I have been working in the field of web development for now 12 years. So it’s long been evident to me the pervasive tendency of the public to feel pressured to stay current with recent changes, without taking the time to understand the nature and purpose of new innovations. Unlike previous technological revolutions, the advent of the personal computer and the Internet involves a complexity of an underlying science that is usually far beyond the grasp of the average person. Busy with other concenrns, most people do not have the opportunity to spend additional time to understand the technology with more depth. This tends to make people feel embarrassed that they are falling behind, and they naively attempt to rectify the situation by jumping on the latest bandwagon. Continue reading “Don’t Panic: Project Management and Continuous Change”
Technological Challenges to Teaching
The recurring question in the several articles as part of the reading list for Activity 1 of Unit 2 of LRNT 525 (Weiner, 2009; Biech, 2007; Weller & Anderson, 2013; Feldstein, 2017), is how to manage change, specifically technological change, with reference to the substantial changes taking place in education. As is often the case in this field, the questions attempt to determine how to address the change, instead of defining the nature of the change. An interesting perspective is offered by Weller and Anderson (2013), who consider an organization or institution’s “resilience” to change. Using the analogy of an ecosystem, the field of education much adapt to new environmental conditions, and the species itself must adapt. However, Weller and Anderson (2013) suggest that an essential factor for survival is that the “core function remain.” According to the authors, “In terms of higher education practice then, resilience is about utilising technology to change practices where this is desirable, but to retain the underlying function and identity that the existing practices represent, if they are still deemed to be necessary” (Resilience). Continue reading “Technological Challenges to Teaching”
The Age-Old Question of Good Leadership
According to Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” This contradicts popular assumptions that “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The cynicism is further reinforced by popular assumption, reflected in Orwell’s Animal Farm, that any attempt to reform power is ultimately futile. We seem to live in a pessimistic age. The gravest realities of the twentieth century are where high ideals have degraded into the most obscene forms of totalitarianism. The theory of evolution has been bastardized into Social Darwinism, where human progress purportedly thrives on self-interest. In July 2017, Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene was listed as the “most inspiring science books of all time” in a poll to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Royal Society science book prize (Royal Society, 2017). Continue reading “The Age-Old Question of Good Leadership”