The Setting• Amy Williams
– 6th grade science teacher interested in integrating appropriate technology into my curriculum
Lost in Space• What technology is appropriate when?
– Jay Chiat took the idea of a virtual workplace too far
– Did not consider that some tasks are best suited for certain modes of interaction
Berger, W. (February, 1999) Lost in space. Wired. (7), 2.
Face-to-Face• Egg Drop experiment
– “Construct a package for an egg that will prevent it from breaking when dropped from 8 feet above a hard surface”
Face-to-FaceSuccess on Trial 4
Clicking on the picture will take you to a websitewhere the videos of the experiment are stored.
The Presentation of Selfin Everyday Life
• “Face-to-face interaction may be roughly defined as the reciprocal influence of individuals upon one another’s actions when in one another’s immediate physical presence.”– Changed course of action due to Jamie’s
inputGoffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Doubleday.
Introduction
Like a Version: Playing with Online Identities
• “When you’re online, there is no race, gender, disability”– Agree that this isn’t always true, but does
begin to level the playing field– Special needs students, students from
diverse backgrounds
Burbules, N. C. Like a Version: Playing with Online Identities. Educational Philosophy and Theory, Vol. 34 No. 4 (2002): 387-393.
Asynchronous• Catapult Challenge
– “Construct a catapult that produces the longest average distance on three consecutive throws”
AsynchronousAmy L. & Karen’s results
• Amy L.– Trial 1: 5' 5”– Trial 2: 6’2”– Trial 3: 6’6”
• Karen– Trials ranged
between 6’ and 9’
Ideas quicklyexchanged
Face-to-Face
Synchronous Asynchronous
Immediate feedbackClear communicationGood for building personal relationships
No real sense of partnershipRequires more disciplineWait hours/days
Possibilities for
miscommunication
Some sense of collaborationWait seconds/minutes
Can do science!
What’s appropriate?
Face-to-Face Synchronous Asynchronous
Best suited for activities that
require a partnership;
Extra set of hands
Activities that have time constraints
Manipulate on yourown, but require
feedback to progress
Extended time period
Work independently,but share ideas,
results, & conclusions
What technologycan I use?
Face-to-Face Synchronous Asynchronous
No technologyrequired
Computer/InternetDigital cameraVideo camera
E-mailChat
Instant MessengerVideo-conferencing
equipment
Computer/InternetDigital cameraVideo camera
E-MailMessage board
BlogWiki
Collaborative documents, i.e. Google Docs/Zoho
Looking Toward Cyberspace:Beyond Grounded Sociology
Cyberspace and Identity• Concept of “multiplicity;” “flexible self”• “ ‘Good parenting’ must shift away from an emphasis
on confirming a child in a ‘core self’ and onto helping a child develop the capacity to negotiate fluid transitions between self states”– Is this something for teachers to consider?
• More students are involved in synchronous & asynchronous interactions than ever before
• Prepare students to be thriving citizens in both real & virtual world
Turkle, S. (1999). Cyberspace and Identity