘having made a thing that looks & feels real’ to a desire to have an app to send to clients of a small neighborhood offline service business.

The grand goal of AppMaker is for millions of people to be able to create apps that give them utility or joy. It need not be through the use of our software, although we expect that we’ll have to build or assemble parts of that whole product experience, partner for parts of it, and work with many, many people to both get input into both what the product should be, how our stuff does or doesn’t meet the needs of real people, and how to get the software in front of the right users.

To explore AppMaker, open a Firefox browser window and visit: http://appmaker.mozillalabs.com

To track AppMaker development, visit the GitHub repository: https://github.com/mozilla/appmaker

To learn more about building apps, begin with the following resources:

Experienced developers may download software development kits for Apple and Android platforms using the below links:

CLOUDs and Computing

I don’t remember the first drawing I ever created. It was likely a series of squiggly lines that only I could decipher. I do, however, remember the first set of objects that I learned how to draw well.

House, tree, cloud, repeat.

Clouds, in particular, were my specialty. I was never at a loss for reference material (just look up), and unlike drawing a perfect circle, it’s nearly impossible to draw a cloud wrong. In 8th grade art class, I mass-produced dozens of variations of clouds in many mediums —watercolor, pastel and pencil. I enjoyed creating and getting lost in these fluffy landscapes. But I never imagined this experience would serve as a precursor to my professional life.

Like the drawings of my past, today clouds have become a way of life.

Before the Internet, the word cloud referred to either a visible mass in floating the sky or a foggy state of mind.  Today, the word is often used as a truncation to the term “cloud computing.” The National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce defines cloud computing as “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” (The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing, Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, September 2011)

In plain English, “computers used to work alone, inside a home or business. Now thanks to the Internet, we can use the power of computers at a completely different location, i.e. ‘in the cloud.’” (Click here for an introductory video explanation from Common Craft)

Clouds are so commonly used today that computing platforms Apple and Microsoft have included the word directly and indirectly in the name of its consumer products, iCloud and SkyDrive, respectively.

Three benefits to teaching and learning in the cloud: 

1. Synchronicity and Version Control. Cloud accounts are synchronized. This is especially important for people who work across multiple devices, platforms and locations. Rather than tracking (uploading/downloading, renaming and e-mailing) multiple versions of a given file, users can work from a single document that is invisibly synchronized across platforms and is always up-to-date.

2. Collaboration: An essential theme and key element of emerging technologies is collaboration. On both small and large scales, collaboration fosters creativity, enables convergent thinking and spurs innovation. Within the educational environment and across the global economy, cloud computing allows users to work together to develop objects across time and distance. For educational project ideas and tutorials, visit Google Apps for Education.

3. Automated Backups: March 31 is World Backup Day (unless you’re a techie, chances are good that never heard of it). Creating backups of your digital data is important, and fortunately cloud services automatically and regularly create backups.

And the potential pitfalls:

1. Automated Backups: Relying upon one mode of data backup is unsafe. Users should always have more than one location for file storage and perform regular backups.

2. Security and Privacy: Recent revelations of surveillance activity on the part of the National Security Agency have sparked outrage and debate, and brought to light the risks of storing data in the cloud. This risk is always present when hosting data in the cloud. Work accordingly.

3. File storage: Storage allocation varies per service. Before using any given service, make certain the product has the capacity to serve your short- and long-term data needs.

Cloud services at Smith
Currently at Smith, there are two supported cloud storage options: Box and Google Drive. Both services make it easy to access, share, and work collaboratively on all your files.  To learn more, visit Smith’s TARA.

About that opening video…
I love moments when the seemingly disconnected fields of art and technology intersect. CLOUD, a large-scale interactive sculpture created from 6,000 light bulbs by Canadian artists Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett was my inspiration.


REFERENCES:

“ABOUT CLOUD.” CLOUD. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

“Cloud Computing.” Cloud Computing. Common Craft, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013. <http://www.commoncraft.com/video/cloud-computing>.

“The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing.” National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

“Resources: Overview – Apps for Education.” Resources: Overview – Apps for Education. Google Apps for Education, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

“Smith College Technology And Resource Adviser.” Smith College Technology And Resource Adviser. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

“World Backup Day.” World Backup Day – March 31st. World Backup Day, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

Emerging Technologies Illustrated (INFOGRAPHIC)

Projecting twenty-plus-years into the future, the Envisioning the future of education technology infographic illustrates and arranges emerging technologies into six distinct categories.

