Agenda: Class 3

ET 690 Educational Technology Seminar

"The purpose of this book is not only to put forward reasons that make sense but to play a role in promoting a serious conversation about reasons." --Postman, p. 91

• Questions and Announcements
  • Thanks to Mike for Bringing Snacks
  • Schedule of Book Discussion Leadership
  • Class Participation
    • Overall, last week's discussion was excellent
    • I sent emails on Monday to two groups of people
      • Those whose in-class participation was too low in quantity (2 people)
      • Those whose in-class participation was noted for high quality (3 people)
    • Those who weren't noted should not worry as the participation overall was very good
  • Questions
• Discussion: Postman, Chapters 5 - 9
  • What is Postman's Most Compelling Narrative?
  • Suggest a Narrative That Postman Missed
    • For example: popularity, political correctness, America first, respect, pride in country, accountability, enlightenment, rebellion, speed, convenience, ... 
    • And from our discussion last week: credit cards/finances, entitlement, individualism, information, competition, perception (by others of you), instant gratification, authority, nurturing/attention/love, data/accountability, respect, pride in country, enlightenment
  • Discuss in Small Groups What Makes Your Narrative Compelling
    • Example: Kant's Categorical Imperative
    • Describe ways a broad curriculum could be organized around it
    • Describe some of the major stories/parables of the narrative
    • How would your narrative lead to different choices than some other narratives
• Discussion: Do Artifacts Have Politics?
  • Listen to Technology and Popular Music from NPR
  • Technology is often thought to drive society; i.e. technological advance is unstoppable, and we are stuck with its consequences.
  • On the opposite end, technology is thought to be a creation of the social and cultural context, and any effect of technology is a social creation. Technology is, in itself, neutral.
  • Winner argues that although technology is a social creation, technologies contain politics, either designed into them or by their nature they support or require a particular political or social order. In issues of design, we can make conscious choices to redesign the technology. In cases of the nature of the technology, our choices are to use the technology and suffer the consequences or avoid the technology altogether.
  • For example, Winner discusses the Long Island Parkway system which has overpasses and bridges that are nine feet tall. This eliminates buses from the parkways and was designed to keep poor people and blacks off the parkways and away from the parks and beaches. He also cites, as unintentional, that many buildings have been designed without handicapped access, keeping that segment of the population away.
  • Other technologies that, by their nature, support or require a specific political form include nuclear power and the atomic bomb (which require a top-down authoritarian hierarchy) and solar energy (which promotes decentralized control).
  • "It is characteristic of societies based on large, complex technological systems, however, that moral reasons other than those of practical necessity appear increasingly obsolete, 'idealistic,' and irrelevant. Whatever claims one may wish to make on behalf of liberty, justice, or equality can be immediately neutralized when confronted with arguments to the effect: 'Fine, but that's no way to run a railroad.'" [Purpose can drive our moral barometers, and we are often ruled by the purpose of economic utility.]
• Assignments
  • Postman Paper due in two classes
  • Read, Oppenheimer, Pages xi-174 (Introduction-Chapter 5)
    • Discussion Led by Jhonna and Tammy
  • Snacks Next Time: Jeremy

This page was prepared by Dr. David M. Marcovitz.

Last Updated: January 23, 2009