Treatise

1. History

I was part of the 19th century history group, and specifically researched Karl Marx. Stephen Lottermoser and I presented on Marx early in the semester as part of the 19^th century “C” group, and later, I was able to draw some connections between a piece of Marx’ philosophy and my education research for the ebook. I consulted two books for my research on Marx.

2. Core Concepts

My assigned digital concept was participation, and I was especially drawn to the concept of gamification, and our participation group “A” was among those who attempted to develop it as a possible final project idea. I created and shared my own content via blogging and YouTube, and participated actively on google+ (see Create and Connect below). I also reflected upon my participation before this course. The most difficult concept for me during this class was that of Agile Development. I delayed (often indefinitely) releasing posts and ideas that I didn’t feel were polished. I agree that content benefits from a “series of iterations,” but I rarely felt that my content was worthy of “Alpha” designation. In a last ditch effort to embrace Agile Development, however, I include a link to my “Approaching Alpha” blog content from throughout the semester.

I consulted two books in relation to my digital concept: Mediactive, by Dan Gillmor, and The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki. If this course were to have a universal introductory text, I would nominate Mediactive to the shortlist. 

3. Digital Literacy

Consume Prior to this class, I already frequented a few blogs and was in the habit of skimming multiple news sites every day. I made an effort to share relevant articles with the class via google+ and start discussions based on the claims in these articles. In addition, I watched TED talks, listened to a recorded interview, and attended a lecture on campus.  All of these activities correlated with topics discussed in class and exposed me to several mediums and styles of sharing ideas. I also purchased my assigned books and a few others on a kindle, exposing myself to yet another digital medium. I consumed far more content than I created or shared, and I have come to realize that effectively managing our consumption in the digital world is fundamental to true digital literacy. In a recent Brigham Young University Devotional, Amy Jensen gave the following recommendation, among others: “choose to engage in active media conversations and avoid passive media consumption.” [emphasis added] This class has helped me tend more to the “active media conversations” end of this spectrum.

Create As a result of this course, I feel that my ability to write for the digital medium has improved significantly. In addition to my blog posts, I also played a major role in the creation of an “animate” video for our content group. The idea for the video came from a more polished production that I came across while researching a thought leader in education reform, Sir Ken Robinson. I had little video editing or filming experience, but enjoyed the opportunity to experiment in this new medium. Our content group shot the drawing portion three times, and recorded the audio track separately twice. Then, I imported the raw audio files into Audacity, and split them into shorter segments to make the final edit easier. Finally, I used Windows Live Movie Maker to cut film segments, add audio at the right points, and alter the video playback speed to match the audio. The editing process took about three hours, and the final length of the video was two minutes, fourteen seconds. Within a few of my groups during the semester, I also had the opportunity to experiment with Prezis.

Connect I participated actively in google+ discussions, creating several circles in order to manage the content coming in on my stream from classmates and professors. I also shared what I was learning in this class with friends, coworkers, and former teachers. I refrained from reaching out further because I didn’t feel that my content or ideas were developed enough to support meaningful dialogue.

4. self-directed learning

I wanted my content to be thought-out, intelligent, and truly meaningful first to me and then hopefully to someone else. This desire was the motivation behind my self-directed research and learning activities, outlined above. Several reflective posts embody these desires.

5. collaboration 

Though I utilized digital tools to collaborate among various groups, some principles of collaboration remain the same, regardless of time period. Clear communication, dedication, and sincerity come through across the table or through the webcam.

Conclusion

I feel that as an introduction to digital literacy, this class accomplishes. The effective workload is greater than a typical general education course, but the course would perhaps reach a much smaller audience if it were not placed within the G.E. framework. I also would go so far as to suggest that elements of this course should be included in a required course in the Honors Curriculum, and that the Honors Portfolio should be in blog form.

Approaching Alpha: Snippets, Ideas, and Partially-formed Posts

In no particular order, three posts that never quite made it...

