In Penderson, it is the reference of “instabilities of humanist traditions/ideals of education and “institutionalised production, mediation, and development of knowledge”. (Penderson, 2010; 241)

Instability conjures for me a sense that the foundations of the humanist traditions have some cracks and are slowly breaking up.  The position that Penderson takes is that it permeates in the production, mediation and development of knowledge.  Hence, a radically new way of looking at knowledge is called for.

The dualism that is under scrutiny is the one that frames most of humanist education- the divide between human and non-human.

Interpretation of posthumanism in education varies.  Some are more sympathetic to the humanist traditions, others see this as a paradigm shift.

The former  is reflected in Stables and Scott’s (2001) vision of posthumanist environmental education curricular which to Penderson is still rooted in the humanist regimes:
“…reworking of a humanist assumptions with greater valorisation of non-human….increasingly recognising non-human life as necessary and not just as desirable and self-renewing resource (pp277-278)

The latter proposes that human, nonhuman including machines should be placed on the same continuum rather than as separate poles, one which Penderson describes as anti-speciest approaches.   Drawing on Pickering (2005)  “…mutual becoming’ of the human and the nonhuman requires a shift in the unit of analysis…where he sees posthumanism as a tool to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries…a dialectic that produces a new kind of posthuman object, or assemblage, with a certain kind of inner unity.”

Citing Gough (2004), he  imagines teaching and learning as

“material-semiotic assemblages of sociotechnical relations embedded in and performed by shifting connections and interactions among a variety of organic, technical, ‘natural’ and textual materials.” (2004:2)
Interestingly, this has resonance with the dystopic views which also indicates that it is philosophy couched in the less positive view against commodifying (Capitalist agenda), or privileging the privileged, exclusionary politics.

So where does this leave the educator of the present and the future?  What can I draw from this as a curriculum designer, or a teacher for example? Do we need to untangle or choreograph the pedagogies from the different mix and mashed up influences and relationships with interspecies assemblages and dominant agendas?

Reference:

Pedersen, H. (2010). Is the posthuman educable? On the convergence of educational philosophy, animal studies, and posthumanist theory. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, vol 31, no 2, 237-250.

My only struggle at the moment is the continuum of human and non-human paradigm. I would like to read more about this to ensure I understand what the implications are for education, and also a way of life for many.

Reference:

Angus, T, Cook, I, Evans, J et al (2001) A Manifesto for Cyborg Pedagogy? International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, vol 10, no 2, pp.195-201.

I have divided the ethnography into three sections: the journey or getting there, being there and finally the implications for eLearning. Each of these sections required a lot of thinking, and I feel really quite pleased that I have tried to make or analyse Kosinets’ ideas on online participation.

At some stage I was beginning to feel weary about the ethnography particularly the issue of ethics on such a sensitive area. I was weighing both ethical questions and the defence that I was part of the community. I resolved this by cutting down more slides, and kept the discussion of the digital culture rather than the content.

By Sunday, I was able to start looking at the published ethnography, and tried to understand each person’s view and framework for their exploration and their chosen media for the final presentation.

This is refreshing as it tries to encapsulate media literacy and digital literacy, and applies to all modes, across different platforms, media and tools, culture.  It also considers how these interact with each other.  The use of the word ecology is really quite apt.  There is a whole eco-system of literacies that our students will need to have to be sufficiently equipped to function in their world.

Some case studies mentioned stood out and it leads me to think  if there is any way to introduce new technologies in a way that would respect the boundaries and rhythm of communication, the social network, preserving and at the same time enhancing the economic and political prospect of people’s lives?

I am drawn to the stories told of the Australian aborigines and the Asheninka where writing is seen as delimiting and ‘the interdependence of the spoken stories and the sensible landscape’ where auditory mnemonic and the sight of locations evokes particular memory of songs and stories.

Eco–philosopher David Abram uses of the term ‘seen as a peculiar form of violence’ when describing the act of having oral stories written down and published and disseminated, as this very act of preserving the voice and story of the Australian Aborigines, tears them from the ‘visible landscape and the topographical features that materially embody and provoke them.’

It is a sobering thought.

This also leads me to think of the ‘visible landscape and the topographical features’ not only of the past but of the present and the future.  The emerging and transforming landscape of the digital culture, and how this is impacting education in and out of the classrooms. There is a sense of fluidity, but also could be seen as ‘violence’ when the old is taken away, and quickly replaced by the new. But there again, it can be different.

This brings to mind Sanford Biggers: The Cartographer’s Conundrum.  This incredible installation defies the regular landscape, and represent multiple layers of meaning through the fragment of broken mirrors, instruments, and these are suspended in mid-air.  There are pews in front of what looks like an altar in a church.  Sanford Biggers combines science fiction, cosmology and technology to create a new folklore of the African Diaspora. To me this represents a not so violent way of bringing about cultural change.

Display at Mass Mocca

Consider the use of the space in the warehouse,  with this installation.   Read more about Stanford Biggers.

Reference: Thomas, S et al (2007) Transliteracy: crossing divides. First Monday. 12(12). [web site]

A response to Candance’s on Kress’ idea of image as a stronger modality over text as representation of meaning.