Cognition, Education, and Technology

• Media use

Small amounts are actually good for us, or at least contribute to our overall happiness. Like anything in life, there is such thing as too much.  It should be limited so that we are not pushing the important things in our life to the side. Setting tech boundaries, such as specific times and places where it isn't allowed, is a great start for many families and individuals.

• Brain function

Brain snakes? I loved our discussion on how the brain actually learns. Synapses and I think of it as trailblazing. The more you blaze that trail, the stronger the synaptic connection memory becomes.

• Cognitive development

There is a fear that technology is affecting how our brain works, or at least that it is "rewiring" it. This is totally true of course, as the brain's synapses are constantly changing.  I think that technology is just changing how we do things. I keep going back to one of the first articles that we read where it said that humans have been outsourcing memory storage for thousands of years. Ever since the invention of writing. I love that. We writ things down so we don't have to remember as Henry Jones said (The Last Crusade). Then came the printing press and now modern tech with word processors and clouds and drives. We don't have to rememBer details, just where to find them once we've written them down.

• Culture

As a social studies teacher, I really enjoy learning about new cultures. Culture doesn't just on a national or regional level. It is on an individual level. Talking about Norms and Mores from my own culture but also briefly about other cultures was really cool. I love how easy it is to use technology to access information about other cultures. Not only can we use tech to research cultures, but we can use it to create meaningful assessment to gauge student learning.

• Identity

Identity isn't static. We continue to struggle with our identities throughout life. It gets easier as we find people who we have similarities with and technology has made that more possible. Erikson and Erikson's work on developing identity was really interesting and, again, I find it fascinating that we are constantly going through his steps (trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, etc.) throughout our lives and with the people we meet.

• Teaching and learning

I think of how efficient teaching and learning can be with technology. Students can submit assignments electronically (something I have loved about this program) and as teachers we can give them feedback in a timely manner to help them in their learning. Students can collaborate with one another using Google Docs in real time. So Cool!

• Higher-order thinking

There is so much potential with higher order thinking using technology. I think of the coding assignment we did in class where we used scratch to code a mini presentation of a story from our culture. I had so much fun learning to code and retelling the story of the Candy Bomber in a new creative way. And yes, I had to really think about what I was doing and synthesize what I knew and reread some new things to simplify. That would be a really cool lesson to do with my students.

Impact on Identity

• How does identity develop over the lifespan?

Identity changes over a lifetime because circumstances, social circles, and interests change over the course of a life time. We may slowly drift away from .people who we once identified with. According to James Marcia we can be in several states of identity. Just because a person is in the state of identity achievement, that doesn't necessarily mean that that person cannot go back to the state of identity moratorium. They can explore aspects of their identity at any point in their lives.

• How do modern children and adolescents differ from their predecessors?

One way that modern children differ from their predecessors is because of technology. Throughout history, those who have gone before pass skills and knowledge on to those who come after. Who then use it and pass it on to their progeny. With technology, oftentimes children are learning how to use it before adults and so they are teaching their predecessors knowledge and skills.

 

• How does technology impact the development of identity?

There are myriad ways in which technology can impact a developing identity. An individual who feels lost and alone may use technology to find a community that is same and welcoming that includes people in a similar situation or crisis. Rather than suppress that aspect of their identity, it may flourish in their new online community. We can find music that we would not have found otherwise or

• How does social media, in particular, impact the development of identity?

See my above answer, only apply it specifically to social media.

• How can we use technology to help students explore and express their identities?

We can expose our students to as much as we can. Let them decide for themselves what they like, dislike, who they connect with. I suppose caution and digital citizenship should be used and taught, but In my own life I have found out a lot about myself through finding things online that I didn't know existed. It has helped me to grow and to find my current identity.

Impact on Culture

• What are the vital social conventions in American society and how did they become so essential?

One of the new conventions that has evolved based on technology is leaving someone on "read". It's considered very rude to read someone's message and then to not respond. My students often complain about leaving someone on "read" when I ask them to put phones away during class.

• How do we define our “modern society?”

Modern society is defined by technology. We don't consider bronze to be a technology. However, when it was first utilized, it was cutting edge. often literally. During the industrial revolution machines were starting to be used to build things. Lightbulbs were invented and electricity was harnessed. Again, at the time, it was miraculous. Today we take it or granted. When technology ceases to be seen as a novelty and more of a necessity, that's when I think we say it's not modern. So to define modern society I would say that a society must be on the cutting edge of technology to be considered modern. A society that is still using steam to power their locomotives isn't modern anymore.

