Tech Ed: there is no < /learning >

In a world of constantly changing technology and societies, we cannot allow our educations be hindered by a technology phobia. Agility and adaptation are important. Although our government and general educational system may be archaic in nature, we cannot allow ourselves to be. There are too many opportunities that are opened up with technology to ignore it.

Especially in under developed areas where there isn't access to higher education, having access to technology can really open doors.

I still remember archaic middle school classes about using word, excel, and powerpoint. I remember feeling proficient because I could type 40 WPM and make a couple of spreadsheets. As time continued, I learned more programs, introduced to Adobe and the wonders of embedded videos, blogging, and social media.

Then it just kind of stopped. I had learned enough. I knew that there were new technologies, friends with iPhones and iPads and iDon't even know what they will think of next. I knew how to check my email, I could connect with old High School friends, and I knew how to create a document to complete my assignments. Why would I ever worry about "keeping up with the cutting edge". Besides, I didn't need them, technology created addictions and caused lost productivity from hours on Facebook.

And one day I realized that I had developed a technological phobia. Not that I couldn't use the technology that, but there seemed to be this barrier to new learning. C++, Java, these were swear words that I avoided.  I stepped back and realized that I had become one of the senior citizens who I always feared becoming who is afraid of computers and avoids it even if it could open up a new connection between them and their grandchildren. And I was only 23!

In an attempt to over come this phobia, I enrolled in a free 12 hour training to learn the basics of Dreamweaver. I was again immersed in learning and as I learned how to work with this program, my creative juices again began flowing as I began thinking of new designs and website outlines. As an added benefit, I suddenly had conversation topics for my soon-to-be sister-in-law.

The Hunt for Humanism and Education

Is the education system that we know today broken?

                         What makes a good education? 

What makes a bad education?

My oldest sister is a big proponent of home school. In High School I spent a lot of time with her and we listened to a lot of recorded lectures, including one entitled "The 4 lost American Ideals" by Oliver DeMille who is a big proponent of a Thomas Jefferson Education. Although I can't find it online, here is a video with a brief overview of their thoughts:

This basically says that you shouldn't worry about the institution of education, but instead focus on learning. This involves delving into topics that inspire you and students will direct their own learning while teachers become only mentors who provide some direction, but mostly encouragement and support.

While it is an ideal that a lot of us can probably agree on, I have seen how home schooling has worked out for my sister. Instead of providing more knowledge, the time that they spend at home is mostly spent on games online and avoiding books and are at times socially awkward. So although the ideal sounds great, how does one actually put this into practice?

Another discussion topic is from a Ted talk video as seen in Tech-Tock. It makes the argument that education as we know it today produces lots of pre-packaged robots, full of information and that in order to actually learn we have to break out of the box, utilize the power of groups, etc.

While pondering this conundrum, I read about the idea of Humanism. Humanism is a method of learning that involves mastering classics to make its students better socially and to provide practical skills in government. Humanists of the Renaissance, like Erasmus, felt that through mastery of the Greek texts one could not only expand their intelligence, but their economic return.

However, even Humanism had it's problems. Guarino Guarini, a famous humanist who started his own school, is quoted in his speeches to incoming students and their parents that through their education they can have hope for their future and become better students. In reality, much of this education was strict and required rote memorization and recitation which led to more obedient, docile, and passive students. In addition, women's right to education was diminished as they were expected to stay at home and be content with matters of the house.

The challenge then, is not necessarily thinking of the best way to teach, but in the practical application of the said education. That's what I'm hoping to gain from this class, a chance to not just memorize, but to delve into topics that will cultivate, entertain, and challenge me.

So here's to APPLICATION.

Conquering Pride before it Conquers You

Reading through a brief history of the Renaissance and reviewing other periods in history, I've begun to draw a bit of a connection between societies. One of the main precursors to a strong nations' demise is their pride. Many Latter-Day Saints refer to pride in the Book of Mormon this way, showing how a civilization gets into a "pride cycle". A nation begins to become successful, they prosper, they become arrogant, and then due to either war or famine they are again humbled. This doesn't just happen in the Book of Mormon, but I was also able to see this same cycle when reading about nations throughout history. And it's also not limited just to civilizations, but can be seen in many corporations whose glory is based more on cutting edge technology.

In History:
It's always wise when you are attempting world glory to watch out for the underdog. When the Europeans took over India they initially entered Calcutta and approached the King with cloth, coral, sugar, oil, etc. Seeing this, the Indians "laughed at it, saying it was not a thing to offer a king, that the poorest merchant from Mecca, or from any other part of India gave more".

Below you can see a brief overview of the conquering of the Incas. (This is from the series: Guns, Germs, and Steel, which also views the inequality between nations).

When the conquistadors came into Peru they were far outnumbered, rode horses and wore, what seemed to the Incan people, to be pots on their heads. Viewing their inferiority, the Inca's believed that they would be easily conquered and they didn't even bother to protect themselves when they met with the Spaniards. Instead they came dancing and singing and they met almost instant death because of this oversight.

In our modern society we see this happen as well when companies that are on the cutting edge of technology begin to feel that they are invincible, stop following the newest trends, or ignore the under dogs. I'm not as familiar with this and can't think of any specific examples, but if anyone can, I'd love to have input.

