Selected Issues in Educational ComputingCriteria & Evaluation Thinking
Carefully examine each of your criteria that you create when considering the issues discussed below to see if they meet this definition. It is not the goal of this web page to claim to present the truth of any of these issues or to even take a position. That is for you to determine based on your further study of the issue. This web page exists out of a positive perspective that if sufficient time is allowed along with an open mind and sufficient interaction on the topic, the truth will emerge. As the number of continuing wars around the world indicates, this is not easy. That is, not only does truth pass through stages of growth, but passing through these stages is critical to its development and its recognition. To participate in the conflict and debate about the truth strengthens, not weakens, its development. Failure to participate in the dialog also fails the test of citizenship in a democracy. Failure to keep an open mind prevents change and innovation, which are essential to a more stable resolution of the problem. You will need to use the key words within the headings of the table of contents below to do further searching for the latest developments on these topics beyond the links provided below. Further, given the rapid change in web pages on the Internet, many of these links will no longer be working. Use your thinking skills to develop an evaluation of these issues. Use the evaluation essay template to develop an approach to writing evaluation responses. This also means that the discussion and judgment must be built on or preceded by a discussion of the criteria that will be accepted as the basis for further thought. This thought must present your researched evidence, your personal reasoning and finally your conclusions and decision. Asynchronous vs. Synchronous DiscussionIt is important for educators to continually experiment with models of different online and offline systems of interaction to better enable teachers and learners to confront and work through persistent beliefs and ideas. There are two basic models for dialog: asynchronous and synchronous. Asynchronous means that participants to the discussion and debate can do so at different times and from different places. That is they can add to the written or spoken trail of commentary whenever it is convenient. Synchronous communication means that all participants have to be active at the same time. For example, a face-to-face conversation means that all must be not only talking at the same time but be in the same space. Interactive chat means that all must be online at the same time, but would not be in the same geographic space. For each topic below, a boldfaced question or comment is presented to facilitate your evaluation of the issue. Read through this web page to be understand the issue posed by each and then pick one for your focus question. Feel free to add to the comments in the asynchronous "SUP room" for each of the topics. Some of these threads of dialog go back over several years; some have barely touched by participants. For each question in boldface below, there is an available asynchronous form of communication, an SUP Discussion Room to which you are asked to respond and to help develop. This participation will give greater depth to your reflection on this topic. This is also a part of your Question Ambassador service to yourself and to this class which makes up 10% of your course grade. As you have learned, this wonderweb technology is similar to the nature of email conferences such as newsgroups and LISTSERVs. For some topics, a free synchronous or live text chat system called Parachat that is free has been provided. Anyone can insert this feature into their own web pages. Of course to use it, a group of people must agree ahead of time to enter the chat room at the same time. For other topics, other forms of live chat are encouraged which require other applications or other web pages. This includes Instant Messenger services, IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and the live chat rooms within course management systems such as WebCT and Centra. The results of online Chat typing can easily be copied from the Chat window and pasted into a word processor for later review and documentation. It could also be used as essay or story starter for further writing. WebCT also provides Wimba, a live online voice chat system. They all are different formats for sharing email or short messages over some period of time. Such synchronous effort will be left to the reader's own initiatives. Is asynchronous better than synchronous? Each has advantages and disadvantages. For the purposes of this course, the course SUP system provides two important differences. Only the SUP system provides threaded continuity over very long periods of time that go beyond a single semester. Only the SUP system provides unified printing of all the messages in the thread from one web page. There are commercial discussion group software products which work similar to the Wonderweb's SUP system. Evaluation ThinkingDoes anybody really think like this, really use evaluation thinking in real life? That is also a good question to contemplate. Under what circumstances does such thinking occur? How frequently do such situations arise? Who must think like this? What is there about world culture that suggests that we need more of it?
