Chalk v. Pixel
Human Development and Technology
in the Information Age

Series Overview

The adoption of all things Internet has raised America's love affair with technology to a fevered pitch. No area of our daily lives is untouched by the rapid changes in technologies, but few are as important to our long term financial and developmental health as education. In this 10-month series, CHIFOO invites psychologists, educators, researchers and technologists to provide insight into the rapidly changing landscape of technology and learning. This wide-ranging series examines technology in the classroom, in brain development, and in adult and community education.

Each talk showcases a technology in the context of the learning objectives for a defined audience. Speakers also present the methods they used to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology.

This series is a must for students, educators and professionals interested in specific technologies, and the role technology can play in creating effective and appropriate learning experiences.

Location:

Most programs will occur at Portland Community College (PCC) Capital Center, room 1508. MAP-->

Next-Day Events:

Some speakers will be available for a next-day coffee, workshop, or tutorial. Visit the website for details as each event approaches.

Download a printable brochure PDF [here]. Feel free to print, distribute and post.

40-year-old Alphabet Soup:
Curriculum Reform Projects of the 1960s

January 22, 2004

A large number of projects attempted to "reform" the educational curriculum between the late 1950's and the early 1970's. Currently a writer, Dick Miller was a teacher during that time. He reviews the history and philosophy of the reform movement and presents his personal experience teaching a course from the Engineering Concepts Curriculum Project (ECCP) and consulting with the project office. In addition, he describes several examples of student activities taken from "The Man-Made World," one of the ECCP courses.

10 Myths About Learning and Using Technology

February 4, 2004

Stevens, an instructional designer, and Drake, a specialist in change initiatives, strategic conversations, and coaching, uncover myths and assumptions about learning and using technology. When examined closely, these stories lead to a deeper discussion that can help us think more critically about technology and learning.

Connecting or Disconnecting -
The Growing Brain and Digital Technologies

March 10, 2004

Computers and TV influence the developing brain,with learning learning-disabled students particularly vulnerable to their positive or negative effects. Moreover, many so-called "disabilities" turn out to be assets in a fast-changing electronic world demanding new kinds of thinking and reasoning skills.

VizAbility: Establishing Visual Language Capability for the Digital Age

April 7, 2004

Emerging visual technologies provide the opportunity to develop pervasive visual languages. Seeing, drawing, diagramming and imagining can be established as basic literacies to be developed in schools and to be used widely in the society. Kristina Woolsey, former director of the Apple Multimedia Lab and current board member of the New Media Center, explores these issues in the context of Brooks Cole's VizAbility product.

Blocks of Wood: Leveraging Low Technology to Enrich the Growing Mind

May 5, 2004

Can a simple block of wood promote a learning experience? Montessori lecturer, trainer, and Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) examiner Sackett joins Montessori lecturer and administrator Newman to show how this block...

Using the Web as a Tool for Understanding Politicoscientific Controversies

June 2, 2004

New web mapping techniques may contribute to and facilitate significant participation in public debates of topics like global warming, the crafting of genetically-modified organisms, and the use of human embryos for research leading to stem cell production.

Communities of Practice Online: A case study, a perspective on learning, and design implications

July 7, 2004

Learning in community can be powerful because it entails the acquisition of "the whole practice" rather than bits and pieces of disconnected information. Learning communities can also be the most effective way of generating new knowledge.

For the People, By the People: The role of computer-human interaction in facilitating environmental awareness and activism

August 4, 2004

De Ridder, an environmental steward and technical communications specialist, considers computer-based technology a suitable medium for facilitating discussion of community-scale issues.

SimCalc:
The Design of Software for Teaching More Advanced Mathematics in Middle School

September 1, 2004

The mathematics that people need to thrive in the 21st century keeps advancing in complexity, yet our schools keep falling farther behind. As a society, we need to make significant changes in this area. The SimCalc Project...

Whose Line is It Anyway:
Innovation, Ethnography, and Improv

October 6, 2004

Customer researcher Portigal looks at two not-usually-combined-or-even-discussed-together approaches to direct experience: the theatrical activity of "improv" and participant-observer user research. As the "learner", he shares some of his process and technologies for "learning."