Red Queens and Increasing Returns

When I searched for a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book, I downloaded it on my computer from Blockbuster for $2.99. I was permitted to view it within 24 hours digitally. If I purchased this video from a store or from Amazon.com, it would have cost me $4.50 to own. If I went to the library, I could have rented it for free.

Based on Thornburg (2008), two technologies can positively impact each other causing a beneficial competition. Each technology wants to dominate the market share and provide the consumer with the best possible product so that it will be chosen over the other. Consumers enjoy the benefits of the improvements. The term Red Queen, taken from Alice in Wonderland, refers to the actions of the competitors who try to out do each other’s innovations to move ahead in the industry.
Increasing returns, a term coined by Arthur (1996), refers to two technologies that also compete with each other to capitalize on the market share, but one’s strength and domination causes the other to go out of business.
I think that based on my decision to rent the movie on demand, it demonstrates consumer’s interest in the “here and now” mentality that we have been privy to experience. However, there are many people who might go to the library to borrow the movie because it is free and their home DVD player will provide the tool necessary to view the movie on their TV.
If we really want to understand if this competition demonstrates a Red Queen or an Increasing Return, we need to look into the future. I don’t see many people going to the store in a few years and purchasing a DVD player to play their old DVD’s. I do anticipate that movies will continue to be stored digitally and therefore distributed to the consumer on demand. The same analogy occurred with the VHS 8 tracks and the record player. As new technology develops to provide ease of distribution and simpler storage methods, the consumer will continue to buy into that. I believe that eventually the DVD will become extinct and therefore this comparison demonstrates an Increasing returns.
I think that both video on demand and DVDs fall into the enhancing and obsolescing section of McLuhan’s tetrad. Viewing movies without having to leave your home and at the convenience of your schedule, with repeated viewing replaces watching a movie on television and/or going to the movie theatre at specific movie viewing times. They both are making VHS tapes obsolete because of their size and their ability to be used in conjunction with the TV screen or a computer. In addition, they offer better quality, they’re cheaper and they can be easily transported.


I commented on Nina's Blog and Valeria's blog

Resources

Anderson, C. (2004). Chris Anderson of Wired on tech’s long tail [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/
chris_anderson_of_wired_on_tech_s_long_tail.html

Arthur, W. B. (1996). Increasing returns and the new world of business. Harvard Business Review, 74(4), 100−109. Retrieved from the Business Source Complete database.

Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Thornburg, D. (2009). Increasing Returns (Vodcast). Emerging and Future technologies. DVD produced by Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore.

Thornburg, D. (2009). Red Queens (Vodcast). Emerging and Future technologies. DVD produced by Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore.

The Disruptive Power of Second Life

Disruptive technology is a term devised by Clayton Christenson at Harvard Business School to describe a new technology that unexpectedly displaces a previously established technology (2008). Second Life fits the criteria of a disruptive technology, because although it has a large following, it has not yet been universally accepted. “Disruptive technology lacks refinement, often has performance problems because it is new, appeals to a limited audience, and may not yet have a proven application” (2008).
After completing a course project, here in Walden University on Second Life, I learned that there are many users who use Second Life and their personal avatar as a means of learning, adventure, socializing, and providing an income. Some even go to work everyday in Second Life and it is there primary source of income. For some users, there is comfort and satisfaction in becoming a new identity and immersing in a community of users in a virtual world that is separate from this world.
This technology perhaps displaced the human interactions of a real world. Many of the same human functions are experienced in the community of virtual world users including education, socializing, shopping, entertainment, and travel. In our world, reading a book encourages one to conjure up images, and teaches one to fantasize about a different moment in time and it offers an escape from the reality.
It is hard to say how long it will take for another technology to take the place of Second Life. It is still possible for Second Life to attract more businesses and users and become a sustaining technology as it grows and matures economically.
Socially, the users of Second Life can meet and interact with other members of the community all over the islands. They can gather for a concert, meeting or a museum visit. They can communicate though the keyboard but can remain real world anonymous. When I first learned about Second Life I held out hope that it would be something my high school students would enjoy and be motivated to learn. However, after my initial experience, I do not see its application in an already packed curriculum. I think it is too complicated and too far-fetched for literal minds. I also wouldn’t want a high school student to encounter a weirdo online and experience the implications of that encounter. It is possible and probable to assign a unit of learning to college level students who would be willing to spend the time to learn the program and venture into a world of unknowns. I am certain that they would have a unique experience.

