This is a request for your support, or at least your encouragement.
Please let me know how you’re doing and how you've used our ideas and resources this year - even if you can’t help us out financially or you can only offer a token at this time.
As I helped groups face new challenges of teaching, learning, and technology during the past 15 years, I've urged them to ask and discuss these "Fundamental Questions":
What do you most want to gain?
What do you most cherish and want not to lose?
These simple but powerful questions can help diverse groups of faculty, staff, and others to discover how well some of their deepest values fit together - or conflict. Participants usually discover that they are more aligned with colleagues from other parts of their institution than they realized. This understanding solidifies the foundation on which new plans for improving teaching and learning with technology can be developed and implemented.
The TLT Group might not, and perhaps, should not be, at the very top of your "cherish" list, especially these days. And we hope that caring for your family, your friends and your community is. We also understand some of what you've experienced lately as the economy has reduced the financial support that we've received from our usual institutional sources.
However, if you are making any charitable contributions this year, I hope you will consider adding the TLT Group to your list - after the activities that you truly cherish most.
We've already been encouraged by the small but growing number of individuals who have sent us modest financial contributions, often accompanied by explanations about how much they have valued our work and the opportunities to participate in our discussions - in the midst of the financial and other challenges they face and their continuing commitment to improving teaching and learning with technology in ways that reflect our most important shared goals for education and for how we live our lives.
In the last few years the need for the TLT Group's Fundamental Questions and some other central ideas has been growing, and so has their influence - even among those who don't realize the source. In 2012 your support will help us continue.
We'll help you and your colleagues address this important "presenting problem":
Pressure on faculty and other academic professionals to transition further toward online activities and resources in courses; changing perceptions of what constitutes a course (vs. course materials, course resources). The new urgency and complexity of this pressure has revived interest in our TLT Roundtable approach.
We'll continue to provide free online resources: FridayLive! online webcast; TGIF weekly email update; TLT-SWG blog and Twitter postings; et al.
And we'll develop new ones in these areas: Frugal Innovations; Fundamental Questions planning "app"; Ender's Test for "Artificial Instruction"; using the wisdom and energy of so-called retirees.
I believe you and I share fundamental ideas about education: it should be a place [both on campus and online] for learning and growing, for curiosity and accomplishment, a good place for both teachers and learners. That’s what we’re trying to help those in higher education achieve. Budget cuts combined with higher expectations and proliferating options have made your work harder - and more important. And those cuts have made the TLT Group's work as a very small non-profit harder too.
Take a look at this short flipbook/slide show we made about what we do and how we do it. I hope you find it encouraging and persuasive.
http://tlt.gs/donationsflip11
Please see if you could find your way clear to help us continue to help faculty and other academic professionals who are trying to improve their courses and their institutions. We’re a 501(c)3, and your donation is tax deductible.
http://tlt.gs/donateFinally, let me know how you’re doing and how you've used our ideas and resources even if you can’t help us out financially or can only offer a token at this time.
It’s encouraging to know you’re out there and that our work really helps.
[Thanks if you've already made a contribution to us this year!]
Steve Gilbert
Conditions 2011
| 1990s | 2011-2012 | Both | TLT Group Initiatives 1998-2010 | TLT Group Initiatives 2012+ Encourage, Enable, Engage, 2011-2012[Exploit tools not people] |
Don't know where we're going general confusion tech vs not tech
some pointed pressure to use some technologies across the institution? | Don't know where we're going
conflicting directions anti tech not so imp now which kinds and who controls is more contentious
more conflicted and unstated beliefs about online education
Generalized pressure to use lots of technologies | Don't know where we're going | TLTRs, FQs, AAHESGIT, TLT-SWG, FrLv, [Twitter, Facebook, WAP email - TGIF, onesies/weekly?]
| FQ App |
Current organizational structure (role definitions, linkages) not well-equipped to make decisions about and guide implementation of new educational uses of info tech.
Separation of admin, IT and teachers
Unanticipated acceleration of info tech options that seem to offer significant educational opportunities and challenges - mostly with uncertain implications. | Current organizational structure (role definitions, linkages) not well-equipped to make decisions about and guide implementation of new educational uses of info tech.
