Reflection on the Critical Perspective Readings: Technology bringing shifts of power

Thinking about our responsibilities as educators and bringing information to those who need it-

In reading the excerpt from “The Whale and the Reactor” by Langdon Winner, and after having the session which focused on having a democratic and accessible infrastructure, I thought a lot about the current state of the Internet and how it’s accessibility has allowed radical change and social paradigm shifts to happen.  His focus was on physical infrastructure, but in thinking about using technology in the classroom I find it good to reflect about how technology has changed government, education and business.  These changes have brought a shift of power, but those powers haven’t been fully realized yet. 

At the governmental level, the Arab Spring would not have happened without a way to communicate messages to massive amounts of people.  Peers sharing information with peers has opened the door to massive upheaval.  The traditional methods of change usually include a strong leader and small team that develops an alternative message that gradually builds momentum until over a long period of time this group is able to plan a new way of governing.  Existing structures usually try to fight these changes, but if enough people embrace the new concepts…change happens. 

Now, massive groups of people can be spurred into action, whether it is camping out at Tahir Square or Occupying Wall Street.  However, there often isn’t time to truly process the alternative answer.  That is why these movements brought out people who are not happy with the ways things are right now, but their voices are not unified in the proposals of solutions for what should be.

 

In the educational level, the massive open online courses (MOOCs) are changing options for education.  Just like Wikipedia and Google basically killed Encyclopedia Britannica, yet at the same time democratized information.  No longer does one need hundreds or thousands of dollars to invest in a personal library so help with your child’s homework.  They can almost instantly find the facts they need to know.  Instead of paying thousands of dollars to participate in a class of interest, interested students can log on and freely participate in classes taught by top experts from some of the most well known universities in the world.

Yet, the success rate in finishing online classes is still abysmal.  Universities that offer primarily online degrees are often viewed with skepticism.  There is no uniform way of preventing cheating in online sections, or to verify that the student has actually done the work they claim to do—therefore the online educational model needs ways to validate their reliability.

 

In the business realm, the Internet has profoundly changed how businesses market themselves and how they interact with customers.  Businesses are not limited by borders or middlemen.  They can market directly to the customer and respond more quickly to the needs and desires of their customer base. Even the smallest of businesses has the potential to reach a world audience.

However, because of the massive shifts of advertising revenue, jobs in local newspapers, magazines and media outlets have been eliminated.  Larger businesses, particularly media producers, feel threatened by new entities and widespread use and adoption of copyrighted materials has caused major businesses to attempt to stop user-generated material on the Internet. 

 

Technology has provided a new wave of democratization.  Even some of my homeless students have cell phones and can send text messages.  Yet the massive established powers are starting to fight this movement, each entity trying to maintain power and control. 

What can we do?  As learners who care about freedom and helping students we should stay aware of what is happening in the legal and political realm, this is where laws are being planned even now that might change things drastically.  Speak up when needed, and let our students know that being able to access in formation freely is a relatively new privilege.  Knowledge is power, and those in power often have tried to block or limit access to knowledge.

 

Signing up to get the s Benton Foundation Newis a good place to start.  Sorry for the Telecommunications Internet Policy rant- but it is my department.