I posted comments on Marion and Lou's Blog.




References:

Christensen, C. (2002). The innovation economy: How technology is transforming existing industries and creating new ones [Video]. Retrieved from http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/108.

Connell, K. (2011). Second Life Final Project [Video]. Retrieved from http://karenconnell10.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html


Disruptive Technologies (2008). Retrieved from http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci945822,00.html

Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

Rhymes of History

Rhymes of History

A Rhyme of history represents a natural human propensity to be fulfilled with the current available technology. For example, according to Thornburg (2009), years ago the desire to meet and socialize with other folks in the town was fulfilled by going to the local watering hole. Now, today we can fulfill that need to share our thoughts, our days’ events or just communicate small talk with others by using any one of the social networking sites such as Facebook, Facetime or Skype.
Another need that has historically been met with time is the desire to document family life. In the past, families would pass on stories from generation to generation so that the family traditions would remain alive and future generations would have an understanding from whom they descended. Of late, families would collect pictures and create scrapbooks to document family occasions, such as the birth of child, a graduation or a special occasion. Now, today with the availability of digital cameras, families can document and save their precious moments with http://www.shutterfly.com/ or http://www.snapfish.com/snapfish/ These easy to use sites help the user to create books, store pictures and share memories digitally with friends and family.
In Kelly’s speech, “The Next 5000 days on the Web,” he refers to his prediction of how the web will be transformed with embodiment, restructuring, and codependency. I can relate to the codependency easily as I use the computer, the web and all of its connection capabilities for just about all of my interactions with content, experts and friends. The restructuring and the embodiment of the web is a bit more abstract to follow, but according to Kelly, he predicts that the “One”, meaning us or humans will be integrated into the web in such a way that the web will be defined by us. In his final statements, he mentions more concretely that “to share is to gain” and from this we can remind ourselves that we will be the greatest most valuable source for the future of the web.
Resources:

Kelly, K. (2007, December). Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html

Thornburg, D. (2009). Rhymes of History (Vodcast). Emerging and Future technologies. DVD produced by Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore.




I posted comments on Neena's blog and on Sandra's blog.

Emergent Technologies

The DVD player might be collecting dust on the TV stands these days now with the onset of digital programming, streaming videos and online rental companies such as Netflix. For this post, I prepared a tetrad of reflections on how and why the DVD player was an emerging technology.

Emergent Technology

Emergent Technology

A current technology that has emerged in the last few years at my school is the Smart Board. This dynamic tool has transformed how I teach and how my students learn. Some positive changes include the easy storage and retrieval of class notes, lessons and files. Electronically driven, I don’t need to end my day with chalk on my hands or my clothes. Lessons can be prepared and mapped out ahead of time to include multimedia files that include podcasts, videos, simulations, games, interactive activities and links to effective and appropriate Internet sites. As a teacher of mathematics for over 15 years, I am excited and motivated to keep current with technology and learning. Through the use of the Smart Board, students can visualize, hear and kinesthetically involve themselves with their learning by manipulating objects on the Smart Board. The Smart Board, when used effectively offers opportunities for the expansion of learning that was previously not possible with the linear traditional approach limited to a blackboard and chalk.
Some problems or challenges that have been associated with this technology are the lack of teacher training, the expense of the replacement light bulb for the projector, the expense of the entire unit, and the resistance among teachers who are not willing to transition to use a new technology in their classroom. Each of these problems, have been addressed in time and slowly the Smart Board has been accepted among the majority of the staff. I believe that teachers may be have been resistant because of the need for time to learn how to use it correctly. The administrators listened to the needs of our staff and have provided the staff with several experts to support its use.
The societal needs that are met are evident in the use of the multimedia technology. The benefits are endless! Students can connect to other resources on the web to gain a wider knowledge base outside of their textbook, each other and their teacher. Diverse student learners with specific IEP’s can get a copy of class notes, either as a template prior to beginning of class or with teacher writing after the completion of a class. The many learning styles are addressed with the use of multi-media infused tools and the options to display notes in color, with diagrams, images and links to demonstrate content in a way visually appealing for learning. The students themselves have told me that they have seen a change in their learning when they are in a classroom where the teacher uses the Smart Board effectively.
This technology would be even better, if it didn’t require an expensive light bulb replacement. I have been told that in my classroom, the bulb lasts for 1500 hours and cost $1000. It would be better if in a dream world each student had a mini Smart Board similar to the Ipad to retrieve the lessons and use a touch screen to activate their learning simultaneously with the instructor. In addition, to help motivate teachers to accept the use of this technology and to implement it into their lessons, perhaps a technology teacher can be designated in each discipline to help create lessons based on the needs of the teacher and the content. As it is now, Smart Technologies has created a link on its web site to offer support for educators and a place to upload and share lessons.

