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The edit password is "teacher"
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This is a rough representation of the long tail curve described initially by Chris Anderson in WIRED Magazine1, elaborated on in his blog2, and formally published in his new book, The Long Tail3. |
The Long Tail is a model developed by Chris Anderson, the Editor and Chief of WIRED Magazine. It describes a shift in the information landscape from an environment dominated by a limited number of products (a best-seller market) to an information environment where information is spreading out into many more products of widening variety (a niche market).
In the interest of thinking about education, within this context of a changing information landscape, I am super-imposing over the graph, a layer for education. On the vertical axis is a timeline, beginning at the top, with education before the personal computer, and ending at the bottom, with increasingly ubiquitous broadband access to content. Across the horizontal axis is an un-scaled spectrum of variety, in terms of variety of content and learning experience.
You know, David, if you'd turn the table on it side, so that the X axis represented time (moving forward as the value increases, instead of backwards as it does now), and the Y axis represented "number of learning products available," with an upward curve, this might actually make some sense. --TomHoffman
Assignment:
Here is your assignment. Think about learning resources that we have had in the past, and as you read, listen to, and view the various presentations over the next couple of weeks, note new opportunities that have emerged in recent months and years. We are going to use the Long Tail structure as a platform for putting these tools into a real-world perspective, to try to discover exactly where formal education is (and could be), in relation to an emerging information landscape. Include not only in-school applications of these technologies, but also ways that learners are using them outside of the classroom for both intentional and unintentional learning (video games for example).
To position the applications that you note on the graph, enter in the appropriate sections below an asterisk (*) and the item's position (i.e. number on vertical bar and letter of horizontal bar), and enclose this in parentheses. Then enter the name and description of your item and include your name and, if you have one, linked to your blog.
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Example: *(5C) Item Name: description [[blog URL | author name]]
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Please also enter your name for the author, beneath the edit page's scrolling textbox. If you are editing someone else's entry, please explain why in the Summary textbox. This information will appear in the wiki history.''
1) Before Personal Computers
- (1A) Textbooks: texbooks have been with us for a long time. They are content printed with 15th century technology. The approximate life of the content is five years. David Warlick
- (1B) Teachers - had broad knowledge in many subjects. Often not formally trained.
2) Some Personal Computers
- (2C) Digital Sequencing: Music technology became accessible to K-12 education in the 1980's. Popular PC's such as the Yamaha CX5M and later the Atari were early hardware examples. In conjunction with musical sequencing software (e.g. Notator or Band-in-a-Box) these provided a real-time tool for creating, playing, notating and learning and participating in music. The world of instant composition, playback, and multitrack became a reality and greatly enhanced music education. Julie Lindsay Julie, I think it's interesting that you placed this on outside the yellow region -- and I think this is perfectly appropriate. It's an application that was not part of the mainstream of education.
- (2D) Computers were used for testing and for drill and practice if anything.
- (2E) Teachers - Set objectives; computers viewed as a curiosity.
- (3B) Computers in elementary schools: Kid Pix and Word Processor were installed. The need for technology staff development was a hot discussion. Cathy Evanoff
- (3B) Online resources for teachers: LEARN NC was developed to provide resources that matched goals and objectives. (1996) Cathy Evanoff
3) More PCs & Dial-up Internet
- (3A) - Many PC's still had their own printer. Internal networks emerging.
- (3B) - Teachers became interested in computers for one primary reason -- TEST BANKS! Internet not yet viewed as a viable source of information.
4) Broadband in Classrooms
- (4A) Teachers forced to look at the Internet as a source of information when students brought in neatly typed papers that were obviously not their own.
- (4B) The usefulness of networks became apparent.
- (4C) GeoMania: Maps with API allow virtual field trips with Pics & Video associated with specific gps coordinates on a satelite, hybrid map. Glenn E. Malone
- (4D) Virtual tours via the Internet allow teachers to bring the world into their classrooms, engaging students like never before. Nancy Scofield
- (4E) Student network accounts allow classrooms to become paperless. Assignments are submitted electronically. Nancy Scofield
5) Broadband in Homes
- (5A) Students watch YouTube instead of TV. They want to do it at school.
- (5B) Teachers using technological tools find their students wanting to access the services to "do homework" from home.
- (5C) Social interaction for students moves largely online. Students begin to myspace one another their homework.
- (5D) Learning becomes a 24/7 environment--anytime, anyplace. Nancy Scofield
- (5E) Absent students collaborate online with their partner/team, making their location irrelevant to the day's work. They can "virtually" attend. Nancy Scofield
6) 1:1 in the Classroom
- (6A) Techno-personal skills become a part of disciplinary issues and school society.
- (6B)Teachers must engage student minds to retain student attention.
- (6C)Teachers and students work together to produce and publish content for authentic audiences.Quentin D'Souza
(The Long Tail Model appears to be missing some (future) x and y headings)
7) The Custom School - iSchool
- Educators with 21st skills break away from traditional educational model an open mini-schools, standards based, and technology driven. Individual educators with no more than 45 students in school run entire school. No custodians, no principal, no bus drivers, etc. Instruction is individualized, face to face, virtual, and on going.
- (7?) Mini-schools start with compentent educators who get the importance of technology, communication, collaboration, and detaching from the "rail."
- (7?)Mini-schools gain in popularity, and later develop into the national model iSchool program, where the iSchool leader (teacher) is nationally certified to teach specific grades and content areas.
- (7?) Funding is based on an ADA model and recieves both state and federal funding.John Patten
1 Anderson, Chris. "The Long Tail." WIRED Magazine Oct 2004
2 Anderson, Chris. [Weblog The Long Tail] 9 Oct 2006. 12 Oct 2006 <http://www.thelongtail.com/>.
3 Anderson, Chris. The Long Tail. New York: Hyperion, 2006.