What should parents and educators think about filtering or censoring? Without too much search engine time you will find much that is offensive to many on the Internet. 1. Violent and criminal behavior can be found with these search terms: warez; Terrorist's Handbook; Anarchist's Cookbook or Jolly Roger sites; drugs and words meaning drug activity. There are also activities that are illegal for certain age levels in regards to guns, cigarettes, beer, alcohol and drugs and gambling; 2. Tastes considered socially obscene by some are searchable simply by entering: www.(sexual term or innuendo).com; 3. Hate sites can be found by using their special vocabulary for hate with more than 1400 racist, anti-Semitic and other themes tracked by the Wiesenthal Center. Other forms of activity such as violent video games that do not require (but can use) the Internet like Duke Nukem could require direct adult intervention. 4. Live interaction with people who may be able to talk students into acts not in their best interest is possible. Others, including the ALA, counter that filtering technology does not discriminate well and in fact cannot in principle. Further, filtering technology errs on the side of keeping information unavailable and thereby keeps students and citizens from a such significant body of legally acceptable material that filtering is a violation of First Amendment rights to free speech. Further, there is information that is being filtered that is available in books in our library system. Should students be able to search for "breast cancer" and have appropriate articles come up instead of being eliminated because of the common biological term "breast"? Does hiding knowledge of the real world from children make them safer and more capable? Why should the expense of filtering and the network delays caused by filtering fall on those least able to afford them, public schools and public libraries, instead of requiring those providing pornography and other socially unacceptable material to totally hide their displays (images, sounds and text, etc.) behind passwords? What percent of the cost of filtering is covered by the federal legislation? What instructional resources and activities could not be purchased because schools and public libraries must pay for the filtering?
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PrivacyShould users be able to have private communication and confidential information within Internet space? What criteria should be used to determine this?
"The danger of the Internet now is the illusion of anonymity that's
completely false. People think they're invisible." Janlori Goldman at CDT.
(Leslie Miller, "On the Internet, there is virtually no privacy," USA Today,
May 30, 1996, 6D.)
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryalert.cfm?ArticleID=4577 From eSchool News staff and wire service reports August 14, 2003 Students in Biloxi, Miss., public schools started classes this week under the watchful eye of web cameras that will keep track of every classroom and hallway. School and security officials said they believed Biloxi might be the first school district in the nation to install cameras in every classroom.
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Security for Your Computer DataWhat is the best way to keep your data and your computer processes safe? What criteria should be used to determine what is best? That is, what does "best" mean in this context?This topic is closely related to the topic of privacy. The topic of security raises issues of how to protect your data and your time while the topic of privacy considers the issues of how much security your data should be allowed to have. You might reach for metaphors such as monoculture and immune system which are about the larger behavior of systems and which suggest known conceptual solutions. You may also consider it a part of responding to this question to rate or judge the quality other resources that you find for this topic, providing a citation for them whether they are online (on a hard drive) or off-line (on a shelf).
COMMAND SOFTWARE ANTI-VIRUS Prepared by
Overview The Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) of North Carolina
provides anti-virus
Command also maintains an FTP site. ITS also maintains an FTP site
Command Software List Services All users of Command Anti-virus Software should join one or all of the
http://www.commandcom.com/html/lists.html If you need information about the Command Software Contract or access
Disclaimer While ITS also provides secondary access to the
software
Benny E. Hendrix, Director and
919-807-3190 Office
Security Software Companies (home and office computer protection)The products of the software companies listed here have not been evaluated or rated. If you are actually selecting software for your needs, look for, read and study the reviews of the software titles.Security Hole HuntersCode HuntersBehavior Hunters
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CopyrightWhat is the right way to balance the right to earn a living and with the right to see, teach and learn, in the information age? What criteria should be used to determine what is "the right way"? That is, what does the right way mean in this context?You may also consider it a part of responding to this question to rate or judge the quality other resources that you find for this topic, providing a citation for them whether they are online (on a hard drive) or off-line (on a shelf).