Crowd sourcing and me

Crowdsourcing, although the term was coined in 2006 it is by no means a new idea. Crowd sourcing is a process of synergy using an open contest or a crowd of people to accomplish something. One of the earliest examples viewed in the navy time piece in London, reviewed by Design crowd blog. Common works that you may know that originated from this idea of combing the masses for their opinions and ideas include: the Encyclopedia, Dictionary, the LDS Bible Dictionary, even the Toyota logo.

Deciding to use this concept, I decided to incorporate it into my own life. A week and a half ago, I got engaged. Not so much the D&C 88 terms of being engaged in a good cause, but the actual, down on one knee, let's tell the family, engaged to be married. I've always considered myself a laid back person and have had experience planning my friends' weddings. So I erroneously assumed that this would be, forgive the pun, a piece of cake. Little did I remember that wherever there are family gatherings, there is inevitable family drama.

Brief background: In my family there are 14 children, ranging from ages 36-2 years of age and never have we all been in one spot at the same time. My parents are also divorced and cannot stand to be in the same state, let alone room, as the other. Combining just my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews, we come to a hefty 34 people. Therefore, planning a gathering where all 34 persons are present is a bit of a fiasco.

2009 sibling picture, missing 5 of us

Back to the present: So I told them all last Monday that I was engaged. On Tuesday my father began harassing me with emails demanding that I set a certain date as he was hoping to use this opportunity to gather all the family together and get one definitive family photo. On Friday I was able to give him a certain time and date. On Sunday he sent out a mass email letting everyone know that they must commit to be there, because it was such a financial burden to plan for his 7 to get out to Utah and this is the only opportunity we will have in a long time to be together for a family photo.

So my wedding is at 1pm and his plan is to get us in a studio at 2 and out by 4 and then somehow I can get back in time to prep and be at my reception at 6....I'd rather die. So a vast onslaught of emails has commenced to try and figure out rides, babysitting, nap times, realistic ways to take pictures of 34 people and then their various subset families.

After attending this class on Tuesday it hit me, what I needed to do. When I feel too overwhelmed to iron everything out by myself, what can I do? Crowd source! So I created a google document, outlined the expectations for the day and then invited everyone to fill in the empty slots and to add their opinions and suggestions. That way instead of a continual back and forth of emails, we can keep everything in one centralized spot where expectations are outlined.

Who I am and what I know about the 16th Century and participation?

My name is:

Rebecca Lynn O'Bryan

I am not an Obrien. I don't even know if Obrien's exist. It's O'Bryan, with an apostrophe (even though no computer system has yet been successful in recording it), capital B and a y. The y means we were knighted (although I'm not sure by whom, or if that's true). We're related to royalty. England's infamous Prince John, although you probably remember him as portrayed in Disney's "Robin Hood" as the thumb-sucking cowardly younger brother to King Richard the Lionheart. John O'Bryan was my first ancestor from Ireland to migrate to America in 1705. He arrived in Virginia, but a few generations later his clan paved the way into Kentucky. And then... just kind of got stuck there. My great great something grandmother was the first woman teacher in Kentucky and my fore fathers have served in every American war (including the Revolutionary war).

But I suppose that is all just a background. Because in a few months, I wont even be an O'Bryan. I will be a Pipkin. And no one really knows where the Pipkin clan originated. My soon-to-be mother-in-law is a genealogist and even after all of her research and combing of the databases she hasn't been able to conclude anything more than "probably from Europe... or Russia". I could have told you the same, using deductive reasoning and the light color of their skin, there are few other options for their origin.

And that is about the extent of what I know of the past.

I would have to say that I am far more literate in the digital world than I am the past. I know that in order for digital communication to continue and to progress there is a great deal of participation that is required. Computers would be as noticed as furnaces if we didn't actively get on them and participate in the world wide conversation. Facebook would be just another code of unintelligible words and letters and would be lost to civilization.

In fact, the biggest difference between the 16th and 15th centuries was the great participation by everyone. Racked by plagues, civil dis-arrest, and general societal upheaval, Europe was in a great dark age in the 15th century. What had once been a thriving civilization with technological advances had been changed almost overnight. Because of the lack of people willing and able to participate, governments had collapsed, great work projects crumbled, and chaos ensued. The birth of the renaissance was all about participation. As Gutenberg developed his printing press it allowed for even the general citizens to understand, learn, and participate. No longer was the oppression of ignorance all controlling.

Recently I watched a movie called "The Book of Eli". (I use the term "watched" in the loosest of terms. It would be more accurate to say "recently, my fiancee and I visited his friends who happened to be watching this movie and due to the massive amounts of violence and creepiness I spent the majority of the evening with my head buried in my fiancee's shoulder"). 


SpOiLeR AlErT: This is a post-armagedan film where the world is left mostly in ruins of a huge battle/epidemic/I'm not really sure because I missed the first half hour. In the movie the man named Eli has a book that he carries with him everywhere. This book is the Bible. One of the last remaining copies. All these evil men chase him down to try and capture the book and in the end he is able to escape into this community where they are salvaging all the ruins of their previous society in an attempt to bring about an enlightenment.