1. My tweethis is this: you have to react to and make the information your own in order to store it long-term.

This is why I can find myself whistling music I played in High School as I walk on campus without thinking about it, and it is the same reason that I would struggle to explain integration rules to you if you asked. I’ve spent time studying music scores, listening to others perform the same piece, rehearsing the piece, getting feedback, collaborating with fellow musicians, and performing. I’ve worked relatively few integration problems, and memorized the formulas for an exam, only to be forgotten hours later.

2. On course management systems

Personally, I don't mind if professors make their own site outside of blackboard/learning suite; this often enables them to tailor the presentation of information and functions of the site to the course in a much more meaningful way. I detest having to log in to a separate "course management" utility to turn in assignments for different classes, however.

 I am enrolled in a course this semester that is testing the new Learning Suite utility. Given the way that Learning Suite is utilized in this course, I don't see much difference in terms of usability compared to blackboard for the student. Perhaps it is more user-friendly for the administrators, I'm not sure. 

My experience with blackboard has been that its reliability for a particular class is directly related to the effort and understanding of the administrator (be it professor or TA). An example is Accounting 200. The course has close to 1000 students who regularly take timed quizzes and submit papers through blackboard. Weighted averages are calculated periodically, and graded assignments are easily viewable. 

Several years' experience with blackboard have no doubt led to this reliability. Lastly, I am leery of a system that will purport to combine course management with class interaction and social media. I think it would be more effective for instructors wishing to incorporate social media aspects to learn about social media in the real world, (i.e. google+, twitter) and incorporate those into their teaching as opposed to forcing students to learn and partcipate in a sand box environment that may not have any lasting value to their digital literacy.

3. My experiences in music as a case study for holistic education (see this other post for the rest).

Iterative Learning

This year marks my tenth year of formal musical education. I used define “formal” as a period of regular instruction by someone other than myself and including opportunities to play with others. I would describe the overall pedagogical approach as iterative. But I have come to understand that

I have revisited theory concepts first learned on the piano in fifth grade in several different settings since, each time understanding a little more deeply.

 Certification and qualification

While standardized certifications exist in music, often reputation and recommendation by others in the field is far more important. A player’s genealogy (a list of formative teachers with whom they have studied) and ensemble appointments are the most important parts of his or her profile.

Different instruments and styles of music give preference to different types of preparation. An aspiring brass jazz player and a choral piano accompanist, though both musicians, would seek fairly different learning experiences in their preparation.

One is “certified” most meaningfully by what they have actually contributed to the community in performance and teaching.

 “Enrichment”

Students of music or more likely to be grouped with others of similar ability and motivation. The culture of music education and performance in my experience favors a “natural selection” of sorts. Players in ensembles are most often selected on the basis of audition-a demonstration of actual skill and preparation. The strongest performers tend to find themselves in the same ensembles, rehearsing and performing at higher levels. In addition, other, extra performance opportunities are first offered to those in these stronger ensembles.

Examples:

Quartets – playing in small ensembles teaches many concepts. Because there is most often one player per part, one cannot rely on his/her section to cover mistakes. An ensemble must be aware of every other member and make efforts to adjust and adapt to each other. This skill is more effectively developed in small ensemble work, because it is easier to see, hear, and collaborate.

A quartet is usually led by one or more of its members, not a conductor.

Performance in a quartet is different than other performances. Often, it is background music for an event: a funeral, gallery art showing, or wedding but may also be the main event. The musicians must adapt accordingly in volume, sound, style, and choice of music.

With more variables, comes more opportunity for adventure. A small group forfeits some of the stability aspects of a large group (a full symphony for example). You must bring your own stand, chase your own music, change notes, strings, and deal with people.

It is an opportunity to apply what has been learned in other settings.

Church

Performance

Jamming

Accompanying

I have participated in the musical education of others.

The opportunity to teach music has caused me to reflect on my own learning experiences as I search for ways to more clearly explain, demonstrate, and apply concepts to my students. In addition, this reflection feeds a desire to improve on the way I was taught. I remember things that I hated about my learning experience and either try to avoid them, or recognize their value and change my opinion.

Availability/Accessibility

The issue of accessibility looms large. For all the advantages and positives gained during my music education, This type of experience is not available to everyone.

Price, concentration of good teachers in the area

Time/effort to find the teacher

Aptitude/interest

Those who take lessons one on one get into the top groups, and thus have the most extra opportunities, and thus have the most holistic experience.

