Tommorow

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null

We are reaching the end of the second generation of knowledge management, with its focus on tacit-explicit knowledge conversion. Triggered by simplified software to allow anyone to write themselves into digital culture, not just programmers, whom are unfairly labelled as the architects of ‘read only web’. This focus on ‘user generated has substantially failed to deliver on its promised benefits – remarkable more for self than self-improvement, programmers have set to work creating ever more ways to hurl mob-culture further.

The lines are now well and truly blurred between context, narrative, content and challenges. Some people have been more successful at digital adaptation by creating complex overlays for their lives, but I seriously wonder whether this has created any greater democracy or equality. I don’t see it as maintainable, let alone sustainable.Those with the power see to find ever more ways to digitally flaunt it over those who remain at their mercy. Being Twitter famous adds no new armour to the fragility of modern life away from it.

What would be nice, would to sit here assured that second generation knowledge had brought with it a second generation behaviour which made everyone feel better. We’d all have a greater sense of agency over the natural and un-natural world. But here we are (or I am, ten years later) wondering what tomorrow might bring in the email, or the stars. One or other is set to triumph.

Moving chairs.

Is the dark side of social media being honestly represented by educational-advocates? Several years have passed since I eagerly signed up for Twitter and Facebook. I think, for my sins, I’m in the first 5% who did. Before that, social was about writing and exchanging ideas via blog platforms. Social media, mostly Twitter – was a short-cut to what everyone wanted – more conversations, more endorsement and more agency.

But times have changed significantly. The world Tumblr is more searched for than the word ‘blog’. Most of those people whom I learned the most from (and had the most fun with) use Twitter for social-connectedness and entertainment. The dark-side is that social media (for educators) didn’t turn out to be the kind of ‘succeed’ culture expected, but a feed culture, where people either churn out the same old gruel or stare into their smart phone expecting for the unexpected to be fed to them.

Google Communities are not useful for those who built their educational-consultancy businesses off the back of Twitter and rhetorical fallacies. More and more, I see people whom have contributed most (not for profit) establishing string G+ communities and others. I drop back into social media to be social, not connected.

Twitter is not the most effective channel for connecting educators. It’s was the most effective channels for establishing a certain belief, at a certain time. Just as MySpace was once good for bands … there are now far better places – actual radio stations such as TripleJ Unearthed, where anyone can participate.

The dark side is appearing more and more. The media is finding it hard to point at games as violence and addiction epicentres - now that Reddit sleuths didn’t find the Boston bomber, but did managed to add a new victim.

The dark side for educators is that, up until now – rhetoric (in 140 characters or less) was sufficient to build a business. It was a great way to build an affiliate network and to establish that ‘disruptive’ was the source of school improvement. Now the money’s gone, the people are going and the messages are as out of place as 486×60 banner ad.

Where are you going more and more?

Bye bye corporate box

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btsync

No doubt you’re aware you can transfer, back up and share files. For those who own an Apple device, iCloud has probably nagged your ear off. Others might like Google Drive, Dropbox or SkyDrive or even Mega.

The controversy of the Internet currently are the private commercial agendas which can afford to lobby government. They promote ‘social’ or rather willing participation in the e-society. Twitter at any moment might drop a link or idea that entertains us. To a lesser degree it inspires us to change belief and behaviour. However, the changes possible, are bounded by the choices available. Another way to describe the e-society (which is a broad libertarian ideal) might be: providing commercially profitable entertainment to the the “iWant, iClick, iGet’ consumer culture.

This is why BTsync is significant. First it is provided by BitTorrent (which is actually an organisation) for FREE. Secondly it allows people to share folders between devices, where the data is not held by a third party. Of course, there have been numerous incidents where user-data has found its way to public places, even more where hacking has enabled it. Then there are also the view that massive corporations such as Apple, Google, Facebook etc are more than willing so sell data – and that government policy is being re-organised to enable un-matched levels of surveillance on and by ordinary citizens.

When information processes make communication easier and more meaningful, they have the potential to improve many things. There is no reason to assume that only commercial-agendas can facilitate this. In fact, the most significant ‘benefit-ware’ has been produced by ordinary people for free. The worst instances has resulted in loss of privacy and increased personal cost and pressure to participate.

