Choose one of the options below and do some reading. The first two options are full articles, and the final option requires you to do some web searching and reading. Once you have done your clicking and reading, respond to the questions at the end of the assignment sheet. You may respond in writing or in images. You may respond on paper or online. Regardless of how you respond, you must share your response with me and come prepared to class on Thursday (Jan 17) to discuss your response.
Future Learning
12 minute video about the future of education. Pay attention to claims about the role of computers in the future of education.
An article by Will Richardson about the possibilities that Web 2.0 technologies offer to teachers and students. In particular, it focuses on the connected world that exists for students on the internet and what changes that might mean for the classroom. Originally published on the website Edutopia: What Works in Public Education (funded by the George Lucas Foundation).
Introduction to The Virtual Community
Introduction to Howard Rheingold’s book The Virtual Community, gives a historic perspective on the development of virtual communities on the internet (originally published in 1993) and the utopian possibilities that exist for online communication.
Edutopia, Chictopia, Frutopia, etc…
Edutopia is a website funded by the George Lucas Foundation devoted to figuring out “what works in public education.” Chictopia is a website that allows women to upload images of their outfits and receive comments from the community about what works and what doesn’t work. Fruitopia is a drink. Explore these websites or do a search for “*topia” and see what other products and ideas are using the concept of Utopia in their marketing / branding.
Response Questions:
These questions are meant to guide your response. However, if you have something to say about how the concept of Utopia is utilized in your example, please feel free to ignore the questions and respond accordingly.
- What strains of utopian thought do you detect in your example? Be specific in sharing examples in your response.
- What do you think about this use of utopian thought? Is it realistic? Overblown? Optimistic? Exploitative? Outdated?
- Are there any dystopian ideas or predictions included? What do you think of those?
- What problems do you see with this use of utopian ideas and thought? What benefits do you see?
- What questions do you have about this use of utopian ideas and thought?
Your response should be roughly a page. If it is a written response, it should be typed and double-spaced. Expect to share your response with the class on Thursday.
For inspiration, here is a non-written response from Uni alum Langston A-Y.
Click on images to see larger.
