Well, I just finished reading the "Horizon" reports and I am left feeling a little conflicted! I especially liked the "2008" report since that paints a better picture of the present and very near future.
I get the fact that technology is changing our world, our culture, our educational system, our future generations' development. I agree that "technologically mediated communication is the norm" (Horizon, 2008 p. 5). All you have to do is spend some time in my home with two teenage girls to know that the "social operating system" is functioning at full speed!
I guess the "BUT" part of my mind goes back to my psychology questions about human behavior. Questions that probably cannot be answered now due to the fact that this is new territory that the human race has not seen before. With all the advances in video access/creation, global collaboration, broadband on the go, "mashups," pooling our intelligence through collective communities, and our evolving network of socializing, I still have some concerns about basic humanity....
I enjoy technology. I enjoy learning and using the latest, greatest technologies. I have always approached technology with curiosity and excitement. But, I wonder about the way our social lives will change. I wonder about my teenage girls and their "norm" in talking with their peers, communicating about assignment issues via email with their teachers, and their experiences with the world through technology. I wonder how it will change them. Will be positive, negative, or a little of both???
I also wonder about "credibility" issues. With access to search engines like Google, etc., what kind of information is at the top of those seach pages? Are these credible sources? Is this scholarly work? Is is valid, reliable, peer-reviewed? How did this particular "article" (or whatever) make it to the top of the first page? I hardly ever scroll to page 2, 3, 4, or 150,000!
I love the idea of "collective sharing and generation of knowledge." I just question the sources sometimes and the propensity for us to believe that if something is written (published) or seen on TV (you tube, blogs, myspace), then it must be valid (true or right or normal).
As Horizon follows the technology "metatrends" and "emerging technologies," I find myself keenly inerested in following the human development changes that are associated with all these technology changes that are here to stay!
Here are my experiences with these trends. Things I use in everyday life now!
Grassroots video found on: You Tube, Blogs, MySpace, Facebook, Cell Phones
Collaboration Webs found on: Wiki, Google Docs., iChat, Skype, Cell Phones, Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment