Posts Tagged ‘word’
Buzzkill for buzzwords
Posted on: January 21, 2022
What is the point of getting older without also getting a bit grumpier? That might be the leading question for this aging edtech consultant.
Today I add to my lists [1] [2] [3] of popular but uncritical buzzwords or phrases.
Addiction: Specifically to any and all technology, e.g., games, social media, YouTube. The “addiction” used loosely by popular media and the layperson is different what a clinical psychologist might have in mind.
An actual addiction needs to be medically diagnosed as chronic, compulsive, and harmful, and be treatable. This is in contrast to the flippant lay use, e.g., addicted to TikTok, followed by a laugh and/or a shrug of the shoulders. Casual and frequent use does not necessarily equate to addiction.
Addiction is sometimes followed by the next two phrases.
Digital detox: As if technology is inherently poisonous, some folks think that it is cool or fashionable to go retreats where they have no mobile or wifi signal and gadgets are banned.
Somehow the very same devices they rely on for work or to maintain quality of life need to be avoided. They shift the blame on the technology and conveniently ignore personal responsibility and self-management when using such tools.
Instead of a digital detox, what these folk might need is a mindset reset.
Screen time: Oh, this old egg. I do my best to crack it with every batch of teachers and educators I meet, but most seem brainwashed with this yolk of an issue.
There still is a focus among early childhood educators and parents about the quantity of screen time instead of the quality of the same. Why deny kids the responsible use of tools they will grow up with?
These adults have no shame in denying screens to their kids while not modelling responsible behaviours themselves. They also forget how modern and information-based workers need screen time to communicate, cooperate, and create.
I do not mind being a buzzkill for buzzwords that mislead or obscure. It is a hobby of Curmudgeon Man!
(Not) My Word!
Posted on: May 10, 2021
The tweet below reminded me about some email attachments that I receive.
Not only can computer viruses masquerade as Microsoft Office attachments, they are also a statement of privilege.
The Office suites used to be one-time purchases but have been subscription-based for a while now. The cost for both systems are prohibitive unless you work for an institute that pays for site licences. If you leave that organisation, you lose access unless you cough up for a personal subscription.
So if I receive a Word doc or Excel spreadsheet to complete, I know that the senders are out of touch with their students. Why? Because they do not empathise with how many more people do not have access to the tools that they take for granted.
A little empathy can inform technology-mediated pedagogy. As the tweet above implores, educators can use free and open tools for course documents and student-led content creation spaces. These tools force a change in approach to teaching from centralised delivery to distributed discourse and discovery.
Microsoft Word and Google Docs are not just different word processing tools. They are come with different costs and have different philosophies of use. The former was dominant but still embedded firmly in the past. The latter is more common now and meets the needs of the present and near future. Mark my words: Which you choose to use reflects your mindset and expectations.
Word substitution
Posted on: May 17, 2018
The op piece in this tweet was an impassioned call to step up our efforts in inclusive schooling and education.
I take no issue with that call because we can only be better people for it.
I did notice, however, that you could substitute every instance of “inclusive education” or “special needs education” with almost any contentious issue in schooling — say technology integration — and the op piece would still make sense. Take this segment, for example:
… we still have a long way to go in embracing
inclusiontechnology fully.One of the key factors for
inclusivetechnology integration in education is adaptation. The present landscape ofspecial needstechnology integration in education in Singapore is lacking in a customisable curriculum to meet the diverse needs of children with special needs.
I did not change the last two words (special needs) in my selection because every child is special in their own way. Technology can help express their uniqueness and latent abilities.
Reading the whole article more critically, you might discover that it says everything and nothing at the same time. Everything because it covers the issues broadly; nothing because it merely skims the surface. This is why we can play the word substitution game.
Viewed more broadly, the write-up might sound like a politician’s or policymaker’s script for a speech. It is a call to action, but it is so generic that is becomes impotent.
Word substitution is my way of determine the depth of thought of the written or spoken word. If one issue in schooling or education cannot be distinguished from another with the help of word substitution, its rallying call is but a whisper.
Word play
Posted on: February 5, 2012
This video speaks for itself too!
Another dot in the blogosphere? 