Putting Class Notes on the Web: Are Companies Stealing Lectures? : www.StudentU.com ; Versity.com ; Versity.com
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The Debate over the Significant DifferenceIs computer technology guilty of not providing any significant positive differences to the educational community and to our culture? What criteria should be used to determine what "guilty" means? That is, what does the guilty mean in this context?You may also consider it a part of responding to this question to rate or judge the quality other resources that you find for this topic, providing a citation for them whether they are online (on a hard drive) or off-line (on a shelf).
Related Readings: Oppenheimer, Todd (1997, July). The Computer Delusion. The Atlantic
Monthly, 45-48, 50-56, 61-62. [Educational productivity]
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Planning for TechnologyChoose 2 or 3 long range technology planning issues and indicate which is most important? This question has a higher level of difficulty because the first part comes in two subsections. First, one must determine 2 or 3 long range technology planning issues and list them. Second, one must list the criteria by which one will select among the listed choices. What criteria should be used to determine what is "most important"? That is, what does the most important mean in this context?You may also consider it a part of responding to this question to rate or judge the quality other resources that you find for this topic, providing a citation for them whether they are online (on a hard drive) or off-line (on a shelf).
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Physical Health - ErgonomicsChoose 3 computer related health problems. Which of these 3 computer-related health problems is the most important to address?This question has a higher level of difficulty because this first part comes in two subsections. First, one must determine 2 or 3 long range computer related health problems and list them. Second, one must list the criteria by which one will select among the listed choices. What criteria should be used to determine what is "most important"? That is, what does the most important mean in this context? First it is useful to study what physical health issues are created by computer-related technologies. You may also consider it a part of responding to this question to rate or judge the quality other resources that you find for this topic, providing a citation for them whether they are online (on a hard drive) or off-line (on a shelf).
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Social HealthWhat are the most important "good manners" and proper social behavior around computers and computer networks that educators should enforce? What criteria should be used to determine what is "most important"? That is, what does the most important mean in this context?You may also consider it a part of responding to this question to rate or judge the quality other resources that you find for this topic, providing a citation for them whether they are online (on a hard drive) or off-line (on a shelf).
Stanford political scientist Norman Nie "the Internet is spawning loneliness and alienation"
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Diversity
The term telecomputer refers to the telephone like or telecommunications
capacity of computers, from voice over the Internet to email, newsgroups,
listservs, web servers, webcams, videoconferencing and more. As the pace
of the information age combined with the global reach of the Internet bring
ever more different groups of people into increasing contact, all of us
must increasingly deal with the issue of diversity. This diversity extends
across wide ranges of culture, language, time-zones, socio-economic status,
race, gender and more.
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Cyborg: Body-Technology IntegrationIs experimentation with inserting computer-type devices into the human body a good idea? What criteria should be used to determine if this is "a good idea"? That is, what does good idea mean in this context?
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Spectrum Allocation: Consumer Opportunity or Information Highway RobberyIs it best to yield to the request by certain major telephone companies for educational institutions to give up the ITFS Spectrum to better serve the larger consumer market? What criteria should be used to determine if this is "the best thing to do"? That is, what does best mean in this context?