Those who learn the basics well are selected into groups of similar ability, and from there springboard to more opportunities and more complete learning.

The public school system

May be well-developed or not. Experience dependent on conductor, and fellow students.

You explore because you are bored.

Conclusion

I used to believe that eventually I would be “good enough” to play some certain event without practicing. I eventually realized, however, that I could never be done learning music, that I would never know all there is to know or master every technique perfectly. I believe this realization came faster for me in the realm of music because of the holistic style of my music education. While I am highly persuaded of the effectiveness of this holistic style of learning, I recognize that it is not available to many people, whether by choice or circumstance.

Clayton M. Christensen on Disruptive Education

Lecture Context-

 

Clayton M. Christensen is the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He is often regarded as the leading authority on the concept of “disruptive innovation.” During the Benjamin Cluff Jr. Annual Lecture, sponsored by the David O. McKay School of Education, Christensen’s address was entitled: “Theories of Disruption in Education.” In 2008, Christensen published a book on the subject entitled “Disrupting Class.”

Two Questions-

 

Christensen motivated his lecture around two questions: “What is the future of higher education in the United States,” and “Why are our k-12 schools struggling to improve?” Seeking to apply his business theory of Disruptive Innovation to Education, Christensen began by explaining the theory through examples. He emphasized the concept of a “core technology” or a technology that is foundational for an industry, such as a unibody design for automobile manufacturers. When this core technology is changed or “disrupted” through innovation, the market and industry can be significantly altered. Unlike a majority of manufacturing companies, Education, according to Christensen, had no core technology to be disrupted until the advent of online learning. In order to replicate a university and its benefits, it was formerly necessary to emulate an existing institution. Furthermore, Christensen noted that “no university competes on the basis of price, but rather on the basis of improvement.” These two statements succinctly describe why our educational system has remained fundamentally unchanged for so long. Forces that encourage innovation and improvement in the business world have been largely cancelled out in the domain of education.

In the concluding portion of his lecture, Christensen described how future universities might be built by comparing interdependent and modular architectures. He concluded that “online learning will be employed as a hybrid in both k-12 and at universities.”

Historical Proof in the Real World-

Dr. Christensen utilized historical proof throughout his presentation in validation of his arguments. For example, Christensen illustrated how hybrid technologies (such as online learning) could develop by reminding the audience how steam replaced sails on ocean-crossing ships. Steam-powered boats were originally developed for use on inland waterways, where wind power was unreliable. In its early stages, steam was not powerful enough to propel large ships on sea-crossings. As the technology improved, however, ocean vessels began harnessing both and wind and steam (a hybrid arrangement) to make their trips until steam technology matured enough to render sails obsolete.

Digital Literacy > Connect

Connecting DigiCiv
 

I have discussed aspects of our digital civilization course with more people outside of class than any other course in my educational career. Here are a few examples over the course of the semester:

• I conversed frequently with friends and co-workers about their experiences in education (one has children in a charter school, another is studying elementary education).

• I encouraged one friend to channel his passion for sports into a blog. 

• I discussed the pros and cons of Prezis (a technology I was first exposed to in this class) with a friend (an advertising major who has given several presentations in front of real clients).

• I got back in touch with three high school teachers who had an impact on me as a student, and told them about my experience in the course. I also invited them to check out the course website. All three responded, and two commented positively on the design of the course. 

I contacted the third former teacher (AP Biology) just before our final event, inviting her to check out the archived stream at her convenience, in addition to my blog and the course website. I chose to invite her to watch the stream because when I took her class in 2008, we were required to post and comment regularly on a class blog. Today, she continues to integrate online tools and even social media into her high school biology courses.

Event Report

I didn’t invite anyone to the live event, and invited one person to watch the archived stream.  As far as I know, my former teacher has not yet watched the stream.

During the event, I participated as one of the presenters for the education group. In addition, I created a twitter account and contributed to the twitter backstream during the openness presentation. I fielded one of the questions from the twitter audience following our presentation.

