Technology+Integration

November 2009 I have just started my class on technology integration/teaching with technology. So far, I find it very interesting. This week we have been introduced to 3 theories on learning: constructivism, connectivism and cyborg. I found all 3 interesting but don't know that I believe we can pigeonhole learning neatly into just one of these categories. Constructivism is devised around the belief that we come to a learning experience with pre-knowledge and that we attain new knowledge by building upon our prior knowledge. This is a scaffolding effect. In other words, we use our past experiences and prior knowledge to build upon and create a new knowledge. Connectivism, on the other hand, is the belief that we learn through our connections with others and the world around us. Certainly, in our new technological age, connectivity increases exposure to vast knowledge and experiences. We can simply get online and connect with people from all over the world, and, through these connections, we build upon our experiences and knowledge. I agree with both of these views but feel that it is a combination of the two that helps us learn. We do bring subjectivity to our learning experiences and our connections with others and their knowledge/experiences affects our learning experience. Therefore, I don't think just one or the other is enough to neatly explain the way we learn. The third theory, cyborg learning theory, explores learning through connection to technology. Kevin Warwick and his colleagues have been researching "direct interfaces" between humans and technology in their Project Cyborg. Warwick has had several surgeries to implant devices in his body to directly link to technology in order to research his theory. His belief is that this connection will expand human knowledge and our boundaries of learning. Also, this technology could have significant medical implications for patients with damage to the nervous system. However, this type of research raises many moral questions: at what point do we lose our human selves. What are the implications for the billions of people on earth: who will have access, who will have control, how will the technology be used, etc. I am certain that Robert Oppenheimer did not foresee his research to be used to create a weapon of mass destruction used to kill many innocent people, just as I am certain that Warwick only has good intentions and hope for the future of his research. But with the power of this type of technology, there are too many questions as to how and by whom it will be managed, and what will be the result for the rest of the world.