I usually don’t go giddy about a new technology, especially one that isn’t even available yet, but I keep thinking about this iTV thing. So many new technologies are hand tools, something you hold, show, is seen, and it electrifies or illuminates something. What’s different about this iTV, is that you really don’t look at it, or handle it, or show anything to anyone that they haven’t already seen. But it is a great connector.
Here’s another scenario. Each student each week produces a short video podcast of that weeks learning and other salient events and experiences. It includes a recorded monolog, some interviews and conversations, video footage (or the digital equivalent of footage), still images, graphs, text, sound, and sound effects.
At home, mom and dad sit in the TV room, select iTV as the input (VCR -on its last leg- DVD, cable box, iTunes/iTV), list channels (podcasts) and select little Imran’s Week of Learning — last episode released 6 hours ago. The parents watch their daughter’s report, fourteen minutes, sixty megabytes, and automatic download of their child’s life/learning experiences — something previously hidden.
I think that this is what I like about iTV is that it is a connector on several levels. Not only does it connect technologies, but it also connects people through the increasing transparency of the technologies.
Image Citation:
Imran, “Watching TV.” Imran’s Photostream. 27 Feb 2006. 14 Sep 2006 <http://flickr.com/photos/imran/105354232/>.
technorati tags:itv, apple, podcast, warlick, technology, education
Blogged with Flock
David,
You’re right it is the connector. I like your example of home use. In schools for a very small price teachers will be able to connect their computer to a tv and get high quality video. With sources like United Streaming and other videos that can be converted to iTunes it gives teachers a great tool for the teachable momment.
Also, think forward a little. iTunes has sold 45 million tv shows. How many movies are they going to sell. You can start the download and begin watching the moview within one minute of starting the download. How many people are going to rent a video from the store? Sure it’s cheaper, but I don’t have to drive to the store, hope they have the video, wait in line, deal with a clerk that doesn’t care. I think a lot of people with pay $9.99. Invest in hard drive companies!
At the same time my kids can watch their videos on the iPod.
Perhaps the unintended consequence that might be good for schools is that it will drive more people to get high speed internet access. Maybe more of our students will be on-line!
I hope you are right, David. But I suspect that in the short term at least the reality will be the same as that for every other new technology. Example: most lessons in which an interactive whiteboard is used are indistinguishable from those in which a chalkboard is used.The innovative use of the technology will come from a relatively few early adopters/pioneers. There will be some school principals who purchase an i-TV for every classroom and insist on seeing them on all the time. There will be newspaper articles from industry “leaders” bemoaning the fact the kids spend all day watching tv instead of learning how to do math. At home, middle class parents will behave in the way you suggest, especially in those homes where there is a 4 year old child who knows how to scroll through the list of podcasts. I suppose basically what I am saying is that I cannot think of a single example of innovtive technology transforming education, except on a small localised scale.