Unit 2 - Civil Discourse

Introduction

Perhaps selecting Option "D" was a poor choice for me. I feel rather heated after reading just the article itself. Then I read the comments, breaking my normal internet rule of "stay away from the comments and the trolls that live in them". I can say that I thoroughly disagree with Dr. Gary S. Stager's claims in his article, "Caution: Chromebooks". I won't spend time outlining that here though; I will wait for the 4 Corners activity at the end of this blog post.

Highlight examples of great civil discourse where there is disagreement in a respectful and yet challenging manner. 

One example of "great civil discourse" where there is respectful, yet challenging disagreement is the following one from "Hive Knowledge". 

Hive Knowledge

Oct 3, 2017

"The Hive Knowledge Group is made up of professionals from a range of disciplines who have worked within education and commercial sectors and have come together to support improved learning outcomes through the use of digital tools, technologies and resources. We have experience of implementing Apple, Microsoft, Chromebooks and other, more historical solutions such as Acorn machines. Our members have been involved in projects that include supporting the development of a serverless primary school to the implementation of multi-data centre, Office365 roll out.
We have seen, and worked with, many different schools that use Chromebooks, Apple machines, Windows devices and even those that run Linux.
The best schools think carefully about the learning outcomes that digital tools support and then use a mix of different devices to support the needs of individual subjects/lessons.
Without exception, educational organisations that plan the use of digital tools carefully gain the maximum benefit from their use of digital technologies. Where such schools choose to make use of Chromebooks we have seen no evidence that they are not as effective as the use of other devices. For the majority of student work and lesson activities a Chromebook can be used as effectively as any other device and the potential for reduced support costs can be a major benefit to cash-starved schools. Good Chromebooks, used in a positive schools environment, are as reliable as any other device (we have still use one of the original Samsung Chromebook machines as a test device for various projects and even loaned it to a student to complete her final year work when her Windows powered laptop failed — she received a 1st!).
The choice of Chromebook, Windows machine, iPad or Apple laptop is less important to improving learning outcomes than the ability of the school to have a clear vision and develop an effective strategy to achieve that vision."

This is a respectful, yet challenging response for several reasons. One, there is no negativity directed towards Dr. Stager. The only negativity is towards his claims; they are met with strong counterclaims. This is, further, a challenging response because it is a credible source challenging Dr. Stager. Furthermore, they give examples, evidence, and anecdotal observations that directly contradict the claims Dr. Stager made.  

One other stellar example was from Michael Taggart. Much like the aforementioned example, Taggart does a good job of using anecdotal evidence, his expertise, and specific evidence to dispute Dr. Stager's claims. He never resorts to name-calling or personal attacks, but still directly refutes Stager's core ideas, offering that desired challenge. 

Michael Taggart in The Forever Student

Sep 30, 2017

Dr. Stager,

"I am a massive fan of Dr. Papert et al, but I feel like your understanding of “computing” in the classroom and the reality of what these devices do are at odds. With Chromebooks, students have a device with an all-day battery that can move where they go, are durable enough to survive childhood, and have a user interface that is developmentally appropriate. We provide machines from K-8, and I can say without reservation that macOS and Windows absolutely impede learning, not enable it. (This comment typed from a ThinkPad running Arch Linux, by the way, which will factor in later)
Maybe you’re thinking only of high schools here, but as the Director of Technology for a K-8 school, I’m here to tell you that there is real tension between “power” and “access.” I want children doing and creating, not futzing around with an operating system designed for professionals.
Students use Chromebooks for more than the exciting acts of creation you’ve mentioned, although honestly we 3D Print and program robots and write JavaScript on Chromebooks now with no issues — in fact, with much greater ease than we ever did with Macs. Ever install a driver? You won’t with Chromebooks.
But this is not the majority of the “computing” done by students. They’re exploring, using the internet for the wealth of information that it is. They’re creating documents of many kinds, working collaboratively with their peers and teachers. Yes, we use Google Apps — I’m sorry, “G-Suite.” Yes, I live in fear of the day their Terms of Service become untenable. But I have my massive onsite “private cloud” ready to roll at a moment’s notice if that were to happen. And by purchasing Chromebooks with x86 processors, I guarantee that the machines will be useful regardless of my Google licenses. Worst case: I have cheap Linux machines that still run well.
Another area completely overlooked: management. Gotta say, managing the new fleet of Chromebooks at our school is much easier than doing so with Macs or Windows machines. With my IT hours not going to management of these devices, my team is freed up for more service, more improvement, etc. With our Macs, we had to use a third-party system to deploy software. While it worked, it was hacky and took significant time to maintain and update our catalog of software. As things move to the web, yes, I’m paying more in subscriptions to services, but my team’s hours are used on much more valuable work than tedious maintenance.
Look, the reality of modern software is that the web won. Literally every piece of software that I have deployed to our students in the last year has been a web service. Like it or not, this is the platform developers have adopted. And honestly, I love that when there is a bug, the patch can be deployed instantaneously.
Lastly, due to the low cost of CBs, there may be room for both “real” computers and the Chromebooks. It is appropriate that districts deploy primary devices that accommodate _most_ use cases. But with the savings, more powerful tools in lower quantities become a financial possibility."

