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[BACK] Comprehensive Essay 1 Running head: COMPREHENSIVE ESSAY Comprehensive Essay Jay Brown Comprehensive Essay 2 Table of Contents Part 1: An Analysis of Kellys
Education: A Scenario Title
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..p. 3 Abstract
.p. 4 Analysis
p. 5-7 Part 2: Kims Education: A
Scenario for the Year 2036 Title
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..p. 8 Abstract
.p. 9 Scenario
p. 10-12 References
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13 An Analysis of Kellys Education: A Scenario Jay Brown Abstract Kellys Education: A Scenario (Belland
& Taylor, 1991) makes an important assumption about human nature. If we assume that people will use
technology for the construction of knowledge with the purpose of the
advancement of society, then we can attempt to make a connection to how the Five Fundamental Issues for Educators
(Lucas, 1984) were answered by those who created Kellys learning
environment. The analysis of this scenario is based on the assumption that
people in the future will use technology to collaborate in an effort to
advance society. The answers to Lucas guiding questions as they relate to
Kellys story are addressed in this essay by a fictitious group known as the
Thinkers. Analysis The task of
responding to the Five Fundamental
Issues for Educators (Lucas, 1984) in relationship to Kellys Education: A Scenario (Belland & Taylor, 1991) is based on the fundamental
assumption that people will seek to use technology to advance society, and
not for immoral or criminal purposes. Should technology be viewed as a
potentially harmful or dangerous medium, it may not be utilized as it is in Kellys scenario. Therefore it is
important that we consider who manufactures and manages the LINC system. For the purposes of this
analysis, the people who design and control LINC will be referred to as the Thinkers. The Thinkers have
dedicated their lives to facilitate the flow of information, knowledge, and
skills to insure a continued path toward human
development. The Thinkers have also managed to resolve issues relating
to immoral and criminal use of technology by putting appropriate standards
and safeguards in place. The Thinkers
acknowledge written works such as Multiple
Intelligences for the 21st Century ( Comprehensive Essay 6 The curriculum accessible through LINC is based on individual pursuits in the arts and humanities. The Thinkers
agree with the Peter Senge when he wrote
in order to create a better and
sustainable future for our children, schools and communities, bringing mental
models about knowledge and learning to the surface is in the interest of
democracy, equality, and social justice.
The LINC system enables
Kelly to access, manipulate, and test a wide range of mental models which can
be shared with others in the inhabited
portions of the solar system. Therefore, Kellys best talents are focused on the advancement of society
through technological development. Although a
curriculum dedicated to the advancement of society is desirable, the Thinkers
may not have fully considered one of the most important missions of the
school as a social institution. The scenario states that Kelly is free to choose whether or not to
interact face-to-face with other humans. A careful analysis of this
statement reveals that the Thinkers may not believe that the social
interaction between children is a critical component of school. No matter how
technologically advanced we become, people will need to know how to
communicate and work together in face to face situations throughout their
life. Continued growth and fulfillment of society and the perpetuation of
humanity is predicated on physical connection between humans. If children
choose not to socialize face-to-face with other humans, then the advancement
of society through technological development may be in jeopardy. However LINC may still be a principle force for human development
if it is used to bring people together, rather than keep them apart.
Technology in education can be a catalyst for collaboration and team
learning. It is important to understand that team learning is not just team
teaching. Team learning is a system approach which includes not only teachers
and students, but also parents, government, business, and members of the
community. Comprehensive Essay 7 The LINC system can bring the
team together, and LINC can be used
to construct mental models which each member of the team can contribute to. LINC can encourage team members to
meet in person for open discussions of new models and ideas that are valued,
tested, and revised as part of an ongoing process of learning. So perhaps one
of the mental models that the Thinkers intentionally allow humans to
continually test is whether or not face to face communication is necessary
for the advancement of society. Which leads one to wonder who are the Thinkers? The Thinkers are the team, which is to
say, all of humanity. From the moment a child is born, they become one of the
Thinkers using all of their senses to explore the world around them. The idea
that children learn primarily through exploration,
and not memorization has been known since the late 20th century (Resnick, 1998). Kelly as one of the Thinkers can access recorded social memory, and has the
ability to recall that some of the most profound learning experiences were as
a result of playful interaction with other children. Therefore the Thinkers
believe that society will value the structural tension created by real human interaction,
and credit the LINC system for
keeping it alive. Kims
Education: A Scenario for the Year 2036 Jay Brown Abstract In the year 2036,
Kim is permitted to be selective about what is most worth knowing. Kims
school has minimum standards for the quantity and quality of electives, and
requires Kim to go to school to work with hands-on models, as well as
interact in a collaborative way with other classmates. By participating in
