Devil's Advocate I Am Not

Playing the devil's advocate after reading an article is not always the easiest thing. I know it can be a thought-provoking activity, one which forces a reader to examine both sides of an issue, but for some articles, there is no "other side" to consider. That's not arrogant, but rather, an honest assessment on the advancement and usage of the Internet as a learning and teaching tool. My deep involvement in virtual education shows I fall squarely on the side of pushing it forward despite issues that arise. After all, education before the internet had quite a few warts of its own. What reservations I might have are continuously allayed by new findings, new methodology, and greater attention by greater minds to the niggling details that could prevent security, usability, and functionality. Any ethical misgivings are limited by a dedicated effort to align with those who want to "grow it right."

Online learning and the connectivity of and to the world are here to stay and that is a positive. I can type in 9 letters in a search engine and see maps and photographs of the birthplace of my maternal grandfather. I may never travel to Altemonte, Italy, but I know from where he came. I long ago lost contact with childhood friends, but through the vastness and speed of the internet, we are once again in touch. I may need a long list of articles for research, but have neither the time nor the resources to travel to the Library of Congress. Via my laptop and online connections, I will have more than I need. Some say the older we are, the less likely we will be to adapt to this "newfangled technology," but I don't believe that’s true. Given an inquisitive mind and unrestrained exposure to "all things Internet,” I can make the same advances as someone younger. Afraid of it? No way! We are a people who traveled across plains in wagons and steered canoes down isolated African rivers, walked two miles to school barefoot in snow – uphill – and more! Cruising the Internet highway is not much of a challenge at all.

So, off to read some articles, "The Brain, Technology, and Education: An Interview with Robert Sylwester" (http://technologysource.org/article/brain_technology_and_education/) and "Campfires in Cyberspace: Primordial Metaphors for Learning in the 21st Century" (http://www.tcpd.org/thornburg/Handouts/Campfires.pdf) and see if the devil is somewhere in the details.