Reflections on Chapter 1 Readings: Operating Systems

I am impressed with the amount and quality of IT services and support available through WCU. Seeing it all listed in one place on their website made me realize just how many resources are at my disposal as a student at this university. I wonder how Western compares to other schools of similar size and what kinds of challenges the IT dept. has encountered as it continuously updates its services. With so many courses offered online now and so many distance learners I am sure the challenges are numerous and the demand for high quality IT services must be increasing.
The idea of the course having an operating system is truly fitting. I like thinking that the idea can be further extended into each individual’s life. I can think of ways my own life has an operating system—from the body tissues that make up the systems of my physical body to way I organize and store information in my mind, in my classroom and in my sock drawer! It seems that one could argue that the human operating system is the one that “loads” as soon as your on button is pressed, or when you wake up and start your day!
The concept of cellulose technology is an interesting one. It’s baffling to think of how long that technology was all we had-- when was paper first used, anyway? When did we move from the cave wall to the scroll? And how long has it taken us to move from the scroll to the digital format? What could be next and how long will it take humanity to arrive there? The timeline of computing tools helped me to answer some of these questions, though this last one about what is to come is one that still remains. With the speed technology has advanced in the past 40 years it may be sooner than I can imagine that this next step will be clear. From pebbles, to iPhones, to…who know what!
I am glad to see a direct mention of sexism in the opening to the chapter. I think it is truly important to consider the nature of the “help” we receive and give. It’s the idea of “give a man a fish” vs. “teach a man to fish.” The help from someone who really just does the work for you does nothing to build a student’s confidence and the building blocks for knowledge. As teachers we already know that, as students we have to gently make sure IT also acknowledges this.
There is an interesting point on authorship of websites made in this chapter. I never thought about the fact that you usually don’t know who created a site. Considering how much all of us use the information on the internet in our daily lives one would think we would all care much more about knowing who created the sites we use and demand authorship be transparent. I hope to take notice more often of the sites that do and do not offer information about their authors.
Houghton once said, “In fact, the problem process starts with the discovery of the problem, not the solving of a question. In the interest of both speeding up and simplifying education, too much curriculum has skipped two-thirds of what is needed in the rapidly changing and complex world of the 21st century” Here, here! I wonder how much teacher training, over-loaded curricula, and society’s eye on the prize of advancement effects this.
In thinking about the different generations of thinking tools related to spatial intelligence, verbal intelligence, symbol-related intelligence, thinking technology, I find it important to remember that these are thinking tools that were used just as much in the past as in the present. These are not mode of thinking that suddenly appeared for modern man to utilize, they have been a part of education and learning for as long as anyone has been learning. Their identities and manifestations in different eras has looked different, but they were nonetheless there.
The video “Did you know?” (“Shift happens.”) is more thought-provoking than many other similar video clips I have seen that address similar ideas. Thinking about the speed of technological progress today makes the skeptic in me think, “Does it matter what I teach today? Will it matter to the kids when it is time to apply knowledge to the real world?” That is when I have to remember that so much of what we do as teachers is help students understand humanity and how they fit within it—that’s timeless. Though technology will always affect this the need for guidance and strong teachers will always remain.
Reviewing the skills competencies I realize that I need to know more about the databases section. Otherwise, the material all looked familiar and seemed to be the parts of computing with which I am most comfortable. Beyond that, I am excited to continue to learn about the $100 laptop project. A decade ago such a goal may have sounded ludicrous, now it is a real possibility and one I hope lends itself to positive change and educational opportunities around the world.
Finally, people were learning before computers, and doing so in innovative ways. We do not “need” computers to learn, but advancements in technology can enhance the experience of education and in this age the idea of 21st century technology skills are essential. Who knows what advancements our current students will see in their lifetimes? That is precisely why their technological literacy must be proficient enough to at least keep up with their ever-changing world.