Education: An Annotated Bibliography

 My research process has been informed by my own experience, as well as class discussion. I have written multiple blog posts summarizing personal thoughts and reflections on my own educational experiences (notably the transition from High School to University, and Music Education).

Several aspects of this bibliography inform our group’s emphasis on the role and effect of motivation in education. The sources relating to Karl Marx were pivotal in our application of the concept of Alienation. In addition, the thought leaders below are representative of the viewpoints and ideas in the modern educational reform arena.

Further Reading:

Singer, Peter. Marx: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. 2001.

http://www.amazon.com/Marx-Short-Introduction-Peter-Singer/dp/0192854054/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329031098&sr=1-1#reader_0192854054

The title of Singer’s work very accurately describes its scope. Of particular note here is his treatment of Marx’s influences, including Hegel, whose thoughts on Alienation Marx later expanded and applied to economic theory.

[This book was assigned to me at the start of the course. I purchased the e-book version for use on a kindle.]

Buchholz, Todd G. New Ideas from Dead Economists: An Introduction to Modern Economic Thought. Plume. 2007.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Ideas-Dead-Economists-Introduction/dp/0452288444/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329031020&sr=8-1

Buchholz’s work provides a short overview (10-15 pages) on several of the most noted contributors to Modern Economic Thought, including Karl Marx. Accordingly his chapter on Marx is not nearly as in depth as Singer’s work, but instead draws broad conclusions concerning Marxist influence today.

[I read portions of this book for an introductory economics course. Since it is written in conversational prose, I consider it a good companion to Singer’s more academic approach.]

Xiang, Yun; Dahlin, Michael; Cronin, John; Theaker, Robert; Durant, Sarah. Do High Flyers Maintain Their Altitude? Performance Trends of Top Students. Thomas Fordham Institute. 2011.

http://www.edexcellence.net/publications/high-flyers.html

This study, published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (www.edexcellence.net), explores “the achievement of high-performing students over time at the individual level.” This study is important in that it considers the “high-performing” segment of primary and secondary students, while much of the evidence and motivation for education reform focuses on the lower end of the spectrum (those students defined as “struggling”).

[I discovered the Fordham Institute early in my research. The above article had been mentioned in a blog I was following at the time, and its title caught my attention leading me to download the full paper for my own reference.]

Thought Leaders:

Dale J. Stephens

UnCollege Movement, Hacking Your Education. Penguin. 2013 (forthcoming)

Dale J. Stevens is an educational activist and founder of the UnCollege movement. He focuses his efforts the ideas that education only happens in schools and that one must possess a college degree in order to be successful.

[I first learned of the UnCollege movement from a fellow student via google+ feed. I read through the website and consider it a good case study for self-directed learning.]

Ken Robinson (Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative. Capstone. 2011)

Sir Ken Robinson is known for his TED talks on creativity and education in 2006 and 2010. A major theme of his work is that the educational system stifles creativity.

[Robinson’s support of the idea that everyone has the capacity to be creative and great in some domain or another resonates with me. My first exposure to him was through one of his TED addresses, viewed online.]

 

Clayton Christensen (Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns. McGraw-Hill. 2008)

Clayton Christensen is a professor at the Harvard Business School. He is credited with coining the phrase “Disruptive Innovation.”

[Clayton Christensen comes up frequently in class discussions on Education. I will be attending his lecture at Brigham Young University on March 22, 2012.]

Personal Formative Educational Experience (reflection)

Over the past two weeks I have been reflecting on and comparing my experiences in music education as opposed my experience in traditional public schools. My sub topics have been: the role of a teacher, iterative learning, certification and qualification, enrichment, availability/accessibility, the concept of practice. I feel that my experience is an effective case study particularly for educational motivations and iterative learning styles. For this build, I have included two sections: The Role of a Teacher, and The Concept of Practice.

The Role of a Teacher

 In my music education, I have had both teachers who take a dominant, authoritative role, as well as those who acted more as guides.

A one-on one teaching model has taken a primary role in my musical education. Most commonly, I met with my instrument teachers on a weekly basis for at least one hour. I would play for my teacher and receive verbal feedback, profiting from the opportunity to apply knowledge in a new environment with a critical audience. Commentary from my teachers was specific to my level of understanding and playing ability. Many exercises assigned for reinforcement were tailored for a specific technique or musical layer in a way that would help me develop. I would also play with my teacher in order to comprehend and internalize new musical goals or concepts. I would listen to and watch my teacher play passages in yet another dimension of learning.