• How does technology impact the development of societies and cultures and the ways in which children are socialized?

Technology is crucial to societies' development and culture. For example, in the 1930s, it was still very much part of the Polish culture and military to have a horse led cavalry. Germany on the other hand had embraced technology and developed a tank regiment. The German people were being told, and slowly beginning to rebelieve that they were superior to others. So When Germany invaded Poland, their technological and cultural developing of a modern war machine gave German's something to be proud of again. 

In our modern American society, getting a personal phone is just as much a rite of passage as turning 16 and getting a driver's license. These phones are the key to being in the know socially. Seeing the latest memes and videos on social media is every bit a part of a young person's school social experience as going to their first dance or just hanging out with friends in the halls. 

• How does technology impact how we respond to social issues?

Many people use technology to raise awareness of social issues. They post a message, repost a video, a meme, a friend's post on an issue they care about in hopes that people will be more informed and they can affect change. Police brutality is much more in the open because civilians are equipped with cameras and help keep them in check. Reading the news is now an active thing because we can contribute to the conversation. Every story has a comments section and people who couldn't have been heard in the past now have a voice and a global audience.

• How do modern children and adolescents differ from their predecessors?

The newest generation is raised with the newest technology. Because of this, there is s certain fluency when it comes to modern tech. They use it nearly everyday and are therefore practiced with it. Where predecessors teach life lessons and pass on conventional wisdom to the younger generation, the younger generation is training those who came before how to use modern, everyday technology. 

Impact on Higher Order Thinking

• What types of skills and thought processes are considered higher-order?
According to Blooms Taxonomy of Thinking, there is are several levels of thinking. It begins with simple recall or remembering information, which requires less cognition than the other levels of thinking such as analysis, evaluation and creation. For example, it is requires less cognition to recite the reasons why the United States entered World War II. Now, to present students with the same reasons and them ask them to make predictions on how certain historical figures might react would require more cognitive processing, therefore it is considered higher order thinking. Likewise, to learn a song on the guitar is much lower than it is to take chords that have been learned and create an original song.


• Why do we seem to focus more on higher-order thinking skills now than we did in the past?
As more and more research is done on this subject, results paint a pretty clear picture. As educators teach students higher-order thinking skills, meaningful learning happens. Thinking is required for learning to happen. When a student does drill and kill exclusively, they learn the process, but not any deeper meaning. It is and should be about what we do with the information we learn, not the information itself (Alvermann & Phelps, 1998).


• How does/might technology hinder and/or enhance specific higher-order thinking skills?


Creation is at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy. There are so many apps, programs, devices, assessments and so on that can help students create an original product to demonstrate students' learning. In my opinion, technology is only a hinderance when it becomes a distraction. The amount of resources at our fingertips with technology is staggering. Those resources can help students analyze, cross-reference, and broaden their own understanding.

Impact on Higher Order Thinking

• How does/can technology impact or enhance sensory perception, processing, and storage? 

To increase sensory perception I like to use visuals in my teaching. The easiest way to do this is with technology. As I am discussing a concept, particularly a difficult one, I use images and videos and even sound so that students' attention is grabbed, held, and they can make connections to the images. As students use various technology programs. they are encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of content and in creating they need to process in order to gain a deeper understanding. Google, icloud, phone contact lists require us to remember less and less and increase our capacity to access information.

• How does/can technology utilize the brain's reward systems to reinforce learning?

One example is the Duolingo app. They have a rewards/achievement system in this app. As you login and complete tasks to learn a second language these achievements are awarded, releasing dopamine and reinforcing as we learn a new language. Geomasters is an app that I have used to help students learn the names of countries. It's fun, competitive, and effective. Competition has a reward system.

• How does/can technology engage students' emotions in learning?

Showing images or videos to increase students' empathy of people around the world. I've shown them pictures from the Holocaust, videos from Vietnam, music from the counterculture movement all to get them to feel something. It has proven very effective. Even to the point of having students in tears. I've used music in my teaching to enhance a lecture or a historical speech.

• How does/can technology immerse students in enriched learning environments?

I've had students use technology to research, I've used it to assess, I've had students use it to create projects and products of their learning and when I do, the students seem to be engrossed with what they are doing, varying degrees but in my own classroom I have noticed that when I incorporate technology, the students seem to need me less, and rely more on themselves and the technology to solve a problem or create a product. It's a beautiful thing.

