edtech14's blog

what:

One of our group's goals for this week was to learn how and where our pen pals were accessing technologies in order to have our conversations each week. My partner said that he currently borrows his friend's computer to talk, but his friend will be going to Denmark soon and Adam will have to then pay to use internet at an internet cafe in nearby Tamale. Our group also was hoping for each of us to set personal goals with our pen pals as well as expectations. Adam and I established that we would both like to learn more about each other's cultures and education systems. I told him that in America, we usually graduate high school around 17 or 18 years old. He informed me that there in Ghana, due to lack of funds, one can push back their high school graduation until their mid to late 20s. In fact, he graduated a few months ago at the age of 27, took his examinations to get into college, and says he will get the results by December or January. He has been working as an administrator for a local youth association for the past few years and wants to study government.

so what:

Now that we have started our back and forth, I feel that the ice is broken more than before and I have a clearer idea of his day to day life and the timeline of his education so far. 

now what:

One rose is that I have been encouraged oustide of class to talk with more people, peers, and professors about the issue of technology and education. A thorn is that technology has already shown itself to be a bit of an obstacle in our activities so far, for example, Serendip login issues. 

One thing that I have learned so far in the class is that in the past, people have been just as torn over the positives and negatives of technology, such as the radio and television, as we are now in this day in age over computers, smartphones, etc. I have learned above all to question in more detail the intense excitement over the possibilites of technology.