Chapter 1 Reflections

Chapter 1 references The Tipping Point by Gladwell and the notion that epidemics serve as a metaphor for change and behaviors can spread like viruses and that the tipping point is “the moment within an epidemic when everything can change”. The question is posed as to how much new technology and methods are enough for the tipping point to be reached in schools.

The initial internet/computer movement seemed to be an extension of the war between the have’s and the have not’s. Everything was application based and that required development, testing and in the end money for those who could afford the application. This was also a reason education could never keep up with technology. Our funding did not allow for the latest updates and applications and heaven knows, nothing ever happens rapidly in education anyway. Technology is just not static enough for education.

It seems to me that the tipping point will be present when the Web and its egalitarian 2.0 notions are brought to everyone through free web access and greater band with within communities. I was caught off guard when I read that two years ago the U.S. only had 44% broadband access. When our capitalistic culture looks beyond short term profits (I have nothing against competition in the market place) and understands the future of our culture in the global marketplace is at stake perhaps the change can occur. If the power of 2.0 and its potential is to be met, along with the potential of our students, we must insure access to the technology first. Only with ubiquitous access can the scales tip to real integration to the learning process.