Mcluhan's+Tetrad-+Arianna

Technology is constantly emerging and changing the way we live our daily lives. Emerging technology can affect education and optimize the way educators present content knowledge to their students. As per Christensen and Horn, “Computer-based learning on a large scale is also less expensive than the current labor intensive system and could solve the financial dilemmas facing public schools.” Technology that can connect educators and allow them to share their ideas is essential to the success of the students and can be minimal in cost. In my application I discussed the use of online learning groups among educators. I explained how online learning communities fulfill all the criteria described by McLuhan. This type of technology enhances the way educators communicate with one another, by allowing them to communicate over time and space. It also begins to obsolete the quantity of meetings required among educators while adding a different aspect of communication by extending membership to all educators interested in joining to share ideas. It provides retrieval because it fulfills and goes beyond the general goals of physical meetings among educators as well as providing a forum where educators can upload lessons and activities that have been successful in their classrooms. In the future, I believe that all educators will communicate in this manner as a supplement between physical meetings. This technology provides a new way for educators to share and collaborate ideas. Educators should utilize this type of technology to provide their students with interesting and motivating lessons that will encourage them to discover their own learning. Technology will continue to change the face of education for the better, but educators must welcome it and want to learn new ideas.

References Christensen, C. M., & Horn, M. B. (2008). How do we transform our schools? //Education Next//, //8//(3), 12–19.

Arianna,

I agree that online learning communities will continue to grow in prominence and importance among educators. I think they add an entirely new dimension to meetings amongst staff members. My favorite component of this option is that sharing resources becomes much easier as a result. Things can be posted and even housed in a central location for all members of a grade level or department to share with one another. It makes collaborating much simpler.

Andrea