There have been many “teacher figures,” each with different perspectives and areas of expertise. I have learned in one-on-one settings with cello instructors, improved my ensemble playing and general musical knowledge with conductors, and picked up other pieces of technique and knowledge from section coaches, guest artists, and fellow student cellists.

The Concept of Practice

There is a pronounced element of self-directed learning in music education. A teacher may give specific assignments for practice, especially to younger students. To continue progressing past a beginner level, however, the student must learn how to direct his own practice time.

I have always been drawn to music over other academic subjects because a performance equating to a high grade can’t be “crammed for.” A culminating performance, whether with an orchestra or in recital, has always seemed a true representation of effort and mastery. Definitions and formulas can be memorized short-term and regurgitated on a test, but a piece of music cannot be learned, analyzed and polished in one go. Five hours of practice spread over a week will always produce better results than five hours expended the night before. It is easy to determine when a player has not engaged in regular practice over a period of time, but it can be difficult, on the basis of an objective evaluation or a paper (read only by the student and instructor) to assess true mastery and understanding of academic concepts.

If we agree to compare musical performance with traditional, graded academic evaluations, we can consider a method of evaluation in light of its power to motivate action.

Was I more motivated to practice diligently over time because I would be playing for a teacher with whom I had a meaningful relationship, and didn’t want to disappoint him or her? Did I feel obligated to prepare more carefully for my music lessons because I knew how much money my music education was costing my parents? Did the fact that music education was as important to my parents as school work have an effect on my practice? Yes, yes, and yes.

These factors, and probably others, yielded more quality practice (read: self-directed learning) and as a result I developed the ability and desire to make music for its own sake.  

The Increasing Misery of the Student

­­­­­­­One of the philosophical flaws of mainstream education models lies in the use and interpretation of grading scales. What does a grade really reflect? It depends on the author of the rubric. A grade may reflect the percentage of intended learning opportunities “completed,” or the percentage of a given evaluation deemed to have been “correctly completed.” It cannot be equated to real learning however, nor is it an accurate measure of progress in most cases. The reason is that learning is not a static activity. It is never finished. No concept is ever fully mastered, no theory ever truly perfected. Learning cannot be measured quantitatively.

In his analysis and critique of capitalism, Karl Marx articulated “laws” of capitalism that would lead to its inevitable downfall. One of these “laws” is restated by Todd G. Buchholz as the “Increasing Misery of the Proletariat.” He further summarizes Marx’s ideology: “To Marx, work plays a special role in human life. Human beings are impelled to create and enhance their lives through nature and through relationships with other people. The human personality cannot develop without creative work. Under capitalism, labor becomes just another commodity. People are forced to accept routine, dull jobs. They become animated tools. They feel alienated from themselves, the world, and each other. "

Karl Marx perhaps appeals to the humanist in his use of the concept of Alienation. He paints an idealistic view of work, occupation, and labor. What if we applied this thinking to the flaws of mainstream education? Have you ever felt “alienated from [yourself], the world, and each other” as a result of a capitalist academic economy?

Grades are becoming a primary form of “wages” in the capitalist academic economy. The artificial inflation of a grade’s value in spheres outside the classroom has fueled the transformation of grade point average from statistic to currency. 

Grades in one stage of traditional academic life are for many a determining factor of educational opportunities during the next stage. GPA is required on applications for jobs, internships, and further educational pursuits as an identifying piece of information. The profile of your potential value to an organization or program is being generated in part by a grossly inaccurate “measure” of your learning.

Marx’s solution to the faults of capitalism was to encourage a revolution by the proletariat against the capitalists. They would then (somehow), implement the ten-point plan he included in the Communist Manifesto. I submit the quest for a new model for the use and interpretation of grading scales as a potential topic in the Education Content Group.

Where Marx and Engels declared: “Workingmen of all countries, unite!” I say: “Students of all countries, unite!”