Rhymes of History

Mark Twain says that history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. 

Dr. Thornburg similarly describes one of the forces that drive emerging technology as “Rhymes of history,” which is a term he uses to define new technology which has emerged due to the impact felt many years before from another technology, or when a technology rekindles something from the past.

In Kevin Kelly’s speech, "The Next 5,000 Days of the Web," he discusses the impact the web has on society and states that: “We will increasingly be dependent on the Internet and it will increasingly be dependent on us.” We already depend on many technological aspects of the Internet, such as using different mobile technologies, connecting with each other, and even communication with banks, schools, and government offices. We use the cloud computing to store, retrieve, and transmit data, in addition to communicating; and new technologies are continuously emerging.

In tune with Kelly’s concepts of embodiment, restructuring, and codependency, we can look at the development of Skype as part of a “rhymes of history.” Video phones have always been a part of collective imagination which can be seen from their use in the Jetson cartoons, and the James Bond and Star Trek movies. In earlier times, drawings of future princes and princesses were carried by messengers to arrange marriages around continents; we always wanted to see the person with whom we are communicating. From the idea of the Telephonoscope, came personal video phones and Skype, where users can transmit live images. Videophones were mostly developed due to broadband Internet technology. As cloud technology advances, Kelly states that the Internet will become more personalized, where we will all have a global profile that will be our identification on the Internet, which means that we and others could connect and “see” us.

 










CNN Tech (March 2, 2010) ran an interesting article on high-speed Internet, television and Skype and whether it could be combined to create a videophone TV: “Skype on TV: Will the videophone finally be reality?” (http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/02/skype.on.tv.videophone/index.html)

The latest article on CNN Tech (January 4, 2011) “5 gadget trends to watch at CES” (Consumer Electronics Show) showcase technological tools whose meteoric technological advances were possible due to the development of the Internet and cloud computing.  http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/01/04/ces.expected.trends/index.html?hpt=C2

Reference:

Friedman, N. (2009). The high cost of computers? U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 135(3), 90−91.

Kelly, K. (2007, December). 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

Pew Internet & American Life Project. (2010, June 11). The future of cloud computing. Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1623/future-cloud-computing-technology-experts

Thornburg, D. (Producer). (nd). Rhymes of history. [Video Podcast]. Laureate Education, Inc.

Thornburg, D. (Producer). (nd). Six forces that drive emerging technology. [Video Podcast]. Laureate Education, Inc.

Moving Toward Dynamic Technologies

In the article, McGreal and Elliott (2008) examine some of the latest multimedia technologies used in online classes. The article also offers suggestions for the use of the multimedia in an instructional setting. Moller (2008) states that dynamic tools: “involve learner on a much deeper level” (pp.1). Moller (2008) uses an interesting analogy when he compares the integration of technology to crafting a new recipe (pp.2). The instructor should use his experience with technology to wisely choose technology with which he is familiar and according to the skills of his students. Although, Fahy (2008) states: “technological trends tend to translate rapidly from culture to the (virtual classroom),” pedagogues have to be selective with regards to which multimedia tools they integrate into the classroom (pp.168).

Moller (2008) writes: “technology can be conceptualized along a continuum of static to dynamic” (pp.1). Furthermore, not all technologies create an active learner; web pages, podcasts, eBooks, Google scholar may contribute to learner’s knowledge, but they are static tools. Learning will be generated as expected in a traditional environment, where the learner is a passive receiver of information. Moller (2008) states that static technologies allow learner “to capture information,” and the reason they are popular is because they “mimic traditional environment” (pp.1), a zone of comfort for many educators.

As I read McGreal and Elliott’s (2008) article, I was mentally marking multimedia tools that I can use in my web design and eBusiness classes. Since I prepare my students to be integrated into the 21st century work force, there is a need for students to learn to communicate and work in concert. Dynamic tools involve learning on a “deeper cognitive level” (Moller, 2008, pp.1) by preparing students to be able to construct knowledge not provided by the instructor.

Reference:

Fahy, H. (2008). Characteristics of Interactive Online Learning Media. The theory and practice of online learning (T. Anderson, Ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

McGreal, R. & Elliott , M.,(2008). Technologies of Online Learning (E-Learning). The theory and practice of online learning (T. Anderson, Ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. [Unpublished Paper].