In addition, point out specific examples where the conversation turns personal or mean-spirited. 

Unfortunately, not every comment made was challenging and respectful. Some were simply rude (those trolls I mentioned at the beginning of my post). 

James Welbes

Oct 1, 2017

"Well that was a garbage article.
'the only time teachers say students love something is when they’re trying to justify a bad decision'
…. Or when the kids love something…
Just another old guy stuck in the old computing days afraid to embrace the much needed change in the world of computers."

Welbes turns the conversation markedly more mean-spirited than Dr. Stager's original article (though, personally, I felt Stager's original article was a tad on the mean-spirited side). Welbes resorts to unproductive name-calling, rude adjectives, and sarcastic comments. His own comment lacks any real substance, counterclaims, or evidence. 

There was one other comment that I felt walked the line between the two aforementioned categories. I felt Machamer's comment, while it remained mostly respectful with its anecdotal evidence, bordered on too personally impacted. Machamer used the "we" pronoun over and over, which (I think) is what brought it to a more personal level. While Machamer does not directly name call Dr. Stager, there are still comments and labels given that are almost too direct.

Jackie Machamer

Sep 30, 2017

"Wow. My “reptilian adult brain” can barely process this attack parading as enlightened educational theory. I find this elitist, out of touch and cruel. And ironic that I read it on the same day that I read The Hardest Part of Teaching. This is certainly a case of the perfect being the enemy of the pretty-darn-good. Educational practitioners are doing the best we can. I assure you that people making decisions to incorporate Chromebooks in the classroom are not treating students as second class citizens. We are not being thoughtless. We are trying to make the best use of limited resources to do what’s best for our kids. We are constricted by regulations made by persons who have little to know understanding of educational pedagogy then kicked in the teeth by others who have so much they need to shame us with how we are doing it all wrong." 

Spotlight on Strategies

Four Corners Statement:

Teachers should be trusted to determine which technologies are ideal for their classes. 

Strongly Agree: Who knows student technology needs/abilities better than teachers?

• IT professionals are not in the classroom day in and day out with the students; they lack that practical knowledge to determine technology needs.
• If the teachers are the ones teaching the material/the technology, they should choose appropriate tools commensurate with their own teaching abilities and with the learning capabilities of their students. 

Agree: Teachers have a strong grasp on student technology needs. 

• Teachers design the lessons/activities for their students and should be the ones to select the appropriate technology for their students.
• Teachers spend hundreds of hours with their students in every situation imaginable; no one is more qualified to determine technology needs. 

Disagree: There are better-qualified people to determine technology needs and solutions.

• IT professionals have gone to school for this entire task. 
• IT professionals have more time and more of a knowledge base to make these technological decisions.

Strongly Disagree: Teachers are incapable of making that determination. 

• Teachers have not been trained in technology and technological capabilities.
• Teachers are not spending their time researching and working with modern technology, so the decision should be left to more qualified professionals (IT).

References:

Stager, G. (Sept. 28, 2018). "Caution: Chromebooks". Medium. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@garystager/caution-chromebooks-5b019acb8c3d