Where is information? What does it mean to educate?

I was just reading my peer's blog and it stirred something in me that I've been mulling over these past few weeks/months.

Where does information live? Is it in a book? Is it online? Is there a difference between the "realness" of something if its on a webpage versus in print? Are there differences between wikis and blogs as well as books and newspapers as to what is real?

These first two models that we've been studying... PSI (Keller) and the AT Approach... they both have at the foundation of their models that information exists "out there" (somewhere) and I (the teacher/student) must get it "in here" (me pointing to my brain).

I don't disagree that this interpretation/philosophy does indeed work from time to time... my issue is that many believe it's the only way to view learning, teaching, educating, etc.

These two plans are great for getting information from out there into the brain. Is that all it's about though?

Just some some mental ramblings...

"Education for all vs. education for each" - The Audio-Tutorial Approach (Kullk, Kullk, & Cohen)

I've just been rereading my notes to refresh myself for this posting - and came across the quote that I've used as my title. It seems so strange to me that back in the 1960s folks were just starting to figure out that maybe, just maybe, individualized instruction was the way to go. And then, to my horror, realize as I consider classrooms of today that we still haven't really reached that ideal that K. Patricia Cross set out for education! Something to think about.

To be honest when I first saw the title of the approach for this week, I kind of laughed to myself. It seems so natural - that it almost seemed comical that someone "thought it up" or "developed it" one day. So much so that - yes I know this may say something about me - when I first started to read the article I expected there to be something in there about iPods and podcasting. And yes, I knew the publication date was 1979. I guess I've been drinking too much of the Apple Kool-aid!

I get the AT approach. I can also see how it was revolutionary for its time. As I started to really get into the research I was intrigued by the fact that I had never heard of it when I was in undergrad career - either by reading about it or by experiencing it. Especially considering what technology could do for this.

I took a course last semester and the professor (for technical reasons) issued his lectures as podcasts - and every week we had to download and listen to them and then gather on a course blog to discuss our readings and the lecture. Now, it's not AT exactly... but its close given the technology that we have available to us now.

So, could this method be applied today? Absolutely. A laptop and your good to go. You don't even have to use special software - there are free screencasting apps and voice recorders out there that could facilitate your audio. Then find a location to house your files... Google, a wiki, wherever. Create some sort of module to facilitate and present the audio files - the "lab" is no longer needed physically, you can have a virtual lab - the internet! Finally, set up study session groups via online means... chatting, Google Wave, Elluminate, what not. You would need to be mindful about having to keep your stuff up-to-date... but that's part of being in this field. :)

I'm actually in this place right now where my research is about to turn down the road towards using online, audio tutorials for language learning. So - it's pretty exciting that we're now talking about the AT approach!

Off now to peruse my colleagues' blogs. Excited to see what they have to share.

Learning is basically an asynchronous, creative adventure: Davis & Ragsdell - The Keller Plan (PSI)

Have just finished reading over the Davis article, the article for the week. My first impressions are about it's readability. Not sure if that's something that we are to talk about on our blogs, but I'm going to anyway. Having spent a semester deep in philosophical inquiry and reading (it was a fun but hard Fall 2009!) - a practical piece of writing like this was quite enjoyable. Straight and to the point.

Overall I like this learning theory, the PSI. I really appreciate the sentiment expressed by the authors nearing the end of the second section - "Learning is basically an asynchronous, creative adventure." Hell yeah! Thank goodness someone else has said this! But I can't help but notice something interesting and I'm wondering if my classmates noted this as well.

There is a note in the description of the model - and I think Kevin mentioned this in the lecture - that the professor oversees the course but the weekly (or whatever time frame there is) meetings are arranged by teaching assistants or graduate students. Grading (I think) is to be done by these folks as well. As I'm looking back over my notes, it strikes me as interesting that two professors invented a model of instruction where they were the creators and somewhat the deliver-ers (depending on the methods of course), yet there exists the possibility that teaching assistants/grad students would be doing a majority of the footwork. Just an observation. :)

I see in this model much of the online instruction that I have participated in in my life. I took an English course that took this model and employed it via email. A course I took last semester used a blog. Other technologies could easily be used in this model... wikis, an easy web-editor like Google Sites, Moodle/Vista/some other CMS, and maybe even a Google Wave? Maybe a bit too early to tell on the Google Wave!

I can see using this model in future instruction - depending on the students, environment, and subject matter. I can also see how this model could be the foundation for many other models due to its simplistic nature (not that this is a bad thing).

Another observation - you can read the date on the article. Meaning - I just checked quickly and wasn't able to locate the publication date on the article but you can "read" based on its sources and the authors' choice of vocabulary that this is a bit dated. I wonder where this engineering coursework/development is now...

Do others share my experiences with PSI?

Copyrighting

Am busy working through the article on copyrighting and I'm appreciating the authors' clear and no-fuss tone. I still feel like issues of copyrighting/trademarking/patenting can get sticky - and too often it seems like common sense loses out to folks who have questionable morals when it comes to ownership and plagiarism.

I only have the final examples (from the last few pages) to finish reading. Will move to get those complete today.

Hm. Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

Just looking over http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art3_3.htm - my first real exposure to this theory.

How did I graduate with an undergraduate degree in education and never hear of this?

Or maybe I did and I forgot...

The theory makes sense though. I'm thinking back through how I teach a lesson - or whenever I lead a presentation - all of those steps are there. I'm going to have to process this some more...

Hello blog and world!

Looking forward to sharing my thoughts and reflections on my readings in ECI 517. Onward!