The acreage to which I am referring is the seemingly esoteric topic of electromagnetic spectrum used for telecommunications. The case is being made to the FCC and to legislators that educators are making such inadequate use of this wealth that it should be handed over. Telephone and other giant companies do not have enough of this spectrum to meet the demands for growth in the wireless computer and data markets in the years ahead. They estimate the market is worth billions. They cannot get the military to give up any of their spectrum. The FCC allocated portions of the spectrum to educational systems over thirty years ago for the purpose of ITFS (Instructional Television Fixed Service). Schools set up "fixed wireless" networks that use the airwaves to deliver programming back when that meant building a TV studio and video broadcast facilities. But spectrum can be used to deliver any kind of signal. That includes signal for wireless computer networks. Imagine instead renting this space to these corporations and having a real and very long term revenue stream for education that could make state lottery money for education seems trivial. Imagine this money going to work for rural western North Carolina to provide the fiber bandwidth for which we are desperately competing. Imagine having the wealth to put a handheld computer in the hands of every student in WNC and the rest of North America, a computer that is connected to the very wireless networks that the corporations want to build. It seems to me that education would appear to have a number of very interesting options. Education could argue that we: 1. Follow the lead of other ITFS holders and use ITFS spectrum to build our own local wireless data networks. A next step might be to create a co-op of state agencies that gets external financing to build their own national wireless data network. This is not so far-fetched. Quoting the AASA filing, "ITFS also helps bridge another form of "digital divide." Nearly two-thirds of all public school districts are designated as rural and small districts. Rural school districts seek to overcome the digital divide by finding new ways to gain Internet access. Fiber deployment is not realistic for cost reasons. ITFS offers the ability to serve rural areas through wireless Internet. Copper-based or cable solutions similarly are not viable because low population density cannot justify the cost of infrastructure, or because existing technology simply cannot reach all areas. Without wireless broadband Internet service that ITFS can provide, high speed broadband Internet access may not be available at all" (p.12). 2. Trade wireless space for fiber bandwidth. This looks good on the surface but since fiber carries so much more capacity than wireless space, a simple trade based on data carrying capacity might not derive the best value for education. 3. Auction the bandwidth to the highest bidder if one can get from the FCC new spectrum allocation space for existing programs. After all, this is exactly what the FCC will do with the bandwidth if they take it back and the money will go to the Federal government, not schools. 4. Rent/lease the space to corporations, then use it buy whatever is needed for the next 100 years, including fiber bandwidth. However, there is no guarantee that in spite of the intense speculation that real wealth will follow. There have been ongoing stories in the press about this for months. For example, this great coverage in the New York Times:
[Access to the online NY Times is free but you do have to register online and get a password.] http://www.aasa.org/government_relations/other/j1_603!.pdf http://www.aasa.org/publications/ln/01-03/01-03-12itfs.htm
1. Higher education was not listed as involved in this filing even though this spectrum has been used by higher education also. Either way, colleges of education have a very direct stake in the outcome of this debate. Is there an opportunity and a need for Deans of teacher education programs to take a position? 2. Is there a national higher education organization that can become involved? Teacher education programs as a part of university systems have been well supported in infrastructure for cyberspace. We know that K-12 schools are in a tough fight for bandwidth. 3. All this raises further questions about the university system's and the state's educational position in this debate. Can governor's offices seeking to get more bandwidth for their public schools become involved? Does the UNC system have such spectrum? Does WCU have rights to such spectrum in our area? What school districts have rights to ITFS? Who is the state ITFS expert that has the facts on what we have in place? 4. Could ITFS spectrum converted to broadband Internet use in Western North Carolina allow Representative Taylor and our regional Educational Research Commission to bypass our current impasse with telephone companies who are not convinced that it is time to open up the regional fiber that they own? Perhaps the very possibility of a network that would take the educational system out of some future date in using telephone fiber would increase their interest in opening up. If they choose not to open up, the funding already secured by Taylor's office could be put to more immediate use in developing such a network since lines do not have to be put into the ground. Regional schools could more rapidly gain access to the bandwidth we so sorely need. 5. If Western North Carolina does not begin some kind of planning to use or more widely use ITFS immediately is it possible that our spectrum could be lost while other regions of the country that are using it might retain it? Other Resources http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports/bba97.html
Several other NTIA/OSM spectrum engineering reports are also available.
There is a Federal Office of Spectrum Management
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Synthetic Biology(New topic as of Nov
24, '05)
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Commercial-free with stored searchable threading. Please add to the discussion. |
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Morton, Oliver ( January 2005). Life, Reinvented. Wired. 13.01. Available November 24, 2005 at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.01/mit.html
Editor (November 12, 2005). The peril of genes for sale. The New Scientist. Available November 24, 2005 at http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg18825252.000
Synthetic biology article at wikipedia.org
Search of Google's current news stories for "synthetic biology"
Search of Google web index for "synthetic biology"
Search of Amazon.com's online book list for "synthetic
biology"
If you have questions or suggestions about this file, contact me at the author address below.