Worth exploring, the categories include: digitized classrooms; gamification; opening of information; disintermediation; tangible computing; and virtual/ physical studios.

envisioning-the-future-of-education
Click here to view infographic (downloadable version) and related website.

How have emerging technologies influenced your instructional design and practice?

REFERENCE:

TFE Research, and Michell Zappa. “Envisioning the Future of Education Technology.” Envisioning Technology. N.p., 2013. Web. 27 Aug. 2013.

Talking Tech: The Evolution of Smartphones and Voice Recognition

Confessions of an early adopter

In the universe of smartphones, touch screen interfaces are no longer novel; they are the norm. As an avid mobile technology user, I sometimes forget that this is not the case for all computers. In fact, on several occasions I have caught myself pinching, tapping or swiping at my MacBook screen.

I know I am not the only one.

The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project estimates that 56% of all American adults are now smartphone adopters (PewInternet). This means, it is highly probable that you, too, have attempted to swipe your laptop screen.

Simply put, we are products of our mobile environment.

In 2001, Apple unveiled its first generation iPod and so began a paradigm shift in how consumers expected their portable devices to look and behave. As an early-adopter, I personally expect a lot. My smartphone does more than connect me to other people; it manages and enhances my life. Just this morning, it woke me up, gave me a weather report, streamed bossa nova from Brazil and mapped my driving route.

Smartphones are getting smarter

It makes sense that as human needs, fascination and interactions with mobile platforms evolve, so too will our devices. Take voice recognition technology (VRT). VRT enables voice to serve as the main interface between the human and the device (i.e. Apple’s Siri.)

Previously considered futuristic, VRT was fodder for science fiction films (i.e. 2001: A Space Oddessy.) As the technology evolved, it was used primarily for academic (assistive technology) and business productivity purposes (dictation).

While VRT is still used for such purposes, today’s smartphones and tablets now offer speech recognition as a built-in feature. Because the mobile platform is a highly competitive market, it’s likely this technology will only get better. Some futurists predict speech to be the dominant computer interface in the next few years. (EdNET Insight)

Screen Shot 2013-08-23 at 11.40.21 AM
Online video: “90 Seconds With Pogue: Speech Smackdown: The Times’ David Pogue pits Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS against each other to see which voice recognition system is better.” (The New York Times, August, 21, 2013)

Academically speaking

In academia, there are many reasons to use and integrate speech-related technology. These include improving writing productivity, documenting and recording oral histories, facilitating language acquisition and creating digital narratives.

At Smith College, there are several resources available for further exploration:

The Center for Media Production – CMP offers equipment checkout, and includes: tablets (iOS, Android and Windows 8), digital video camcorders, digital audio recorders, digital photo cameras, wireless microphones, and lighting kits.

The Assistive Technology Lab – The ATL features a wide range of software and hardware tools, including: Dragon Naturally Speaking for dictating text; and Kurzweil, which will read text aloud.

Your Computer – The Windows operating system includes a speech input utility, Windows Speech Recognition. Mac OS X has standard range of assistive technologies, Universal Access.

Writing on my MacBook, I am a faithful user of the text-to-speech feature. With the stroke of two keys, the computer reads my writing out loud; reducing errors that even spell-check fails to catch.

And my favorite part—making it read my name.
Without fail, the robotic computer voice always makes me chuckle.

 REFERENCES:

Smith, Aaron. “Smartphone Ownership 2013.” The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 5 June 2013. Web. <http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Smartphone-Ownership-2013/Findings.aspx>.

Heller, Dr. Nelson. “HellerResults.” EdNET Insight, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/hellerresults/big-data-in-k-12–is-voice-technology-talking-to-you-yet—part-ii-.html>.

Hope You Can Make It: Places & Spaces for Makers

The Maker Movement is a technology subculture formed at the nexus of traditional craftsmanship and modern techno-engineering, combined with a self-starting do-it-yourself ethic. (New Haven Independent)

Think geeky tinkerer.

