I am in Picton at the Top of the South conference this weekend.
There is an exciting range of workshops planned … and I am really looking forward to hearing from
Derek Wenmoth who is just about to begin ….
(I will be updating this post as the day progresses …)
Derek Wenmoth.
Quote #1. Then …. Now …. What Next?
Interesting to ponder on the things that are in our future. The challenge is for schools to cope with and manage where things are going in the world outsied the walls of the classroom.
The progression from analog technologies to the digital has had big changes. The ‘connected’ technologies are going to have even bigger implications aren’t they?!
The anywhere-anytime connectivitity has some downsides though doesn’t it:
* what happens if you are out of range?
* what happens if you can’t afford it?
* why are you using it – learning/communication/organisation/ etc …./
Quote #2. Moving from Digital Imigrants v’s Digital Imigrants … to ….. the concept of learning a second language.
Derek and I had a conversation in the car on the way up here bouncing this around. The Digital Imigrants concept creates a mental divide/block for those over 25 who are actually high, and effective, users of technology. 25 is certainly a wee while ago for me but I use ICT’s all the time. By Prenksy’s defintion I am certainly not a digital native – but in my practices I am. In fact I would say I am a higher user than some so called digital natives
Quote #3. Paradigm difference between Apple and Microsoft
I had never thought about this before but …. Microsoft has a focus on productivity and taking the Office home. This is what you often get as the package when you buy a PC
With a Mac you get “iLife” – you manage your music, photos, iWeb, create and share content …. etc.
SO
what is it that young people are wanting to do with computers and the technology? What do you want to do? What do you do when you have the choice?
The implications for school ?????????
Quote #4. Technological change is not additive it is ecological.
I like this …. how true. A technological change does not just impact on one thing in our lives. It changes many things.
Quote #5. Any Questions site …
this sounds really cool – run with the national Library. Enables kids to get on-line in real-time and work with a research librarian at the Nat Library on the topic they are wanting to folloow …. I need to find out more about this one !!!!!
Quote #6. Teaching is the triumph of the urgent over the important .
mmmmm ……
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Blog Scavenger Hunt
The task this afternoon has been blogging in groups to complete a scavenger hunt.
instructions are here (9 Sept)
HEAPS of fun…. 
Entries (RSS)
Greg Greg Greg! I do not buy in to the Mac vs PC argument at all. Yesterday I spent quite awhile attempting to upload a webchallenge page to the web from a Mac. The kids had created it in iWeb. Very slick looking (Mmmmmmm thinking Jamie McKenzie Template art template thinking) Anyway… in the finish I copied their site to my PC and uploaded it straight away!!
I’m sure there are just as many “my Mac has broken” stories as there are for PC.
Actually I think the answer is the new Macs with Intel chip. If you can run both XP and osx then there is just no argument anymore. Have the best of both worlds. Use the one you prefer or the one that works for whatever you are doing.
The issue for schools has usually been related to the cost rather than which platform is better. Schools see that a new Mac laptop costs them about $2000 and a new PC laptop costs them about $1200. More bang for your buck! It is always back to asking what do you want to do with them.
Many of the Web2.0 tools becoming available now also add the unimportance of the platform. All you need is the browser.
Hope the conference is fun!
Another comment while I am here. The Christchurch public library also offer an online realtime librarian to answer your questions. I used the service last week and they were very helpful even to the point of passing my question on to three other people before they eventually got back to me with an answer.
I stil think the issue is the paradigm difference between the manufacturers of the hardware/software. It is not as glib as a PC v’s Apple arguement. It is more about the philosophy of the companies and their view on why we actually have computers in our lives. This must dive their R&D programmes and the focus of their development.
The so-called digital native is interested in technologies that allow fo and encourage communication. It would seem to me that OSX and the iLife suite are way more about interconnection and communication than Windows and Office.
I do agree though about the increasingly browser-based nature of the technologies. Much of what we do CAN be done on-line. This does however have the inherent assumptions about access, knowhow, etc.