I realise this is a round about way of talking about an alternative to Dropbox, especially one associated more with piracy and hacktivism. This is perhaps the greatest fallacy of the post dot-com era – that ‘good’ is a brand and bad is everything (and everyone else).

BTsync + your own VPN makes a lot more sense that iCloud to me right now

Gonski Sandcastles

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gonski

Wow, withing minutes of someone Tweeting how the NSW Priemier and Federal Prime Minister would announce their mutual love and tell the population we are having the Gonski reform, the Telegraph journalists were applauding and gushing praise on Twitter. Meanwhile the ABC offer some actual information on the announcement.

Clearly this is politics and not education. Gonski himself has distanced himself from the Gillard re-mix. The Higher Education sector is going to see further reductions over and above the last billion ripped out.  Sydney University has a good post on this topic. Unlike K12, comprised of a giant public hierarchy, Catholic alliances-heirachies and loosely competitive private schools, Universities are facing fierce international competition. Universities in Australia are funded 25th out of 29 in this competition, despite HE being the 4th largest EXPORT PRODUCT of the nation. Cutting $2.3 billion seems to the price of re-election.

However, like ‘the boats, the boats, the boats’, the government is saying “Gonski, Gonski” at every opportunity. It’s part of the “slippery slope” fallacy which appeals to the likes of Telegraph journlists.

My issue with this announcement (and the reaction) it is quite simple. The DER was a multi-billion dollar experiment which has quietly expired with little or no evaluation or evidenced improvement. In fact the spin-doctor ministers are saying “education is broken” is now the the second verse of the Gonski-rhyme. Last year DER was constantly sold as ‘changing classrooms’. It seems that either that or this is a lie. But the only truth in politics is the one people believe – and I’m sure that there are several leaders having a celebratory lunch over the new money that’s about to show up.

Those who run Australian educational systems, have already decided who get’s what. That was done in Canberra without Gonski.  It won’t be Gonski or an independent review panel (watching the public purse) that oversees where the billions will go.

It will be spent by and on the same people who received the DER money. Nothing has changed, certainly not any vision, culture or educational rationale – the manta is the same. The process of creating a casualised workforce, removal of long-term commitment to long term employment will continue – while the media fawn over any tid-bit that floats past of Twitter – as they don’t give a rats arse about graduate and casual under-employment or the reduction of student support services – that’s not edumedia news, that’s boring real-world stuff.

Perhaps the Telegraph reporters know something I don’t – perhaps they have an app that is so good it will prepare kids for the rigor of higher education. I seriously doubt this new money will see new opportunities, new leaders, new ideas and new directions. It’s just a deal between politicians and those in education whom so far seem reluctant to try new things unless they personally believe it (and get an iron-clad guarantee) they will stay in charge.

It’s great to have more money for K12, but before we load up the Kingswood and drop off the billions – perhaps the journalists might consider asking – what exactly is this going to be spent on? - more IWBs, leader-conferences, overseas trips (for leaders), head office refits and Deloitte reviews probably. In the mean time, in the actual workplace, the social agenda of reducing job-security and workplace conditions will continue I assume. Oh happy days.

Gonski … another meme.

All those in favour.

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rant

Clearly, I am opposed to Gamification and several other types of fallacies perpetuated in social edumedia. I am also opposed to suppression of evidence about classrooms which work well for students sans-technology. I find it hard to engage with anyone who finds it financially or status-useful to continually ‘beg the question’ by omitting any contributing factor they don’t profit from.

Am in favour of those working in education to enjoy a quality of employment which includes job security, peer-respect, ethical and responsible use of technology based on the needs of the student in the community. I am against those making a profit from education by claiming their digital-communities are more than gambling with the public-purse.

Games help people learn about what is real and what is fictional. They should change the way students perceive and interact with a course. In particular, games should challenge anecdotal evidence, prevent division and confirmation bias about how to learn with technology. Play Warcraft and you’ll learn that. Become addicted to Twitter and you’ll learn nothing.

How do we know you’re really serious this time?

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games, gbl

You know that feeling, when you want to write about things that wash down the gutter of social edutainment channels. Oh, maybe you don’t … but there is an increasing amount of ‘game based learning’ debris floating past of late. Here are two things I think are fundamental to how educators think about games in learning.

