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Teaching Emerging Technologies Class
Rym and Scott are always talking about how they'd like to teach computer classes but it isn't competitive in the job market. I work in technology and was asked by a local community college to teach an Emerging Technologies class to Business Administration students who's only computer experience is MS Office 101.
The rubric is at least 15 years old because it includes things like printers and zip drives as emerging technologies while completely skipping out, well, anything that's still used today.
I have a few ideas but I wanted to see what you all thought should be taught in this kind of course keeping in mind that these people could end up providing feedback software purchasing decisions for large companies at worst case but mostly just need an interest in being a nerd.
I figured I'd go over some high level architectures and hardware, have everyone build a website/wordpress, do a day that is a remote class, and possibly even something like start the lecture off with a TED Talk related to the subject of the day (they are 3hr once a week classes). Please let me know your thoughts and ideas! I'd like to make some converted nerds here.
The rubric is at least 15 years old because it includes things like printers and zip drives as emerging technologies while completely skipping out, well, anything that's still used today.
I have a few ideas but I wanted to see what you all thought should be taught in this kind of course keeping in mind that these people could end up providing feedback software purchasing decisions for large companies at worst case but mostly just need an interest in being a nerd.
I figured I'd go over some high level architectures and hardware, have everyone build a website/wordpress, do a day that is a remote class, and possibly even something like start the lecture off with a TED Talk related to the subject of the day (they are 3hr once a week classes). Please let me know your thoughts and ideas! I'd like to make some converted nerds here.
Comments
If you're not required to finalize your syllabus before the first class, you might want to get a sense of your students' level of experience with technology before coming to final conclusions about what you'll teach. I wouldn't trust the assessment that these students only have MS Office 101. I'm a b-school student myself (Masters candidate, studying part-time) and was deeply irked when a class in "Innovative Marketing" turned into an exercise in WordPress, SEO, and social networking tools. Most of us in the class were already quite experienced with WP and social networking, and spent a good bit of time complaining among ourselves about not learning anything new.
I do wonder what the main focus of the class is supposed to be. I agree with Matt's point about Emerging Technologies. It seems like this isn't a basic computer literacy class, if they've already got MS Office skills. Does the old rubric explain what the primary objective of the class is?
Seriously though, I think most of that is fairly vague enough that you should be able to bring in modern topics anyway. The best idea, I think, would be to figure out what the class' familiarity with technology is, and go from there. Heck, you could talk about the developments within the past year and a half with information security for a full semester, it's definitely an emerging technology.
Okay, so this looks like it's supposed to prepare them for working in an office and knowing what all the various pieces do. It feels like the entire concept of the course is out of date.
But that being said, when I really try to focus on the core of the issue, there are some basic computer literacies that people need and often lack. Like, what IS an operating system (not what the various flavors are, what it IS), basic understanding of multimedia including video conferencing, looking at ethical/privacy issues for communications technologies of various types, figuring out how to select software effectively. And if you think about those basic issues in our modern context, I'll bet there's an interesting class you could put together.
So how would you gauge a classes technological literacy? Ask them the nerdiest thing they've done? Give them a questionnaire about certain technologies?
The majority of the people in my "freshman" classes at RIT had no business being out of their parents' houses, had minimal English skills (despite being native speakers), and were mostly taking high-school-level catchup classes.
Yeah, so I spent last (1st) year in the dorms with other Freshmen. I didn't notice too many students who suffered tremendously. A few didn't really know how to take care of themselves on their own, others didn't know how to maintain a good academic record, but as a whole, they were fine.
There was this one kid, though, who lived across from me. Holy fucking hell that kid should have stayed home. Computer Engineer, ridiculously overweight, living in a quad with three other roommates. He never cleaned up after himself, almost never showered, and was generally just a complete mess.
He somehow made it through the first quarter okay, but about two weeks into the winter quarter, I guess he just decided that the 15 or so minute walk to class was too much for him, and gave up. Now, if one wanted to give up on college respectfully and honorably, they would probably call their parents, drop out, and leave ASAP to pursue a different life path. Nope, not this kid.
He decided to stay in the dorms for the rest of the quarter, and just not go to class. Ever. I discussed this with a number of floormates, who all concluded that he actually never left the building once after making his decision. He literally sat in his room all day, playing videogames and marathoning anime, until he needed more food. At which point, he would either get a friend to go bring back food from the cafeteria, or go down to the basement convenience store himself, and stock up on nothing but soda, chips, and microwaveable foods. The room he lived in was perfectly okay, his three roommates took care of themselves and their respective areas. The one corner of the room where this kid lived, however... He brought his bed down so he could sit on it as a chair in front of his computer, passing out right there when he was done. There was a literal *pile* of empty cans and bags of chips under AND next to his bed. One step into that room, and you would be hit across the face with the smell. Oh dear god, the smell. The smell of fat, unwashed computer engineering dropout, along with the piles of trash he never bothered to clean up.
The other members of the floor took pity on his roommates and let them crash on their floors whenever they didn't have another place to stay. I lived across from them, and can only be grateful that they left their door closed most of the time. The kid left at the end of the winter quarter, though, so his roommates basically were able to live in their previously unlivable room again. Oh my god, that kid was a disgusting, miserable failure. I feel bad for him, though, 'cause he seemed like an otherwise nice person. He just failed at college and life in the absolute worst, most tactless way.
Good on him, though, 'cause a few months after leaving RIT, he seems to have gotten a job at home, and may be considering going to a community college of some sort. That said, there's a kid who needed some damn life classes before getting into college.
The issue with technology is there are many people that aren't even at the '7th grade reading level' of literacy. The question is, what is needed to get people to that 'ready to work in the world' level of literacy?
Thanks to all for your suggestions! This is helpful.
After that you can also make their second assignment to google up instructions on how to accomplish their answer to that first one. Teach them the power of google and allows you to let them do your work for you.