school programs, Kim engages with peers and works with members of community
to address important global issues. Kim must rely upon the NANO and NERO node
systems not only to complete studies at school, but to continue in what will
likely be a professional career in music. Scenario Kim falls asleep at
night only because of the physical limitations of the human body. While
asleep, Kim sometimes dreams about new ideas for research models that were
tested the day before, but most of the time Kim dreams about music. If Kim
has a particularly powerful dream the NEURO nodes that were implanted just
under the scalp receive impulses from Kims brain and beam the information to
the NANO system. The NEURO nodes are a product of the NANO Biotechnology
Group. The NEURO nodes are the size of
a pinhead, and are visually and physically undetectable. The electrical
impulses generated by the brain are all the power that NEURO nodes need to
work. So precise is the technology that there has not been one case of NEURO
node failure. However, if a NEURO node failed, the NEURO biotech staff would
simply pinpoint the problem implant, and replace it. Kim is a teenager who
depends on NEURO nodes and NANO technology to study music and Earth science. Kim likes to be
awakened each morning by a collection of low decibel symphonic melodies
emanating from the NANO system. Kim can set the NANO system to audio visual
in order to access the Public Broadcasting System, however Kim would prefer
begin the day listening to material that can be rearranged. Kim is a young
composer who has earned the highest accolades from the schools music program
for collaborating with students from Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, and Comprehensive Essay 11 Kims school abandoned the State and
National Education Standards not long after the first shipments of NANO paint
had cured in the hallways and classroom pods of the old building. NANO paint
has a mix of processors, receivers, transmitters, and memory modules, with
audio visual properties and touch-sensitive features. NANO surface treatments
are available in every color, shade and pattern known to man and can be
painted, wallpapered, plastered, or mixed with any medium. It was not long
before every home, school, business, and community in the industrialized
world had installed NANO surfaces to create the most sophisticated knowledge
and information network known to man. With this level of sophistication,
Kims school made the decision to allow students to pursue academic areas of
interest provided that the work contributed to the common good of society. The students in
Kims school are required to pursue two different areas of expertise. All
students must attend school for at least four hours a day, and meet with
project coaches, or local project team members. Kim doesnt use much time at
school to practice music because while the students at Kims school are
accomplished musicians, they are not on the same level as the students from
the GEP. While Kim uses N-mail to post new music and schedule appointments
with the schools music coach, Kims music education occurs late at night
with the GEP. Kim still enjoys
going to school because the Earth Science class is working on an exciting
project with important global implications. Going to school also means that
Kim can take advantage of physical materials used for research and
development, and work with other students who are interested in the project.
Today Kims class will participate in a NANO meeting with a company that
manufactures snow-making machines. Kims class are working on an
environmentally safe compound that when mixed with frozen water forms a
protective Comprehensive Essay 12 insulation. Kims project team is developing a model to replenish and protect
the polar ice caps from global warming. Even though NANO technology has
enabled the world to become independent of fossil fuel, the damage to the
Earths atmosphere is so massive that the harmful affects of global warming
is forecast for many centuries to come. The purpose of the meeting with the
snow-making company is to discuss ideas for building giant snow blowers that
are fifty times larger than those used at ski resorts. The students want to
learn about the range of snow blowers, and the total volume of water that is
used in a typical application to a ski trail, as well as the cost. With this
information, the students will make estimates for coverage area, and plan
initial target areas of the polar ice caps to be treated first. Kims class
will create a scope and sequence for the polar ice cap protection program,
and submit a proposal to the international community for further
consideration. However, Kim is at odds with the class over the scope and
sequence. Kim has researched wind speed and direction in the polar region and
believes the timeline needs to be more flexible. Kims classmates acknowledge
this, but are concerned that a flexible timeline may not be taken seriously
by the international community. Kim insists that timeline must be expanded to
account for unforeseen weather delays, and shares several possible scenarios
with the class where the snow-making machines would be unusable. Upon further
discussion, a mutually agreed upon decision is made to incorporate Kims
research, and expand the scope and sequence proposal. After school Kim
returns home and reflects on the days work with family members over dinner,
and discusses ideas for new music inspired by the Earth science project. References Belland, C.J. & Taylor, W.D. Kellys Education: A Scenario. Belland, C.J. & Hlynka, D. (1991)Paradigms
Regained. Educational Technology Publications, Gardner, H. (1999). Multiple
Intelligences for the 21st Century. Books. Lucas, C.J. (1984). Foundations
of education: Schooling and the social order. Cliffs, Resnick, M. (1998). Technologies for Lifelong Kindergarten. Educational Technology Research and Development, 46, 4, 1-2. Senge, P., Cambron-McCabe, Dutton, J., N., Kleiner, A., Lucas, T., & Smith, B. (2000). Schools that Learn. [TOP] |
