ETEC 531 Cultural and ETEC 531 Cultural and New Media StudiesNew Media Studies

Dr. Stephen Petrina and Dr. Franc FengDr. Stephen Petrina and Dr. Franc Feng

Media Production #2Media Production #2

I Am a Cyborg TeacherI Am a Cyborg Teacher

Produced by Jill FrenchProduced by Jill French

I rely on technology all of the I rely on technology all of the time….time….

…to write…to demonstrate

…to listen …to model

I am discovering, I am discovering,

as I enter my final season of as I enter my final season of teaching, teaching,

that I am a cyborg teacher!that I am a cyborg teacher!

……......

During my first season, as a student During my first season, as a student teacher, I was teacher, I was young and naïve. young and naïve.

I thought….I thought….

…“…“I can reach every single child”I can reach every single child”

…“…“I am a natural-born teacher”I am a natural-born teacher”

…………

During my second (pre-family) season, During my second (pre-family) season, I thought…I thought…

““my skill and knowledge is all within my skill and knowledge is all within me and all that I need”me and all that I need”

……....

During my third (post-children) season, During my third (post-children) season, I was wiser, humbler, but still naïve. I I was wiser, humbler, but still naïve. I thought….thought….

““just having children use technology just having children use technology helps them learn”helps them learn”

……....

Now, as I enter my final season, I see Now, as I enter my final season, I see that I do not learn and teach alonethat I do not learn and teach alone

……I am part of a systemI am part of a system

……I am interconnected and heavily I am interconnected and heavily reliant on technologyreliant on technology

……I am a cyborg teacher….I am a cyborg teacher….............

Not this type of cyborg…Not this type of cyborg…

or this…

or this.

……but this type of cyborg,but this type of cyborg,

a ‘natural-born’ cyborg…a ‘natural-born’ cyborg…

You cannot see my connection to You cannot see my connection to technology,technology,

…….nor the dynamic interaction .nor the dynamic interaction between myself and technology,between myself and technology,

……........

but, I am part of a larger system of but, I am part of a larger system of ideas and consciousness, distributed ideas and consciousness, distributed cognition (Petrina, n.d.).cognition (Petrina, n.d.).

In this system, In this system,

technology……….technology……….

…………

… … surrounds me,surrounds me,

…in the library…in the classroom

…in my home

……it enhances my learning and it enhances my learning and teaching….teaching….

…with books …with visual aids

…with real pictures…with organizing tools

…….it mediates my learning and .it mediates my learning and teaching…teaching…

…through books…through multimedia

…through representations…through a ‘new’ look

……it automates my learning and it automates my learning and teaching ….teaching ….

…by ‘sensing’ my presence

…by blurring the lines between real and created

……it distributes my learning and it distributes my learning and teaching ….teaching ….

…through cyberspace …through writings

…through visual memories

……and finally, it embodies my and finally, it embodies my learning and teaching. I am learning and teaching. I am

programmed to….programmed to….

… react to a fire-alarm …answer a telephone

…use a machine to withdraw money…control traffic lights

But, what does it mean to be a But, what does it mean to be a cyborg? It means….cyborg? It means….

…” …” we program and are we program and are programmed…” (Petrina, n.d.)programmed…” (Petrina, n.d.)

……we have the “ability to enter into we have the “ability to enter into deep and complex relationships deep and complex relationships

……with nonbiological constructs, props, with nonbiological constructs, props, and aids” (Clark, 2004, ¶ 7)and aids” (Clark, 2004, ¶ 7)

…………..

……the “relationship between people the “relationship between people and technology and technology

[is] so intimate [is] so intimate

that it’s no longer possible to tell that it’s no longer possible to tell

where we end and machines begin” where we end and machines begin” (Kunzru, 1997, ¶ 7)(Kunzru, 1997, ¶ 7)

…………

As cyborgs, we are…As cyborgs, we are…

…”…”ready to merge our mental ready to merge our mental activities with the operations of pen, activities with the operations of pen, paper, and electronics,paper, and electronics,

……able to understand the world as we able to understand the world as we do” (Clark, 2004, ¶ 9)do” (Clark, 2004, ¶ 9)

As a cyborg teacher, I…As a cyborg teacher, I…

co-exist and co-evolve with the co-exist and co-evolve with the technologies around metechnologies around me

to scaffold my students’ learningto scaffold my students’ learning

Their tacit learning…Their tacit learning…

as they develop ‘co-operative skills’ as they develop ‘co-operative skills’ through playthrough play

Their augmented learning…Their augmented learning…

……as they view a video about mammalsas they view a video about mammals

Their mediated learning…Their mediated learning…

……as we explore literature togetheras we explore literature together

Their automated learning…Their automated learning…

……as they learn to trigger the walk signas they learn to trigger the walk sign

Their distributed learning…Their distributed learning…

……as they upload weather data to a as they upload weather data to a provincial research projectprovincial research project

Their cyborgenic learning…Their cyborgenic learning…

……as they flip on the computer to as they flip on the computer to check their emailcheck their email

““if we really want to know ourselves if we really want to know ourselves

we increasingly have to know our we increasingly have to know our technologies,technologies,

know thyself, know thyself,

know thy technologies" (Clark, 2004, ¶57).know thy technologies" (Clark, 2004, ¶57).

I am a better teacher I am a better teacher

because I because I amam a cyborg teacher! a cyborg teacher!…………....

Audio and ImagesAudio and Images

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (1990). Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (1990). Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Winter II Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Winter II Largo & III Allegro (EMI Digital CD Largo & III Allegro (EMI Digital CD 740639T). Columbia House.740639T). Columbia House.

Alltheweb Images (2005). Overture Alltheweb Images (2005). Overture Service, Inc.Service, Inc.

Clark, A. (2004). Natural-Born Cyborgs. Retrieved June Clark, A. (2004). Natural-Born Cyborgs. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from 13, 2005 from http://www1.cstudies.ubc.ca:8900/SCRIPT/ETEC531/scripts/serve_hohttp://www1.cstudies.ubc.ca:8900/SCRIPT/ETEC531/scripts/serve_homeme

Kunzru, H. (1997). You Are Cyborg. Retrieved June 15, Kunzru, H. (1997). You Are Cyborg. Retrieved June 15, 2005 from 2005 from http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffharaway_pr.htmlhttp://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffharaway_pr.html

Petrina, S. (n.d.). Agency, Embodiment, Technology Petrina, S. (n.d.). Agency, Embodiment, Technology and Determinism. Retrieved June 14, 2005 from and Determinism. Retrieved June 14, 2005 from http://www1.cstudies.ubc.ca:8900/SCRIPT/ETEC531/scripts/serve_homehttp://www1.cstudies.ubc.ca:8900/SCRIPT/ETEC531/scripts/serve_home

ReferencesReferences