McLuhan’s+Tetrad

=**Week 2 - Learning Community Assignment**=

**Purpose:**

 * To evaluate the opportunities and limitations of using an online learning community to help you lead technology change in your school
 * To strengthen your understanding of the advantages and challenges of using new and emerging technologies in your school through shared professional knowledge, taking advantage of the research and contributions of your colleagues
 * To create an evolving, up-to-date repository of resources, information, and strategies that you can continue to use and expand once you have completed this course

**McLuhan's Tetrad - Ellen Campbell**
McLuhan’s Tetrad suggests that every medium does four things simultaneously: enhances, obsoletes, rekindles and reverses (Laureate, 2010). The SMART Board is a medium which is a new technology that has enhanced education for twenty-first century learners. The SMART Board ([] ) is a new tool that is taking learning to a new level. This technology has replaced the standard whiteboard. The SMART Board not only allows the teacher to write material on the board, but it allows for manipulation as well. This technology supports tactile and kinesthetic learners ([]). It allows students to touch the board, move their own bodies, see images, and hear sounds. The SMART Board rekindles learning through discovery. Students are able to explore using interactive media, while learning content. I feel that the technology that is closest to replacing the SMART Board would be the I-Pad. The I-Pad is versatile and can be taken anywhere. It, like the SMART Board, can be manipulated with the touch of a finger. I feel that the SMART Board is here to stay for a while, however. Teachers are just getting introduced to the SMART Board and there are so many possibilities for students.

MARIZA TO ELLEN - About a year ago, a SMART Board was installed in my classroom. It completely changed how I teach and how students react to what they are learning in my classroom. They love manipulating and practicing Spanish through the activities made possible throught the SMART Board's interactive toolkit. It is a great trechnology resource, however, we have to be careful not to treat it as a fancy white board. You mentioned iPads may end up replacing SMART Boards. My prediction is that it would open the doors for the use of mobile devices like iPads or tablets in the classroom. We would always have the need to show our students something or to model as a group. You are right when you say "the SMART Board is here to stay for a while".

Jessie to Ellen - The SMART board incorporates the kinetic modality changes how it plays are role in the classroom. I do not have a SMART board in my room but I know of others who do have one. I have seen how they use the board to play games and they use an ENO board (a specific brand) with a tablet. The tablet gives the teacher more modality around the classroom. They are able to have students go to the board and they add to it from the tablet from anywhere in the classroom. Because I come from a one to one school, it is hard to see how the tablet or iPad will come into effect in the classroom. The issues I see that limit these tools is the word processing aspects. However, the manipulative simulation that can be done through an iPad is wonderful but I do not see these taking the place of the SMART board but instead used as a component of the a multi-technology based classroom.


 * McLuhan’s Tetrad and Social Collaboration - Jessie **

Students having individual laptops opens the door to the possibility of social collaboration projects. Using the internet, wikis, voice-threads, podcast, or other collaboration sites students can work with students from the global community on a common project. The idea of social collaboration is an excellent aspect of project based learning when a teacher is striving to make the real world connection for her students.

McLuhan’s Tetrad is an idea that explores how a technology simultaneously moves through four quadrants; enhance, obsolete, rekindle, and reversal (Thronburg, 2008). For the technology of social collaboration we can see how it moves through the four quadrants. The ideas of social collaboration tools do not only move through the quadrants as a piece of technology but also has a change of society.

Social collaboration enhances the students ability to work with other students on a central project outside of the traditional classroom. The students are able to work with other students from the global community not just there own class. In a smaller setting, the students can work collaboratively with other students from another class or class period. It replaces the traditional classroom culture of the teacher being the center and the students only working in the class on projects. The idea of students working together within the school, community, or global community rekindles the idea that a village teaches a child. A community or group of people has a large influence on a child’s learning than just an individual. Finally, social collaboration could have the potential to be replaced with online classrooms taught through the use of the global community. The classroom would be students mixed from different cultures, nations, and communities that are taught by teachers working together from around the globe.

