It may well be ironic that I am in this Educational Technology doctoral program. Perhaps I should be in an "ancient history" program instead. What do I mean by all of this. Let's begin with this:
1. I do not have a social networking page. Despite invitations to join hundreds of my friends on Facebook, I decline them all. The reason? For me at this time, the risks do not outweigh the benefits. There are numerous stories about the dangers of social networking pages. This is not to say that they are "bad." It is just to say that at the current time, I do not allow technology to dictate my life. Also, as an educator, I believe I have to be a role model for our children. The dangers for children, in my opinion, are not worth it, at this time.
2. I do not text message. I called my carrier and disabled it from my phone. I am on the executive staff for the company for which I work, and all the executives text message each other constantly. I do not, and yet I am very successful at my job. Again, for me the dangers outweigh the benefits. I wonder if any studies been done on the addictive nature of text messaging? Is it ok? Is it healthy? Is it dangerous?
3. I do not have a blackberry or iPhone or any type of handheld device that allows me to connect to anyone or anywhere, except for a basic cell phone.
4. Cell phone: Only family members and perhaps ten friends have my phone number. My cell phone does not take pictures. It does not bake bread or clean the oven. It simply makes and receives phone calls.
I could go on, but I think maybe my point has been made. I am not anti-technology, and I am not technology illiterate. I grew up with the industry in that I started during DOS days before Windows. I learn and use items as needed, but the key phrase is "as needed." I enjoy the quality of my life outside of technology and only use technologies that I need.
That all said, now the assignment:
In the map, my online life is very simple. There are 3 areas: work, school, and personal. I spend most of my personal time face-to-face with my friends, not online. My professional life requires me to stand in front of large audiences and "perform." Therefore my presentation and social skills are critically important for me as an adult.
I only use the minimal technologies needed to learn and "get by." Yes, Walden's program forced me go learn about blogs, wikipages, and how to shoot and upload video. Yes, I have learned a lot through blogging with classmates and collaborating on wikipages. Podcasts of lectures certainly have increased and facilitated my learning. The amount of information and peer reviewed articles available online has certainly increased the amount of learning possible.
On the other hand, as Siemens (2009) states, the world of the internet and learning today can be "overwhelming" and "complex." He proposed that learning networks should be formed to manage the amount of information. Perhaps I am over-managing and limiting my networks.
Siemens, G. (2009). Connectivism Learning Theory. [Vodcast]. Retrieved from http://media.waldenu.edu/media/Media1/EDUC8845/html/educ8845_cc.html
8 comments:
I like the categories you used to organize your mindmap. They help make sense of each aspect in your network. Do you find many interconnections occuring between work, school and personal life?
Interesting post...I respect your opinions of technology. I think it is important to think about the dangers that accompany technology, but if you are wise to the dangers, then that gives you a little more freedom in learning about the technology.
I also was hesitant about MySpace and Facebook. However, I have a husband and two children that use the programs. I felt there was more danger in not knowing what the technology was about. There is also accountability for my kids knowing that I am a part of the process. I have past parents and teachers on my Facebook. I don't put anything on there, as a friend put it, to get my face dirty.
Koh,
I can understand where you are coming from. Once you get started, it's impossible not to be connected everywhere all the time. Sometimes I do take a week or two to disconnect, but it is very hard. Am I addicted, maybe, but it's important to me. I'd like to share a link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jutecht/2384289406/. This is Jeff Utecht's Stages of PLN adoption. I will say that I have gone through all of these stages, but feel that I am finally at Stage 5. The only time I truly follow twitter is if I am at a conference that people are using it heavily. I do Plurk a lot, but I'm not afraid to mark all my messages as read without reading hundreds of my peers posts and responses.
I also want to share that I really think that in schools we need to be teaching Digital Citizenship to our students and staff. Yes, they should be able to use tools like MySpace and Facebook. But we need to be teaching them how to use them and how to be safe. Will they always listen? No, probably not, but we can at least give them something to think about.
Great blog post! Your title is catchy! I appreciate and share many of your feelings. I do have a Facebook account, but never post anything on it. I do not text message either. I do have a Palm for my cell phone, but only for the calendar and address book features.
The dangers and risks you speak of are certainly major concerns. As an elementary school technology teacher, it is essential for my curriculum to include foundational skills for building Digital Citizenship as mentioned in one of your other comment posts. The elementary level is where this learning process needs to be established.
Thank you for your great post!
LeAnn :-)
Koh,
As much as you may feel you are limiting your network, you are most likely only filtering it to what works for you; balancing quality with quantity.
While I have many connections through various social networking sites, they are not my primary source of learning. And, truth be told, they often distract me more than assist me.
Thanks for the links!
Brad
Scott- Great question! Perhaps when I return to earth in my next life I will find interconnec tions occuring among my three life areas. Currently, the answer is no. I actually go out of my way to keep them separate. For example, I really do not like to socialize with my work colleagues because I do not want to discuss work while "at play." Oh dear, maybe that means I am "in a job." Maybe people who love what they do love to discuss it 24/7.
Shannon-
In my opinion, you are very wise! If your child is on Facebook, then indeed I think you need to know what your child is doing! It amazes me though, how many parents do not know. It is like allowing your child to go to Gunbombmosis. What is Gunbombmosis? Exactly! Why would one allow their child to go to something or be a part of something if they do not know what it is.
Agagejen
Thanks for that link! I like to think that I skipped stages 1-4 and jumped right into stage 5! But I was very fortunate that in 1996, I started teaching technology in schools using the internet, and my job immediately led me to striking the balance before the landslide came.
Post a Comment