The App Generation

The App Generation

This book, by Howard Gardner and Katie Davis talks about the youth of today navigate, identity, imagination and intimacy. The authors propose that a world permeated by apps can be wonderful but we have to wonder whether all of life is just a series of super-apps.

They also ask the questions...

Are we slaves to apps?  Do they make us lazy?

Do our technologies control us or do we control them?

I found this book very interesting as both an educator and as a mother to two teenage girls.  Both of my girls have Iphones and mostly spend time on Pinterest and Spotify.  My older daughter occasionally uses Facebook.   Neither of them use their technology an excessive amount or feel compelled to text all the time, so they may not be "typical" in their answers, but I decided to interview them nonetheless.

Piper is 13 and in 8th grade.  Darby is almost 16 and in 10th grade.  I found their answers interesting and compelling. I interviewed them separately so their answers weren't influenced by the other.

Which app would you say brings the most enjoyment to your life?    Why?

P: Pinterest because it has a lot of pictures of things I like, including books, movies and TV shows.

D: Spotify because I listen to music a lot.

Do you think apps make you lazy?  Why or why not? 

P: No but it is convenient.  I guess if people use them too much it can make you lazy

D: Sometimes,  because it's easy to get caught up in it... like it can make you neglect what you're supposed to do because it's time consuming. (different interpretation of the question)

Do you think that apps make you feel more connected to others?  Why or why not?

P: Not really... I don't feel connected to the people whose boards I pin.  I just like their boards.  

D: Not really because I try to interact with people in person. I don't friend random strangers.  However,  a lot of my friends make many online connections.

What is the purpose of the app?

P: For convenience in your every day life

D: Convenience.

Do you think kids your age put forth their "shiny selves" online?

P: No not really.

D: Yes, some people do it, but not me. 

Would you consider yourself part of the app generation?

P: Yes I think that people are controlled by their technologies and apps.

D: Everyone uses apps, not just my generation... so not really.

Interviewing them helped me gain a greater understanding of their viewpoints.  I do think it's important to be mindful of our connections to others.  To not allow the superficial online interactions to replace our more meaningful and personal in person relationships.

I thought it was interesting too, to try to explain to them the idea behind apps making us lazy.  In regards to Pinterest, I told Piper that if you wanted to create a bulletin board of your interests 30 years ago, you had to go the library, photocopy pictures or cut them out of magazines and then place an actual bulletin board in your room.  I won't share how many Pinterest boards she has, but let's just say she would run out of wall space to do it in real life.  

Regarding Spotify, I let Darby know that you used to have to save your money, ask your parents to drive you to the record store, buy the record, come home, play it on your record player, hoping that everything worked and nothing was scratched.  Now, she has instant access to free music that she loves.

It's amazing the world we live in.  Once again, I think the biggest takeaway from this book is to be mindful regarding your online use.  Enjoy your apps.  Allow them to make your life easier.... but don't let them cheapen the hard work of someone else. Someone wrote that website you just pinned or the music you instantly accessed.  Taking advantage of someone else's work isn't bad, but it can make us lazy if we allow it to do our thinking for us.  Maybe we can use apps to save time or make the creative process easier or more accessible.  In this way we can fulfill one of our greatest needs, to be truly creative.

Enjoy the ability to FaceTime with someone hundreds of miles away but don't let that be the only interaction you have with them.  Do the hard work of getting in the car and driving those miles so that you can see them in person from time to time.  As human beings, we have an innate need to feel connected and apps can help but not completely meet that need.

Enjoy the ability to connect on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest with other like minded people, but know that those connections may not be as deep as you want them to be.  Don't let the false sense of community isolate you.  Get away from your laptop, go outside and talk to your neighbor.

These are all a work in progress in my life.  Just because I'm 46 and grew up without apps does not mean I don't rely on them heavily now.  My next door neighbor and I text all the time but it sure is fun to see her in person.  

If you're still with me on this long brain dump of mine, thank you. I look forward to seeing you all in person very soon!  :)

Net Smart

This week's post is on an important and insightful book entitled NetSmart - How to Thrive Online by Howard Rheingold.   In this book, Rheingold speaks of the importance of training your attention and the power of participation.

Training our attention 

Can we really train our attention?  Is it possible to listen to truly multitask  or are we only half listening?    

I have to admit that I've scrolled through Facebook while talking to my Mom on the phone.  It's difficult to give my full attention sometimes, when distractions abound.

The performance art group, Blue Man Group, sing a song called Your Attention.  In this song, there are three simultaneous voices speaking different lyrics and asking you to pay attention.   Take a 4 minute break and have a listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq_YfCdf2ik

Rheingold asserts that we can experience benefits by practicing mindfulness online.  

