Lots of (welcome) “product/process” talk during #DigPed PEI.

We share this goal. Maybe we focus too much on it. Maybe it’s just a new spin on an old idea. But it’s nice to have a group of pedagogues who want the same thing in this world.

Via #DigPed. Sounds like an opportunity to followup on some tates from yesterday.

While it’s easy to agree with the thrust of this piece (pretty much a Langdon Winner-style “LMS have politics”), this needs not follow. When we say that it’s not primarily about the tool, we’re not saying that tools don’t matter, that LMS affordances are irrelevant, that the exact same learning experience would occur whether or not we used tools. We’re saying that the tool is part of a broader equation, not the ultimate focal point. There’s a very general “fault line” (in seismological terms), a distinction to be made between technopedagogy and “EdTech”. As with any distinction, it shouldn’t be carried too far and there’s obviously a whole lot of overlap. But there clearly are actions which are technocentred. A common orientation in EdTech is towards the tools themselves (listicles about apps, inspira-/promotional videos, etc.) with sound pedagogy following naturally from “tried and true”, “studies have shown” “best practices”. This may sound like a caricature but “you know the type”. On the other hand, technopedagogy tends to be oriented towards high-concept “think pieces” with enough namedrops (from Freire and Vygotsky to Illich and Dewey) to require an encyclopedia. Again, a caricature. But we also “know the type”. In this “camp”, the #DigPedPosse has been quite prominent over the last little while. Despite being attracted to this sphere of agency, got several hints that “people need practical solutions to solve the simple problems in their everyday teaching”.

Sooo… This is a minor quibble, as the rest of the piece does resonate with me (apart from the serious issue, near the end). But, given its location so early in the post, it’s important to acknowledge.

Flattery will lead us nowhere… But it’s still a warm and fuzzy feeling to be in such illustrious company.