Dawn to Jessie I think that you have hit on something. I also believe that social collaboration via internet is going to be if it isn't already one of the most important effective ways to collaborate with others in education whether it be students or teachers. Students can connect to others around the globe instantly. As you stated this can also teach our students to work cooperatively and with professionalism while communicating with others, just as they will have to out in the workforce. This is a very important emerging technology for our school. We are very far from towns or big businesses. We had a senior last year that had never been able to travel and see McDonalds and have their french fries, or been in a movie theater, or a museum, she was so amazed to see these things for the first time. She had no idea how to act or communicate with people outside our village. With social collaboration this can open many doors for students.

**McLuhan's Tetrad - Mariza Carbone** After conducting research on emerging technologies and their application into education, I came upon The Top 6 Emerging Technologies in K-12 Education (Roscorla, 2011). Among several emerging technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the classroom, Roscorla (2011) mentioned the use of mobile devices in the classroom. This technology would greatly benefit my students and teaching Spanish. McLuhan’s Tetrad suggests we ask how does the technology enhance what we do, what does it replace, what does it bring to mind, and what are the future consequences of its implementation.

The use of iPods, iPads, tablets, smart phones, and similar mobile devices enhances the use, storage, accessibility, collaboration, and exchange of information in the classroom. It replaces the use of pen and paper, the personal computer, being forced to physically be in a certain place, and the teacher as a sole source of information. Moreover, this technology might cause a radical change. Educators and students will no longer be limited by subject, location, or time. Education will be on the go, wherever, whenever, about whatever and with whomever. Learning in an environment where the information, resources, and even the teacher are one click away gives students the flexibility to learn at their own pace as they individualize their learning as they go.

In addition, pencils, pens, and books will no longer be applicable as students and teachers, with the use of mobile devices, create their own resources online, share the material, and no longer have the need for a pencil or pen to record notes or important information. Moreover, being able to design lessons, manage grades and data, and collaborate with colleagues without time or space restrictions will enhance teachers' ability to facilitate learning for his/her students.

Reference Roscorla, T. (2011). The top 6 emerging technologies in K-12 education. //Converge//. Retrieved March 5, 2012 from http://www.convergemag.com/policy/Horizon-Report-K-12-2011.html

MuLuhan's Tetrad-Dawn Davis

===The first of theTetrad is enhance. What does this technology do that is new? The 10-inch screen renders content beautifully and has a nice large touch interface that students with motor skill issues can work with easily. Students pull the iPad out, hit power, and jump into an app quickly. Because the process is so fast, teachers don't lose much instruction time. With the iPad, you don't have to worry about outlets, power cords or battery life. They're fantastic for communicating, e-reading and Web browsing. === === Next of the Tetrad is obsoletes. What does this technology replace? It could replace your desktop or laptop, depending on what you use them for. If all you use them for is surfing the Internet and email the answer is maybe, these pad products are great for these uses. If you store a lot of big files on your computer the Ipad device may not be for you. However, you can get an external hard drive for it. Another consideration is how much do you type on your current device? Remember on the Ipad the standard keyboard is an on screen keyboard. This is ok for short emails or typing in a website address, but you would not want to compose a short story or even a long blog on it. They do have add-on keyboards for many of the pad devices, but that’s another device to carry around or keep track of. ===

The third Tetrad is retrieves/rekindles. What does this technology bring to mind (or retrieve) from the past? The Ipad is much like the laptop, it’s portable and convenient.
=== It brings information from your fingertips to your eyes in a matter of seconds. We can store the information that we have found. As Dr. Thornburg mentions about retrieves, is how we learned throughout the course of history (Laureate Education, 2009). There are so many apps available for anyone to click on to find information or assist them with any situation. === === The final Tetrad is reverses. What might replace this technology in the future, or what might it cause to occur? As I look across the evolutions, I see the technology becoming more and more integrated with our physical forms. Look how various technologies such as bluetooth headsets and motion capture gloves are more and more commonly employed. ===