Another chapter that grabbed my attention (see what I did there?)  was the topic of the 

power of participation.  Coincidentally, I led my church's youth group on Sunday on this very topic.  We discussed the trouble formula... Privacy + Loneliness + Social Media = Trouble.   To counteract that, we also discussed the Triumph formula... Pre-decide+Pre-Invite+ Plan A Way out + Triumph.    If we use social media passively and in isolation, we can get into trouble.  In addition, deciding ahead of time and inviting people in to your online world can lead to triumph.

I doubt any of us woke up this morning, deciding ahead of time what we would pay attention to and who we would interact with online.  But, according to Rheingold, just making baby steps towards a more mindful presence online can help us to be better digital citizens.

 

Copyright Clarity

This week we read the book, Copyright Clarity by Renee Hobbs.

This book is all about gaining a greater understanding of how copyright works and what the copyright laws mean for educators.  I admit that I only had a marginal understanding of this topic before reading this book, so I found it very helpful.

The author proposes that teachers usually fall into two categories regarding copyright use; they either "see no evil" and do whatever they want or they hyper comply with the rules.

For most of my teaching career, I've had such a limited understanding of copyright laws that I've swung between both extremes.

One of the most helpful components of the book was when Hobbs asserted that the easiest way to determine fair use is to think about your purpose when using copyrighted material. 

 Is it to pass it off as your own? 

 To save money so that you don't have to buy it?  

YES   = DON'T USE THE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

 Or is is to educate your students and transform it in some way?

YES  = SAFE TO USE THE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Hobbs mentions her website and a music video that she created that further explains copyright.  I found it very helpful... further proving that anything set to music is easier to learn.  You can find the video here.

http://mediaeducationlab.com/music-video-copyright-whats-copyright

As a music teacher, I try to be mindful of using photocopies of music and respecting the copyright and fair use laws.  I found this book to be very impactful as I move forward with allowing copyright to benefit me as an educator.

Information Diet

Information Diet

After finishing the book, The Information Diet, I put a lot of thought into my information consumption.   Regarding social media, my information consumption ebbs and flows depending on my available time. Although I can tend to overdo Facebook on weekends or holidays, I believe that it takes a back seat to educational websites and the all consuming Pinterest.  I think it’s difficult to be self aware because it definitely feels like I’m working while perusing websites, but in the end, my productivity could be higher.  The first step in managing the information that is coming at us all is to be self aware.

I also appreciated the author’s points of being knowledgeable about our sources. This is an area that I felt was a strength for me, but when faced with the idea of seeking out sources that reaffirm your beliefs, I had to admit that is a pitfall.  As a former history teacher, I taught students how to analyze primary and secondary sources.  We also looked and determined the bias in every document.  As wise stewards of our time, we need to determine the validity of the websites and information we are consuming, while also looking for the bias.  

My goal is to set a schedule for information consumption.   In class, we created a “Digital Wonder Friends necklace” with gadgets to help students be smart information consumers.  One of our items was Chrissy the CAT,  Consumption Awareness Timer.   At home, I set a timer that I can use to be aware of my time on Facebook or other mindless browsing, but I don’t have a set schedule for the day.  All of these efforts will improve my digital literacy and in turn, I will be able to pass these skills to my students.  To be productive and responsible civic citizens, we need to be aware of content farming, churnalism and media mining.  The internet, TV, newspaper and other media are amazing resources, but full of land mines if we aren’t careful consumers.

The Creative Spirt of Design- Students as Designers

This week in class, we made commercials!  Working in a group of 3, we brainstormed, story boarded and then filmed a commercial promoting the Doodles program.  We needed to synthesis all six design principles in a creative, fun and engaging way.  It was great to create with my fellow students and experience the principle of " Students as designers" firsthand.

As always, it prompted questions in my mind...

How can I allow my students to fully create and not get in the way too much?

How can I allow them to use their imagination and naturally creative spirit and express it in a meaningful way?


Priscilla let us know that she intentionally chose the camera that we used for our filming project.  This camera didn't allow editing and had some limitations that kept the focus on the content, not on the bells and whistles of some other cameras.  She explained that she used affordance analysis to reach the conclusion of which camera fit our goals the best.

I'm learning more and more about the delicate balance between setting limits and being more flexible in my students' design expression.

For example, a recent lesson in my music class involved creating your own body percussion.

 First we brainstormed potential body percussion movements:  snap, shoulder tap, clap, etc...
Then I let them know they could choose one of four rhythms....(two measures of four quarter notes, etc...)
Then I put them in groups of 4 and they had to create their own body percussion and it worked very well.

I think if I had just said " make up your own body percussion " without giving them the parameters, it would've been a mess.

