Matt's+Big+Shift+Paper

=Big Shifts: "Where" Learning and "Cloud Computing" in 2009 and Beyond=

Over the past few years we have seen an explosion of growth on the Internet bringing richer content, faster, to more people than ever before. With the advent of Web 2.0 we have seen the internet change from a mostly reactive experience for the user, where they simply read text laden web pages, to an interactive experience wherein users can read and respond to text as well as view pictures, comments and high definition streaming video at all times. In fact, the explosion of growth was so sudden that we are still trying to figure out the best way to make use of the wealth of information at our fingertips, and the best part is, the growth is not expected to slow anytime soon. [|Google] CEO [|Eric Schmidt,] a man who is at the cutting edge of internet development, recently offered some insight into what the web will look like five years from now. Schmidt says that today’s teenagers are the model for the future of the Internet, they are chronic multi-taskers and jump from one app to another at the drop of the hat. Next, 5 years is a factor of [|Moore’s law,] which means that computers will be much more advanced than they are today, and broadband will reach over 100MB in performance. Finally, Schmidt predicts that the majority of information posted will be in real time, making the Internet just as valuable a resource as breaking news bulletins on the Television or radio. To view the rest of Smiths points please visit [|here.] The major question here is how will this new and improved Internet affect our lives? In this paper I will explain the potential affects of technology on education by describing two “Big Shifts” in the traditional educational model: A shift from what- learning to where-learning as well as the idea of cloud computing. In the traditional educational model the teacher’s motive has been to teach the students what they need to learn. Whether this was history, English, or math the majority of a students learning came from memorizing facts and re-iterating those facts back to the teacher in the form of a test or term paper. The idea of where-learning proposes a shift wherein instead of teachers having students memorize answers they show students where they can find the answers themselves, using the plethora of resources available to them, textbooks, other publications, and of course all of the information available to them on the internet. Although this style of teaching may seem like a radical switch to some there are a vast number of reasons to switch to this new learning model. First off, by teaching this way instructors are able to cover broader material with less focus on say, memorizing the [|Declaration of Independence.] Second, it is important for instructors to teach students how to think this way, it will expand their mind as they learn to work like actual researchers instead of memorizing facts, which they will not have to do once they graduate. While some skeptics may refer to looking up facts as the easy way out, it is important to remember that in the real world all resources are readily available when needed; no one ever asks a lawyer to tackle a case without researching precedents or a professor to teach a lecture straight from memory. Finally, where- learning would open up the doors to other types of information, such as RSS feeds, whose up to the minute updates are far superior than 5 year old textbooks. In the next few paragraphs I will show a few examples of classic learning that can be supplemented with our new approach. One subject area that could definitely benefit from the where- learning approach is history and the social sciences. Traditionally, social science classes have been based around a lot of memorization of dates, people and events. The truth is that there is really no need for that anymore, all of the information we could possible learn is readily available online. Don’t believe me? Run a quick Google Search on [|Abraham Lincoln] and see what comes up. When this wealth of information is available at the touch of a button, what point is there to make a student memorize a small portion of it to recall on demand? To take things a step further, in the future if a student ever needs information on Honest Abe they would be much better off pulling up the countless pages on the web than trying to remember the few facts they were taught in history class such as his birth date, his position as16th president, and the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence. Instead classes should be based around a discussion of the topic at hand while the professor guides the students to where they can find the information themselves. Professors can then assign papers to the students and determine whether or not they were able to access the information and organize it in a way that is clear to others. The next subject I will discuss is often offered to as an example to the downside of the where-learning model: math. Now understand, I am not talking about basic math, I think intelligent adults should know basic math so they can think on their feet without pulling out their calculators. Instead I would like to argue that higher level math is the one subject who has already embraced the where-learning model. Think about it, while taking calculus a student is not taught how to do complicated equations through memorization, instead they are taught how to do these equations on a calculator, in short they are taught “where” to find the answers. In the next level of education I would suggest a greater involvement in outside resources such as computer programs that would simplify some of these tougher equations. Math classes should be taught in two parts, part one would explain the logic behind each equation and the second part would show students how to find that answer using scientific calculators and computer programs. Professors could also incorporate online resource sites such as [|brainmass.com] into their lesson plans showing students where