I posted my comments: http://nursingismybag.Blogspot.com
and http://enftechblog.blogspot.com/

References
http://www.Gadzooki.com (May, 2011) Retrieved from
http://www.gadzooki.com/tech-news/the-generation-of-grade-school-gadgetry-a-smart-board-in-every-classroom-try-20/

Learning in a Digital World

My Philosophy of Learning

Learning is a personal quest for knowledge. It should be self-directed yet fostered by connections created in a personal learning environment. Learning is an ongoing cognitive process that can be stimulated by the dynamic interactivity of events, people, organizations, technology, content and the learner. Technology provides the tools to ensure this dynamic interactivity between the learner and his learning environment. Critical components of learning include the willingness and the ability of the student to reason and to communicate with other learners, the instructor and the content. Teachers in both a face-to-face and online environment need to create a positive environment conducive for learning. Some non-negotiable aspects of an appropriate learning environment are building trust, respect and appreciation for the participants, the content and the tools provided.

The stagnancy of content that is transpired linearly contrasts with cyclical learning produced when an instructor or learner utilizes technology to activate its powerful tools for retrieving, storing, sharing and constructing knowledge among communities, individuals, organizations or small groups. It is the responsibility of the instructor to understand how the students learn, to recognize their weaknesses and strengths and to provide feedback whenever feasible. It is the responsibility of the learner to actively engage in the construction of knowledge and be cognizant of changes in our environment that can dictate our choices. Learners need to be skilled at sifting through information and finding valid and reliable sources. Learning is an ongoing endeavor that shapes who we are as individuals and as a society. It is awesome to learn something new and is even better when we spread the news!

I commented on Aimee's Blog http://cothran7105.blogspot.com/

and Kevin Steele's Blog http://kmsteele.blogspot.com/

New Technologies

A situation I can think of in which I have encouraged people to use a new technology occurred in my high school two years ago when our district purchased Smart boards. The initial use of a Smart board in a classroom can be overwhelming and extremely time consuming. Some colleagues didn’t see the point in changing what was already working in their classroom. Some didn’t want to invest extra time to prepare lessons to use on the Smart board or to spend time training to become more comfortable with its use. Some were disappointed in their inability to make lessons work the way they intended. Their attitudes ranged from resentment towards administration for making them use a Smart board to frustration for not having enough training to make it work effectively in their classrooms. They definitely lacked confidence and they needed to see the value of investing their time.
There are a couple of things I could do using Keller’s ARCS model to help motivate my colleagues to encourage success. As an attention getter activity, I might demonstrate its usefulness at a department meeting by inviting colleagues to show model lessons that make use of some of the interacting features. In order to establish relevance, I would show my colleagues how it has drastically changed my teaching. I would model for them some of the techniques I currently use and show them how implementing its use has been worth it. I would also show them how different software such as the geometer sketchpad and the graphing calculator; both tools that they are familiar with can be easily used in their classrooms, without any cumbersome overhead projector. I would also show them how the use of the Smart board allows for creativity and choice in their lesson design. Next, in following with Keller’s ARCS model, I would help set up a strategic plan to help grow confidence in its use. I think that teachers who try a new technology need to have active support at all times so that they don’t feel defeated. I would also show them ways to download ready made lessons from teacher supported web sites and set up a teacher wiki for the colleagues in our department to share their lessons. I would explain to them that although it is a big learning curve, eventually storing files for later use would save time in the long run. Lastly to promote satisfaction, I would encourage our administration to conduct a hands-on training for teachers to be better prepared and five them opportunities to prepare sample lessons, try different features and ask questions from an expert.


I commented on Joshua's blog
http://shermanlearningtheoryandedtech.blogspot.com/

and on Jerri Anne's blog: http://jeriannking.blogspot.com


References:

Keller, J. (2011). ARCS Model of Motivational design (Keller) at Learning-Theories.com.
Retrieved from http://www.learning-theories.com/kellers-arcs-model-of-motivational-design.html