The desired goal in this lesson was incorporating body percussion and rhythm, and creating their own so they could internalize it and know it well enough to teach it to others.

This design principle makes us think of many conversations I've had with people who tell me they're not creative.  I always disagree with them and say that everyone is creative.  I know what they mean; they're saying that they're not a painter, or a singer, or crafty, etc.

But if you think about it, everyone creates every day.  The physical therapist creates the plan for better health and wellness.  The web developer creates more efficient websites for companies.  You get the idea.  Some of our creative outlets are more obvious than others, but I think if you go through life not seeing yourself as a creator, or not attempting to express yourself in this way, than you're missing the mark.

It's exciting to think that we, as teachers, can inspire and motivate students to be their true, authentic, creative, designer selves.

I'm excited to have the opportunity to design lessons that fit the instructional goal with the creative spirit of design in students.  I hope that just a few of these lessons stay with them for a long time to come.

Affordancce Analysis

Greetings All!  It finally feels like Fall!

This week in class we learned about affordance analysis.  This is when the attributes of technology and the learning goals of the activity meet.  Affordance analysis is all about utility and not usability.  The term utility refers to how we can use something, the possibilities and the constraints.  Usability is how well it does it.   I learned that we should not start thinking in terms of the technology first to see how it fits in with our learning goals but start with the learning goals and then see if the technology will help meet those goals and objectives.

I wrote an affordance analysis of you tube and tied in the learning goals of matching the steady beat and identifying instruments.  I realize now that I should've started with one of those learning goals first and then analyzed you tube within that context.  This assignment was meaningful and impactful, as it helped me to evaluate the utility of you tube.  One of the things I've used to help teach steady beat is a video called Steady Beat Pete.  This video requires students to match the drummer and keep a steady beat.  Another you tube video I like is one on identifying instruments.  There are instruments playing behind a curtain and students have to guess which one it is.  Both of those videos really enhance the lesson , but I'm also mindful of becoming passive or lazy as a teacher, as a result of overusing it.   As with all forms of technology, you never want to rely on just one tool to try to meet all of your needs.

I feel like teachers can either be one of those

"Wow!  this is the latest and greatest technology and as a result, I have to use it whether it makes sense or not! "  or

"Kids use too much technology as it is and i'm just going to do things the same way I've always done them."  

I think affordance analysis is another great tool to help us focus our use of technology and see if it will actually be the best tool to help meet the learning objective.

I leave you with a poem....

Affordance is how technology can help you meet your goal.
To see if it's utility and characteristics are a good fit.
Analyzing the possibilities and constraints are better than any poll.
Although it will take some getting used to, I must admit.

Happy Learning Fellow Scholars!

The Victorian Internet- the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Victorian Internet, by Tom Standage, tells the fascinating story of the invention of the telegraph. Samuel Morse began working on his version of the telegraph in 1832, developed Morse Code and became the first to receive political backing. This amazing new piece of technology revolutionized communications that previously relied on much slower methods. But with all technology there is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

THE GOOD: Because communication was now as easy as sending a telegraph, there were numerous positive effects.  Many people believed that the fact that heads of government could readily communicate directly contributed to world peace.  Also, this ease of communication caused many a romance to flourish, both openly and secretly.  The Victorian Internet tells the story of a marriage that took place completely over the telegraph system.  No one could argue that improving communication, advancing diplomatic relations and boosting social relationships are all good consequences of the technology of the telegraphy.

THE BAD: Perhaps Samuel Morse and other inventors who paved the way for this amazing piece of technology did not foresee the potentially unwelcome chain reaction that the telegraph caused. First and foremost, the telegraph caused information overload. Businessmen in the 1800s were now required to be constantly on the jump.  The development of the stock ticker created a time sensitive situation and most likely subsequent stress.   The plethora of information during the Crimean War possibly gave the enemy a decided advantage.

THE UGLY: And lastly, this impressive technology that brought with life changing effects, also had it’s unpleasant side. No sooner was the telegraph heralded as an invention to change the world, did people begin to try to cheat the system.  The stock market, horse racing and even espionage were all arenas for people trying to benefit illegally from the telegraph. And, as soon as the telegraph companies tried to make rules to limit codes, people found a way around it.   

There is no doubt that the good of the telegraph greatly outweighs the bad and the ugly.  But rather than take a pessimistic look at the negative impacts of a new piece of technology, it is far better to be aware and adapt. All of these effects can be seen in our world today… romances blossom via Match.com, world communication exists via Twitter, obsessively checking email at the dinner table, and hackers.  Can we take the lessons learned from history and the era of the telegraph and apply them to our 21st century lives with the internet? Can we , as educators, emphasize the good of technology, all while bringing awareness to the bad and the ugly? That is the lofty goal that we all seek.