How is digital learning going to change schools and education?

Technology is evolving fast. I am twenty years old and I already have seen many tools in the education system become obsolete. As a kid, my peers and I thought the old projector machines on the carts were one of the coolest things to mess around with. We would always make hand signs to project onto the board for the whole class to see. Most of the time these signs weren't the most appropriate, but they would sure get the best laugh. If we got caught, we'd get stuck scrubbing the marker off of those translucent pieces of paper. Those things never seemed to get fully cleaned. Either that, or we'd have to endure every elementary kids nightmare. No Recess! 

Later, a much more advanced projector came out. One that could be attached to a computer which eliminated the translucent sheets. You'd think that we would be amazed by the new technology. Not really. We just liked the idea that our teacher couldn't make us clean those dang sheets anymore! However, even though we didn't give technology like this much thought in the moment, there were a lot of advances made. 

Technology advances are on an upward rise. This makes an interesting scenario for kids who will go to school in the future. There is an article on this very topic titled: 6 Ways Digital Learning is Changing Teaching. Through articles like this and other research, we can get an idea what the future has in store for education. However, nothing can be said for sure. That is a responsibility for future generation to inherit. Maybe it is not our place to predict, but to try our very best to keep up with current technology. If we do this, maybe we can prolong the time it takes to get passed up in knowledge by some little kid.

Technology vs Intelligence

Every day, technology makes advances, creating more efficiency and more things for us to learn. It is advancing faster than ever before, which raises the question: Is it more important to be intelligent, or proficient at using technology? The more technology changes, the more our definition of intelligence changes. Technology is now becoming the measuring stick for categorizing someone as smart.

Today, we have contact with mobile technology at almost all times of the day. This creates a strong reliance to such a powerful tool. We do not need to learn or memorize things when we can just look them up on their cell phones. In future generations, this is the life our children will know.

It is hard for me to contemplate how far we will take this. Will technology stop evolving? Can it stop evolving? What kind of pit are we in and where does it cross the point of no return to the physical life that is diminishing today?

In my mind, I do not see the evolution of technology slowing down in the future. If it becomes too advanced, will we have the ability to control it, or will it take over our lives, leaving us with no desire for the physical world? If we live in a society one day where we are completely reliant on technology, who will be in charge? Technology or us?

Twitter Is An Online Community

Reciprocal relationships, common interests, and social support all are determinants in why Twitter is a community. Some skeptics argue that it is not a community, because it is online. It is true that online relationships do not have the same amount of social cues as face-to-face. However, even though some aspects are diminished, most aspects thrive.

Reciprocal relationships are import in any form of community. Getting feedback and having the feeling of inclusion and purpose is one the main reasons people join communities. In Twitter, we see examples of this with retweeting, tagging, and following each other.

Another motivating factor in communities is entertainment. This concept in dominated in Twitter. This phycological fulfillment further puts the title of community on Twitter. Entertainment also gives the opportunity to extend your reach through retweets, which turns into more followers. This factor motivates people to gain more feedback.

Twitter is also a means of stress relief. Another important factor in communities. This can be achieved by simply going through your news feed and enjoying the subjects you come across, or from direct contact with other people about your situation.

Communities and Twitter are tied together in a sense that they are both successful through goals. Groups of people with common goals can work towards them more efficiently.

Social Shaming In Technology

Recently in my rhetoric and Media class, we have been going over social shaming. When technology comes into play, we see this shaming more commonly. Interestingly, I came across an example of this in a essay written 100 years ago when technology was not thought to be a factor in social shaming.

Sir Philip Sidney wrote an essay titled "The Defense of Poesy." In it, he discussed how poetry has such a vital importance in society. At this time, poetry, writing and plays were the most current technology to convey a message. Just like social media today, social shaming was a part of poetry as well. Sidney argues that humor is a vital part of poetry, but only when it is used correctly. He had a negative outlook at many poets in England, because they used social shaming and sinful acts to create synthetic laughter for the audience.

"They stir laughter in sinful things... For what is it to makes folks gape at the wretched beggar and a beggarly clown; or, against law of hospitality, to jest at strangers, because they speak not English so well as we do?" (Sir Philip Sidney 1914).

These examples of social shaming are what we refer to today as punching down; making fun of those who don't have a voice for themselves. We see this today along with the concept of punching up, which is to challenge authority or an established concept. Probably one reason Sidney did not include punching up in his description was because to go against authority was often considered treason, giving a big incentive not to do it.

This example from 100 years ago shows that people find ways to make fun of people for some reason. However, technology determines the scale that it is spread.