Sunday 24 January 2016

Week #2 - EDUC5101G Responses to Posts

Shannon's Post:  http://sbrandejs.weebly.com/blog/issues-with-technology-integration-for-children-aged-five-and-under#comments

Hi Shannon! I can see why this topic would be of interest to you – and an interesting topic it is!   What will be the true impact of technology on the next generation – especially when they are becoming “digital natives” at such a young age?  Is the impact all positive?  Your post illustrates that there are some valid concerns.  Your graphic showing the position of the spine based on the weight of the technology you are holding at the time illustrates effectively a symptom/side effect that most of us are not even aware.  Technology does result in the user in static positions – and sitting, standing, holding, pressing, turning for long periods of time, will have a side effect.  I often think about the baby in the car seat with their neck bent over (exactly as your photo illustrates) – they don’t seem to mind, but is there a negative impact to that. I’m relieved to hear that that there are exercises to help babies develop properly if there is an impact.  Even as adults, we realize the discomfort with sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time.  Several people in my office are getting ergonomic assessments as they are experiencing either eye strain or pain in their backs while working at their desks on the computer.  I sit a lot at work, so I’m trying to determine how I can stand while I work for at least part of the day.  I can totally relate to one of your reference titles “don’t just sit there”.  Some offices have the modular and adjustable work stations that allow you to stand or sit, which I think is terrific. 

Good for you for being proactive foreseeing the potential consequences that technology can bring to your little one, and doing your research now on what can be done.  We are aware of the benefits we can gain from technological advancements, but as with all things in life, moderation is key.



Carl's Post:  http://carldennis.weebly.com/educ-5101g-blog/aup-and-rup-black-and-white-only#comments

Hi Carl! The topic of AUPs and RUPs is interesting and obviously has a substantial impact on the accessible resources for the teacher, as well as the overall learning experience for the student.  It is encouraging to hear that there is a movement more towards the Responsible Use Policies.  Gabriel, Campbell, Wiebe, MacDonald and McAuley (2012) suggest that there is a gap between the instructional practices of the education system and the student body it serves with the role of digital technologies.  The gap is between students’ uses and expectations for digital technologies while learning inside the classroom and socializing outside the classroom, and the instructional uses, expectations and concerns of their teachers.  Most students are familiar with the technology and want to use it in the learning environment.  It will be to our advantage if we teach them how to be responsible when using the technology versus applying restrictions on what they can and cannot do—that way we are not restricting ourselves as well on all the valuable resources that are available to us.

Since I am in corporate training working for a large bank, we as employees have policies that we need to follow as well.  All programs and updates are done automatically and we have restrictions as to what can be installed or updated.  We have standards and in some cases the computers are locked-down, meaning none of the programs or computer setup features can be altered.  When using social media, we need to be extremely sensitive that our names are associated with the organization, and no reference of the organization should be made when speaking on a social level.  In some cases, history of access points and even keystrokes can be tracked.  It is strongly encouraged that while at work, it is work business only.  I would consider what we have in my area of work as a RUP, but I am now curious to do a little research.

Look forward to hearing more on your topic!

References:

Gabriel, M.A., Campbell, B., Wiebe, S., MacDonald, R., & McAuley, A. (2012). The role of digital technologies in learning: Expectations of first year university students. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, Vol 38 (1). University of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ968190.pdf

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