Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tying it all together

Making a final post is difficult. At least thats what I found out. And how much of a final post could you do with the summary that Denis had done. He wrapped it all together quite nicely. but I will do this anyway.

My presentation on the Pencil vs. The Computer just got broader and broader as I explored the linkages. Didnt know it would become this broad when I started the exploration. I finally settled on the history bit. I realised it provided the context for future comparisons.

Talking about comparisons, it does provide a certain aspect to learning - questioning, like Heidegger would call it. But Plato would do the same thing, comparing sunshine with darkness, knowledge with ignorance, of course in relative terms. And in the process of questioning, comparisons, we will seek to understand globalisation or globalism and why it has made its way into education, or is it education that has made its way into globalism/globalisation. How much of a viscious cylce is it? And why does one want to eat the other up? While we figure this out Madden would add to the equation by seeking answers to why the city does not want to leave him and why it has this strong hold on him. Answers, answers, we seek answers to age old instructional videos - the Jap zero and what it means to education, education spend, budgets, the whole spectrum of educational technology. But do answers come? As we tied them up in TED conferences? Slide rules, pencils, PLEs, PLNs, holograms, etc.

And then we come back full cycle. Do we have more questions? Yes. Have there been answers to some? Yes. Is our questioning more intense and can we talk with more facts with the intensity of the Innis mode? Yes. So it never stops.

See why its hard to make a final post?

3 comments:

  1. Ben,

    An excellent final presentation; thank-you. I forgot to remind in my final post that questioning is the piety of thought, which is part of the deconstruction process. I didn't read Minerva's Owl, yet, but Innis's discussion of time and space biased media and their effect on society should be considered by anyone who studies media (see http://records.viu.ca/~media113/innis.htm). Media effect is excellent phenomenology.

    Have a great summer!

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  2. Good questions are so important, the process of question - answer - more questions is what learning is about. Great to be in class with you Ben, enjoyed your global perspective. See you around.

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  3. I agree with "Older Mike" on his comment regarding your global perspective, Ben. Your viewpoint was SO interesting for me, as it was so far removed from anything I would think about on an everyday basis. Thank you!

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