First, the job of a game is to blur the lines between reality and fiction. Secondly, they are there to change the way the student perceives and interacts with the course.

This doesn’t require a computer, iPad or any other technological tool. It requires imagination – and work. New work, work no one’s going to Tweet @you for free either. It means getting up earlier, sleeping less and doing it because it’s the right thing to do – not because it adds to you’re CV or allows you to sandbag your power-tower.

In many ways, technology is the villain here, not the hero – and it seems apt that the protagonists of techno-learning experiments (students) are set to un-cover some big-fat lies as they sail down the educational canals. Little has changed and even less is ‘new’. Sadly, a good deal of what used to be called Computer Science and Computer Aided Instruction has been told to wear a ballet-skirt and balance on a beach-ball for it’s keep.

The computer was never going to make students smarter or more successful, but to give the student some agency over what is presented as ‘real and ‘true’. That’s what I do as a parent – we use it to poke a digital-stick and the world and to learn from how it reacts.

For example: Educational pundits have constantly used “the slippery slope” and “suppressed evidence” to get what they want, under the illusion that learning was ever remotely a perfectionist endevour. It’s messy and people get things wrong all the time. Wrong is not bad, or the opposite of Right – unless you’re willing to accept that rule.

Pundits have consistently avoided games for the last decade for a good reason. In a culture where false dilemmas and new idioms are sufficient to maintain power-hierarchies, it became lucrative to act as propaganda agents and as a result, many full time staff or evidence-based researcher are now left wonder what the revolution happened to scholarship and ethics.

Games in education, yes please – but not supplied by same people who blew billions on … well

Sometimes Love

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oblivious

So I went to see Oblivion. Its a movie about the future. As I watched it, it felt like the producers had used just about every sci-fi trope ever, inserted with precision and poise in a stunning landscape. Yet still I found it frustrating.

It’s a visual feast by the guy who brought us Tron Legacy. But the mid-section felt bloated as talented actors with wafter thin characters tried to be relevant and multi-dimensional, not least the Kingslayer and Morgan Freeman. The end had some interesting ideas, but it felt rushed. Time and again, scenes paid homage to sci-fi of the past. For me, it was the delightful Andrea Riseborough who lifted otherwise grey dialogue. But even she was reduced to tapping a giant iKitchen-pad most of the time and never quite finishing her Earl Grey.

Yes, we’re an effective team, she lied.

Having said all that, I like sci-fi. I liked this movie in parts too. I’ve also been playing Bioshock Infinite and Tombraider of late – and at times I felt that Oblivion was a series of cut scenes, slotted between Tom Cruise on a motor-bike or pondering the nature of fish. I couldn’t help but imagine how terrible a video game franchise of Oblivion would be.

I woke up today, had breakfast, did the school run and checked the feed. Stories about Bitcoin, someone tweeting about the power of iPads, yet another conference goer banging out today’s hash tag. I couldn’t help but reflect on how the feed has become a rather plodding Edutrope. If it was a game, the aim is to throw information at a flat surface and see what sticks. I found myself thinking how oblivious I’ve become to using glass which can monitor and record the world around me, yet be utterly unable to prevent others in the world behaving in ways I find frustrating and increasingly intimidating.

I would hate to think that my kids will somehow end up in a world dominated by augmented glass barriers, as I strongly suspect there will always be those who work to create them for others out of self interest. The future is going to be glass and gestures, it is going to be connected to the Internet of things. There will be those who can find process and flow, and those whom they act upon.

I’m increasingly un-convinced by the arguments made in the Edutrope, the endless ‘inspire me’ needs of conference goers and the ridiculous fees paid to consultants, where the sucker at the full time coal face wonders if they will have a job next week. The real issue I see is about under-employment – people in work that want to contribute more than they are allowed, either in terms of hours at work or what they do. Instead, I live in a country where three or four men decide the policy of a nation, where the same men advocate for fitting cruise missiles to patrol boats to launch at desperate people arriving by dilapidated boat.

And it’s only 8am.