A makerspace (also referred to as a hackerspace, hacklab, or hackspace) is a community-operated workspace where people with common interests – often in computers, technology, science, digital art or electronic art – can meet, socialize and collaborate. (Wikipedia)

Independent in its roots, the movement is so widespread in its popularity, scope and impact that MIT recently announced that it now accepts, as a supplement to the application process, Maker Portfolios. And as a natural evolution, the movement has caught the attention of venture capitalists, academics and corporate America.

Curious to learn more?

At Smith, The Center for Design & Fabrication is a hands-on space, where users may design and fabricate objects from metal, wood, plastics, and glass. Available machinery includes 3D printers and a laser cutter. A maker-type, for credit course is offered every Jterm (IDP250.) The CDF is open to the Smith community, and faculty members are invited to bring a class or conduct research projects there.

IMG_3380
Photo Credit: Wheel hanger for recumbent bike by Prateek (IDP250J, Class of 2009), Smith Center for Design and Fabrication.

Consider attending a maker-related event:

Workshop: NERCOMP’s “The Technologies of Makerspaces”
When: October 21 at Siena College (Loudonville, NY)
Libraries around the world are starting to implement Makerspaces. These are dedicated areas set aside for the physical creation of things and can vary greatly but include fabric art, wearable computing, electronics projects, robotics, 3D printing, as well as more traditional skills such as bookbinding or paper making. Most library makerspaces are currently focused on teaching and creating projects involving inexpensive computing power such as the $35 Raspberry Pi computer. We will be covering this as well as other technologies associated with getting a space like this up and running.

Exhibition: 2013 World Maker Faire
When: September 21 & 22, 2013 (New York Hall of Science)
Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned.

Pioneer Valley Makers: http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16907

 

References:

Smith College’s Center for Design and Fabrication (CDF): www.science.smith.edu/resources/cdf/location.html

Make: http://makezine.com

MacMillan, Thomas. “On State Street, “Maker” Movement Arrives.” New Haven Independent, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. <http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/make_haven/id_46594>.

“Makerspace.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makerspace>.

Art Imitates Tech: Preserving History and Culture with QR Codes

QR Codes. They’re still everywhere.

A quick Google search on the technology reveals that many writers in the webosphere consider QR Codes passé. For certain, there has been a rise and then sharp decline in the use of QR Codes in consumer advertising. But the codes haven’t disappeared altogether – and they’re not exclusive to marketing.

Enter contemporary artist Guillermo Bert.

Two years ago, Bert noted a resemblance between QR Codes and Native American blanket tapestry designs. In addition to the textile similarities, the objects also shared a related function: identification. Inspired, Bert created “Encoded Textiles, ” a project that preserves stories and poems told by Chile’s Mapuche people through barcode technology.

Talking-Code-tapestry-631
Photo credit: Jeannette Paillan, a Mapuche documentary filmmaker, was the inspiration for this 2012 textile, titled Lukutuwe (Fertility). Scanning the QR code embedded in the tapestry reveals a quotation from Paillan, in Spanish, about the importance of sustaining the Mapuche language. (Ronald Dunlap)

In 2012, Bert extended his project into academia, partnering with Arizona State University to develop “Encoded Textiles Arizona.” ASU’s Project Humanities embraced the idea, and since has worked to engage university students, faculty, and Arizona’s Navajo people in the process. ASU students interview the Navajo people about their lives and their culture, encouraging them to tell their stories in their native language. The recorded interviews are translated into barcodes and QR coded. The codes can then be scanned by Smartphones, which translate the codes back into augmented realities. Bert then fuses both culture and technology together by weaving these codes into tapestries that are displayed in art exhibits.

In what ways do everyday technology observations inspire your instruction, research and/or projects?

For more information about the project, visit:
http://humanities.asu.edu/encoded-textiles-project.

For instructional QR Code activities, visit:
www.edutopia.org/blog/QR-codes-teaching-andrew-miller

View the Coded Stories trailer:

 

References:

“Encoded Textiles Project.” Encoded Textile Projects. Project Humanities, n.d. Web. <http://humanities.asu.edu/encoded-textiles-project>.

“HOME « Coded Stories.” Coded Stories. Okapi Films, 2013. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://codedstories.com/>.

Sandford, Maggie Ryan. “What’s a QR Code Doing on That Blanket?” Ideas & Innovation | Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Magazine, July-Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Aug. 2013. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ideas-innovations/Whats-a-QR-Code-Doing-on-That-Blanket-213870861.html>.