Pressure to get all on board
New roles emerged with less confusion about the roles ie Instructional technologist
CONDITIONS: Unanticipated acceleration of info tech options that faculty, students and institutions do NOT own or control AND that seem to offer significant educational opportunities and challenges - mostly with uncertain implications. (Web 2.0 3.0? ...); | Current organizational structure (role definitions, linkages) not well-equipped to make decisions about and guide implementation of new educational uses of info tech. Unanticipated acceleration of info tech options that seem to offer significant educational opportunities and challenges - mostly with uncertain implications. | TLTR | TLTR2 |
Can't keep up
Can't find out - can't organize the flow of resources | Really can't keep up both in changing disciplines and tools and techniques available |
| TLTRs, FQs, AAHESGIT, TLT-SWG, FrLv, [Twitter, Facebook, WAP email - TGIF, onesies/weekly?] Identify, explain Support Service Crisis; honor Compassionate Pioneers | TLT-SWG; FrLv; TGIF; multimedia, multi platform/channel; GUEST POSTERS [esp. alleged retirees] |
| Support Service Crisis -Shortage of tech support staff | Individuals, institutions do NOT own, control key tools resources (Web 2.0 ...); can find, but not afford tech support staff |
| STAs | See above; LTAs |
| Alleged Retirees - Needs, As resources |
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| Engage, connect, exploit |
| Plenty of $ | Cuts in revenue, budgets, staff, jobs |
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| Frugal Innovations |
| Hyperbolic claims about new tech supporting radical new education "anywhere, anytime, anyone" [See Western Governors University] | Hyperbolic claims about new tech supporting radical new education "anywhere, anytime, anyone"; new pressures to transition from courses that include and rely mostly on classroom meetings to courses that include more online activities. | Hyperbolic claims about new tech supporting radical new education "anywhere, anytime, anyone" | Publishing: "Clothing the Emperor" Elucidating the Elusive Obvious | Publishing: "Clothing the Emperor" Elucidating the Elusive Obvious; Modeling in FrLv ways of using online synch tools responsibly, effectively, within reach of most
NOTE
closely related "real" vs. "artificial" issues:
student identity, authentication plagiarism... how does someone know that the student who is registered is who he/she says? not some other person or AI construct?
what about nancy Cooley example of teacher who's wife was really doing much of the coursework without the students' awareness?
GET NEW YORKER CARTOON W TEACHING MACHINE AT FRONT OF CLASSRROOM & RECORDING MACHINES INSTEAD OF STUDENTS AT EACH DESK |
| Presenting Problem(s): Adjustment to/with Learning Management Systems; rise of Blackboard | Presenting Problem(s): Pressure on faculty and other academic professionals to make transition toward more online activities, resources in courses; changing perceptions of what constitutes a course (vs. course materials, course resources)
Adjustment to/with Learning Management Systems; rise AND FALL? of Blackboard | Presenting Problem(s): Adjustment to/with Learning Management Systems; rise of Blackboard |
| Ender's Test: See tlt.gs/EndersGameTest; help with transition toward inclusion of more online elements in courses while deflating hype and enabling/encouraging more reasonable expectations; "Clothing the Emperor" |
| Used Textbooks - undermine learning by annotating assigned readings | eTextbooks - new options for actively engaging with assigned reading - unclear how these options will be used/abused |
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| Faculty resistance or ignorance about learning | Significant, available body of knowledge about The Brain and learning really unclear how faculty should use this knowledge esp when it contradicts the "online" everywhere everyone model |
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| Increasing number of college students | Increasing number of college students who feel more pressure to have a "practical" education |
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| All H Ed is the same | All H ed is the same - wink wink |
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| Identifying and getting the people who controlled key resources to the table | same but now some of these folks cannot be brought to the table they're outside the institution. we don't know where the table is. |
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I've been urging people to ask these "Fundamental Questions" for 15 years:What do you most want to gain?
What do you most cherish and want not to lose? Eastern Mich. U. July 1998 289 PPTs in search of "desktop" 20111223
What do we cherish most and want not to lose? Nicholls April 1999 65 PPTs in search of "desktop" 20111223
What do you cherish most and hope not to lose?
to hold those values in mind as they grapple with difficult questions in an increasingly complex educational environment.
I hope you are well and happy. We're looking for some support for the TLT Group and seeing your name on Facebook today made me hope that you would support our work at the TLT Group. I realize that having your former teacher ask for a donation might be weird... and I might be violating FB etiquette... but here goes anyway.
I believe we share fundamental ideas about education; it should be a place for learning and growing, for curiosity and accomplishment, a good place for both teachers and students. That’s what we’re trying to help folks in higher education do. Budget cuts combined with higher expectations have made their work harder. And those cuts have made our work as a very small non-profit harder too.
Take a look at this short slide show I made about what we do and how we do it. I hope it’s persuasive. http://tlt.gs/donationsflip11 Please see if you could find your way clear to helping us help faculty who are trying to improve their courses and their institutions. We’re a 501c3, and your donation is tax deductible. http://tlt.gs/donate
In any case, I’m glad to have a glimpse into your life via FB. You’ve confirmed what I always believed - Middle School students really do turn into competent and appealing adults! Let me know how you’re doing even if you can’t help us out financially or can only offer a token. It’s heartening to know you’re out there.
Sally