they can get help if they get stuck. I believe this approach would both increase students overall understanding of math, as well as give other students who are not mathematically inclined a chance to get a better grasp of the subject. For my last example of the benefits of where-learning I would like to step outside the classroom and into the real world and discuss the effects where-learning and technology have had on the skill of navigation. Less than 20 years ago it was a valued skill to know how to navigate from one destination to the next. In fact in my family, only my father knew how to read the complicated roadmaps necessary to get us to our destination on long road trips. This all changed as people began to incorporate where-learning, or where to get the answers rather than rely on traditional maps and enhanced sense of direction. With the invention of [|Map Quest] and later [|Google Maps,] users were able to plug in their address and get detailed directions from their doorstep to their destination. Next came modestly priced GPS devices that made maps all but useless, and are simple enough to use that my computer-illiterate mother has no problem hopping in her car and making the two hour drive to see me, even with no co-pilot and little to no knowledge of the San Diego freeways. Over the past few months we have seen navigation take another large step, onto our cell phones. With Apples [|Iphone] having the option of a Garmin navigation app (~$70) and Googles [|Android] phones coming equipped with [|Google Navigation] (free), we are one step closer to having the skills of navigation ready for anyone who needs them. Now that I have discussed my first big shift on where-learning, I will now move on to my second big shift, the idea of cloud computing. Lately it seems that the term cloud computing has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue, this is undoubtedly due to the fact that the idea of cloud computing is one of the newest and most interesting ideas out there, but before we go any further let me explain the logic behind cloud computing. First off, the cloud is a term for the Internet, the idea behind cloud computing is that all information will be stored online in the cloud instead of in your computers hard drive. This information can then be accessed from any computer at any time. As of today there are already a few cloud services available. Google, who is at the forefront of this exciting new technology, currently offers many apps such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Youtube and Picasa that all store their information in the cloud. For example when I go check my email, calendar, pictures etc. I am not looking inside my machine I am checking the cloud. By the same reasoning I can check all of that information from other machines, such as my cell phone or a computer at school. If I update something, it automatically updates in the cloud and sends the updated version to all of my devices. Google also recently came out with its own operating system entitled [|Google Chrome]. Chrome was designed to work on [|netbooks], which are smaller, more cost-efficient laptops with low memory levels whose main purpose is to connect to the Internet. Chrome is designed to connect directly to the Internet upon start up and then save all of its information in the cloud. While Google is undoubtedly paving the way in cloud computing other companies are jumping on board as well. [|Amazon] currently offers its [|Simple Storage Service,] which sells space in the cloud for 15 cents per gigabyte per month. Now that we have an idea on how cloud computing works, let’s take a look on how it could impact education. Google co-founder [|Sergey Brin] expects cloud computing to be the industry standard in the next 10 to 20 years, and with Google’s success so far we have little reason to doubt him. So what effect would cloud computing have on today’s students? Thankfully, I can speak from personal experience on this subject due to the fact that I am just completing a class at UCSD where all information and work was stored in the cloud. I would sign onto the internet then log into my class wiki page where I would complete my assignments. Our class would then post our assignments in the cloud, where the professor and the other students could critique them. After using this model for over two months I am happy to say that it went as smoothly as cloud computing should be. Honestly, the drawbacks of cloud computing are few and far between. Yes, it is true that the information is not stored directly on your personal machine meaning that technically one cannot access the information unless they are connected to the Internet. Truthfully though these days’ computers are rendered almost completely useless if they are not connected to the Internet, but if you still would like the opportunity to do some offline work, the information stored on the cloud could easily be transferred to your machine. One thing is for certain, the benefits of cloud computing surely outweigh the drawbacks. With cloud computing, classes will have one place to store all their documents which equals no more lost homework. Furthermore your information is much safer stored in the cloud. For example, say a student is up late writing a paper and their computer crashes. Normally that paper and all the hard work that went with it would be long gone, but if the paper was stored in the cloud it will be backed up and can be accessed from a different machine. Furthermore, cloud computing is an excellent way to promote group collaboration. When one person posts an assignment everyone can see it, the cloud is a place where students can collectively work on group projects, all at their own pace in real time. It is an exciting time in both technology and education and I believe by focusing on and understanding the big shifts that are taking place, such as; where-learning and cloud computing we can better prepare today’s students for the future of tomorrow.

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