• How does/can technology promote consideration of multiple perspectives and the social negotiation of understanding?

Technology is an incredible tool for enhancing students perspective on social issues and providing them with multiple views on any topic. As a social studies teacher I am constantly looking for ways to expose my students to different sides to a multiple of topics. Tough topics like immigration, racial, gender, and transgender inequality, religion, and many more. 

Media Use

Were your findings surprising?
Why? I knew my media use was going to be high. I am in grad school and I'm a teacher. I am constantly using my computer to research, plan, create, as well as get distracted by the infinite chain of Youtube videos.  I was actually surprise that it wasn't higher.

How do you feel when using various media?
Depending on the media that I use I feel a range of things. I can feel calm if I'm playing a game or watching something to escape for a short time. I also get frustrated if I'm trying to find a resource for students to use or can't quite get something to work the way I want it to.  This question has more answers than I can record because of the plethora of uses of media. Listening to music alone can make me feel a myriad things depending on the song. I find this question to be extremely complex.

How much of your time is spent using passive v. active media?
I would have thought that more of my media usage was active. Much of it is, but I can put on an audiobook while I'm doing a home project or lying in bed. This is the primary reason from my media usage to be so high in the audio category. I was able to get a lot of work done while listening to music or and audiobook. Though audio media can be argued to be either active or passive I would say that in my case it is passive because my focus and attention isn't 100% on it.

Did media consumption replace any other life activity?
Using media did replace life activities. I could have, and should have been doing more for school, but was tired and decided to turn my brain off and watch some football and part of a movie. Rather than hanging out with my kids more I played a mobile game. This is a more important question for me. What could I have been doing instead of being trapped in a virtual world for x amount of time. What experiences and conversations did I miss out on? Though there are countless benefits from technology, this is maybe the biggest negative for me personally.

How did you benefit from your technology use?
I benefitted from technology because I was entertained. It is really convenient to get lost in a story as I work on physical projects such as tiling a bathroom. I watched some football as well as a movie. I benefitted because I can create lesson plans and write blogs and do homework from my laptop on my couch rather than going to a library. I can find video clips to illustrate topics I am teaching. I played games and that helps me keep my sanity. Mostly the benefits fall into the convenience category. Technology makes everything so easy to do.

How does your media use compare with that of today's children and adolescents?
According to the articles we read in class, Media use among Teens and Tween, 31% use tech for 4-8 hours. My technology use doesn't differ that much with adolescents in terms of time spent using it. What I use it for does differ some in terms of the specific content, but also maybe not that much. We both use it to do homework, play games, listen to music, watch videos, and login to social media sites. I like to believe that I know when is appropriate to use technology and can control myself. I would argue that many adolescents have a harder time putting off the endorphins that come from checking messages.

With that of other adults?
I used my media less overall that most adults, but i did think it was going to be much less total time spent than the 9 hour average. I probably would have actually used it more if I hadn't had such a busy week.

Media Tracking Infographic

Initial Assumptions and Perceptions

• What is cognition? What is education? What is technology? What is educational technology?

Cognition is the process of learning. It is how we acquire knowledge. According to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation it requires many complex functions including our senses, memories, emotions and even language (MSF, 2019. https://www.sharecare.com/health/mental-health/what-is-cognition) It is an active process. We have to put forth effort for it to happen.

While cognition is the actual process of learning, Education is the process of facilitating learning. It can be formal or informal but formal education is what most people think of when they consider Education. That is, sitting in a classroom or in another structured environment with the goal of learning.

Technology is the material and immaterial entities used to further human interests and problem solving. It can be physical such as a smartphone or intangible such as the software and apps on a smartphone. Technology helps humans fulfill desires, needs, and purpose (Arthur, W. Brian, 2009).

Educational Technology can be defined as the material, immaterial, and theory that is used in order to teach in an educational setting as defined above (Robinson, Molenda, Rezabek, 2016)

• What is the nature of the relationship between these fields?

Cognition, Education, technology, and educational technology are intertwined and perhaps even inseparable. Although we use cognitive functions every single day, the functions increase and are fostered via education. Education can accelerate cognition. Educational technology can further the acceleration of cognition in an educational setting. 

• What do you think you know about the reciprocal impacts between these fields?

I do not know much. I believe that effectively utilizing technology within a classroom will increase learning based on what I have seen and read.

• What do you hope to know by the end of this course? 

I hope to have research based evidence to back up claims that tech does increase learning. I hope to know that and know the opposing views.