Web2.0pia isn’t real

Okay okay, I was manipulating the fine English language when I said educational technology is being ruled by middle aged men using selective bias and weak evidence. What I meant was, educators are finding new incentives and connecting to thought leaders in a new paradigm. I was confusing incentive with handouts, which is an easy 21st Century mistake (check’s Tweet Deck).

I am truly sorry for error and any inference that data, analysis have any place in the world those living on the future edge might require.

Lastly, I have to concede that society would most likely not learn or find use for any technologies without the hard work of teachers who generously donate hundreds of hours a week to Tweeting to this charitable-causation.

The Web2.0pian War of self-importance.

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gbl

Let’s put down the idiom ‘game based learning’. In the context of feed-cultures it is another territory being fought over in the endless cyber-war between educators online. Oh yes, we’re all colleagues and networked, but there’s more than a dash of Orwell in Web2.0pia.

“iPads good, Xbox bad” – the sheeple.

You’re busy, I’m tired, so let’s just say that what lies inside games is not motivation, engagement, badges or other weak-arguements. Inside games is a culture of persistent success, which can be seen by millions of people though standard measurements.

You can’t pretend to be good or know about Warcraft like you can pretend to know about peer-assisted-learning or instructional-design. No wonder the Web2.0pians stick to rhetoric and allegories. If I present a 7 year old with a level 50+ in Warcraft in a classroom designed for tic-tac-toe.

Any game-kid long ago ascended beyond the dogma of web2.0pia and associated power-point pirates of 2013. Stop wasting time on this, kids actually like school as school, stop trying to fashion school into some weird version of the un-forfilled rock-star dreams of middle aged men who’d struggle to sign up for Wow, let alone play it.

All teachers set out to do what games set out to do.

There is not revolution here, no lag and no gap. Good teachers know their content and engage their students with infectious enthusiasm. The crap ones don’t. A student can spot a good teacher or a bad one. They’ve been doing it their whole lives – as humans are actually pre-wired for it.

Anyone who has set out to teach anything is already doing what games do – as teaching and learning is a ectype of gaming. You learn to play but in ways that are far from symbolic, despite the fantasy nature of the narratives and characters in games.

Here is what a game like Minecraft is teaching kids all the time. Its also what a teacher should be aiming to do all the time (even if some days, the activity falls in heap). You see you can have a crap topic, lesson or lecture and not have to beat yourself up – nor do you have to get a sodding iPad to revive it.

• Learning to learn.
• Learning about one’s strengths and weaknesses as a learner.
• Becoming better at solving challenging problems and accomplishing challenging tasks.
• Learning some general strategies for problem solving.
• Transfer of learning from game-playing environments to other environments.
• Intrinsic motivation— being engaged because they want to be engaged.

If you want, you can do this with any kid and any game. What makes a game ‘educational’, well mostly it’s not about the game, it’s about content. What I think we (if we are allowed) could do is …. work on how to make the way we experience content more like how we experience games.

That has nothing to do with badges and MOOCs – that’s about on-going rivalry in the never ending Web2.0pian War of self-importance. We are still in the first battle of the war. It’s foolish to think the Web2.0pias would not also try to take over the game-colonies in their ambition. No Level 90? No Gamerscore? Shut up.

#gamebasedlearning can be added to #digitalnative and #21stcenturylearner.

10000000

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10000000

10 million is a game developed by Luca Redwood under the company name Eightyeight Games for iOS. It is essentially a puzzle-matching game, where you are an adventurer on a linear path, running though a dungeon. You pass though locked doors and encounter more and more bad guys which you overcome by matching puzzle pieces.

I find it great for a few reasons, firstly it has an element of probability, which you somewhat control though the use of unlock-able item power-ups earned though achievement and effort – and not by nickle-and-dime-activision style ‘buying success by buying items’.

It also has solid use of D&D questing to do this, so for new gamers, it is a good way to start to think about combinations of ‘things’ that make you better at something. So despite there being one path, there are alternatives and combinations which can be used tinker with optimal performance.

Then there is the simple goal. Get 10 million points to earn freedom by matching objects. Its a great example to show kids as solid-design for getting into game-design. It uses in 8-bit-like graphics and chiptunes with creative commons licensing which further presents the idea that this is the kind of game that can be made, and also be successful.

This video tells you all you need to know … you can get this on PC via Steam too.