I’m passionate about information. How it is shared? How it is used and how it is applied in ways such that it involves other people and it can that information can be applied to constructive us
I’ve always been curious as to why people do the things they do. Why they act a certain way and why they think about things the way they do. And it’s often a story of their personal experience and these experiences have a profound effect on the way people interpret these experiences. It can be explained when two people experience the same event or circumstance, but yet have two diametrically opposed viewpoints on what happened or how it affected them. And because humanity is made up of individuals, these stories are ever-changing.
I think these things have made me passionate about journalism, advertising, and media because these are concepts of the human experience. Journalism is more direct–the explanation of humanity while advertising is the catering to human desires. The media is collective portrayal of all of these stories–whether they be fact or fiction.
We are living in a time where we are not constrained by technology, time, or geography. It is a 24/7 global society, whether we like it or not. And there is a drumbeat to stay relevant, current and constantly progressing to the next “thing.”
Learning environments are no different and I would propose forced to stay on step ahead of everything else. These learning environments are pressed upon by a variety of economic and political forces that are entwined into the very fabric of the concept of education. While these different environments are greatly varied in their missions, needs and resources; they confront the same forces for many of the same reasons.
The great issue for learning is not the emerging issue many claim. Humanity and the sense of self-identity is part of the back and forth education has been at the center of for decades. Whether it is standardized test scores or school funding or charter schools–the challenges are one in the same–what are we as a society trying to do with education? Test scores and Annual Yearly Progress reports seek to compartmentalize human intellectual capacity in to spreadsheets of data to pick apart without addressing the social concerns of human or individual capital.
The concepts of “big data” a timely topic actually being discussed on Lamar’s campus this week with the visit of Alex Banayan–“the world’s youngest venture capitalist.” This concept he has proposed that big data will contextualize information to decide what people (consumers) need and desire is the next big thing as venture capitalists seek to develop as the motherlode of technological investment. To some extent he is right, it’s great my refrigerator can tell me when I’m out of milk and perhaps even order another gallon and have it delivered to my door. The bigger question is what else does humanity acquiesce when decision are made by data? Healthcare for the terminally sick? Bombing missions? Dating prospects on matchmaking apps? Many of these items are already here.
The bigger question is not about the useful applications of big data. There are many helpful and good problem solving applications. The question is the removal of choice. At what point do humans acquiesce choice? That is the larger issue for ethicists to address.
I think the world is progressively moving forward with many innovative collaborations and ideas for education. I think it also occurs in piecemeal fashion. Education faces many challenges around the globe and are not easily confronted. Some challenges are political and economic–war, poverty, etc.
Others, like the in the US are more political and mix-match of local, state, and national desires and interests. The current political season has brought about more discussions about tuition-free college education and the country’s skyrocketing student loan debt situation. Other discussions include the need for college education in general or even a need for public school system with some candidates being on record for dissolving the federal department of education. Meanwhile there are have school districts spending multimillions of dollars on football stadiums that are only used one or two nights for a 10 week schedule while the district classrooms are still using dial-up internet services. The emerging issue is an old one–what are your educational and by default, social priorities?
To address these priorities in my little part of the world is further the incorporation of digital learning to provide our students not just with more learning opportunities, but with more options on learning itself. Students and teachers have to be encouraged to take ownership of learning. To best prepare our learners, they will have to make a choice in their learning and they need to have a voice in that process. And for learning and achievement to take root and have an impact the learning has to be authentic to be applicable outside of the learning environment into the learners real world experiences.
The COVA model is a good example for both sides to use simply because it makes sense and produce consistent achievement results when applied. Is it going to produce perfect results? No, no model will ever consistently be able to produce perfect results as long as humans are the learners.
