systems change

from Ira Socol's blog, SpeEdChange - The future of education for all the different students in democratic societies.

26 February 2011

Choosing Not to Create Change

twitter: advocacy for literacy

talking beyond our small corner, NCL posts this piece on twitter

related

via Peter Hocking on Facebook



explaining the internet. again, before:


(and explaining the internet. before)

so, then, what

I was thinking (during a recent ESOL practitioner learning community meeting) about an exercise I appropriated from Jane Yedlin a long time ago. Jane had asked people at a workshop to write down everything they'd read from the time they'd woken that morning until they'd gotten to that workshop.

I've since asked people to do this exercise, thinking of what they'd read or written, in different workshops over the years. The other day I was wondering about how people use/rub up against, engage in numerate behavior/numeracy in much the same way.

so

for example. thinking about how I've used technology:
It's 12:35 on this Saturday afternoon. I've looked at clocks a bunch of times, counted followers and posts on various blogs, looked at calendars, bought a pair of boots that were marked down by 60% (60 per cent! that's MORE THAN HALF); bought some coffee and food and undertipped (sort of) by placing my coin change in the dish at the deli, have considered how much I might pay for something else I might keep, thought about how much longer the days are starting to be, blah blah blah

SO

why not the same sets of questions about technology?

today I've set up a new landline phone (plugged it in. actually)
used my cell phone - made a call, got voicemail
have been on line, updating blogs, responding to email
havae used my iPod touch to play words with friends, check weather
have used a credit card that a clerk ran through a machine
and..
hmm

chewing on the possibilities of this sort of informal listing/on the spot survey for our work with adult learning, teaching and technology.

a thought

my brother, in Spokane, and I (here, in Providence) have been working on bits and pieces of my mom's health and financial care. She's perfectly capable but there are pieces I just. don't. understand.
and he has a bit more time than I do to gather information.

yesterday he sent some information via email to keep me updated about whatever whatever and I asked him/wondered out loud/in writing what all people used to do back in the day when they had so many bits and pieces of information to share and needed each other's input.

[his response appears above]

all of which to say that the technology is extremely useful to us in our real lives. (as opposed to our false lives?)
and that makes me wonder how adult educators and learners are using technology day to day - what are the authentic purposes we have for all of this lightening quick communication stuff?

explain the internet

Flowchart: Understanding the Web, for Fans of Charles Dickens by Doogie Horner, 26 October, 2010

via: daydreamlab

one thing leads to another

via a link found within this tweet http://twitter.com/NCLAdvocacy/status/20854826766172160; a useful reminder of what good readers do.