Klara and the Sun: A reader's review

 Dystopian science fiction is typically not a genre I select as "leisure" reading material.  I tend to select this genre specifically to gain a different perspective of education and technology (translate that to mean, to inform my professional practice).  I must say, I did enjoy reading this book in my leisure. The fact that I  refrained from any notetaking when I designate a book as one for work, was a sure sign that I just might be reading for fun.  

Ishiguro's (2021) Klara and the Sun is a story about a solar-powered Artificial Friend (AF), who patiently waits day in and day out to be selected by her person.  AFs exist to serve young people/teens to alleviate loneliness.  I will not elaborate further so as not to give away any surprises....which develop over time and quite slowly in this book.  The story is told from the perspective of Klara so the reader is at times left guessing when she shares interpretations and insights. There are strange terms and situations to decipher and translate to familiar objects and things.  As the Manager constantly notes with awe, Klara is remarkable with unusual insights and observational skills.  This is somewhat of a surprise given she is not the latest generation of AFs but it also caused me to ponder the way we view older technologies vs newer technologies.

As I read the first section of the book, I was reminded of Don Freeman's Corduroy.  Later, when I read Wood's (2021) review, I was thrilled that he too mentioned a Corduroy connection.

This novel narrows the theme of What it means to be human that is found in other novels such as Asimov's (1990) The Bicentennial Man.  A main theme of Klara and the Sun focuses on What it means to love and the ever-changing complexity of love. I found Chapman's (1992) work on love languages to be particularly helpful in categorizing the different facets of love in this book. There is definitely a class system within this world (presumably the US) as Ishiguro presents a variety of reactions and behaviors toward machines, housekeepers, and the haves and have-nots.  There are subthemes related to faith vs rationality and hope vs despair (from the AF perspective), bullying, prejudice, loneliness, the circle of life, and even waste and pollution.  

What struck me about this book is that the scenario presented is purely plausible, which brings me to connections to education and the Designing Digital Learning in Schools specialization. Regarding technology, the novel addresses the direction of innovation, machine learning, the possibility of machines replacing humans, and ethics in technology innovations, specifically, the question of where do ethics come into play-- at the invention stage or implementation? Can the inventor offload ethics to the legislators who use regulations to dictate ethics? 

There's a scene in the book when Josie, the teen who selects Klara and her friend, Ricky, play a game in which she draws images with speech bubbles, and he fills in the speech bubbles with text.  This is very much like the activity we did in EDIT 782: Designing for Literacy, with the cartoons, combining two symbol systems and moving between image to text and text to image.  Teens in the book are learning virtually and using online resources to learn advanced skills.  However, there is acknowledgement that an expert is still needed to situate learning in the culture of use. 

There is a huge question raised in the book related to equity in schools, what it means to succeed, and even, the lengths parents will go to help their children....sound familiar? (Also see a connection to Lee's (2021) book, Who Gets to Be Smart: Privilege, Power, and Knowledge. 

The use of Klara in the life of Josie had little to do with Josie's learning of essential content knowledge, but more about her social, emotional, and physical growth.  It made me wonder about the place of machine learning in education and if there could be uses other than tracking progress and personalized learning. I am reminded of McDonald's (2011) Creative Spirit of Design which advocates for students to be the designer of these environments.

DDLS Book Club 2022 Member

For the past few years, I have included a Designing Digital Learning in Schools Summer Book Club/Blog activity in EDIT 787: Teacher Leadership and Advocacy for Digital Learning.  This activity was selected because  (1) the role of "teacher leader of digital learning," is strengthened by knowledge about the trends in educational technology, (2) there are so many trade books focused on technology topics published each year (not only in the field of education but in other fields as well) that it is impossible for any advanced graduate program to include in the course of a two-year program, (3) opportunities to express one's understanding of these topics and implications for education develops essential advocacy skills, and (4) a book club in this program supports the development of a community of practice.

Something I have not done in this activity is participate as a book club member.  That will change this year as I have selected a book to read, blog about, respond to blog comments, and find ways that this book club selection impacts my beliefs and teaching practice.  

The book I have selected is Klara and the Sun by Kazou Ishiguro.  Ishiguro is previously known for The Remains of the Day, which was adapted into a movie in 1993. I was drawn to this book partially because of Ishiguro's reputation, it's designation as a New York Times bestseller, and it's main character, Klara, an Artificial Friend. More importantly, I was captured by the NPR blurb, "A masterpiece that will make you think about life, mortality, and the saving grace of love." Most books I have read with Artificial Intelligence (AI) themes have centered on what it means to be human, alive, or conscious (e.g., The Most Human Human, Machines Like Me).  This book takes it to the specific emotional level of love. 

My goal is to find connections to education and my teaching practice.  Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality software has been found on annual K12 educational technology trend lists for decades. Yet, early or routine use of these tools has not yet been realized. Also, in Spring 2023, I will be teaching a doctoral course, EDIT 895: Emerging Trends in Learning Technologies. It's a good time to look at this technology differently.

EDIT 760 Module 2 edition: Whatever it is, this is not Online Learning.

This post was originally written in Fall 2020 as most P12 schools remained closed during the pandemic.  Updates were made on August 26, 2022 to reflect the current situation in schools while reflecting on the past.

This week in EDIT 760, we tackle the question, "What is the Online Learning Movement?"  Never before has that question been so relevant and important than today as we continue to face the challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic.  Our goal in EDIT 760 is to develop your understanding of online learning, but also, we need to make some sense out of what is currently happening in schools due to Covid-19. 

There was a lot of debate in the beginning months of school closure (March 2020) about what to call this Covid-19 learning.   Early news reports from here and around the world focused on online learning. While I wasn't sure what to call it, I knew from being an online designer and teacher, whatever was actually happening in school divisions was not, could not be, online learning.  

One of my favorite opinions on the topic came early on from two University of Georgia professors who stated, "What we're doing today is teaching and learning to be in Covid-19... . This is not business as usual and it is unethical to act as if it could be." Gosh, I wish I had written that! 

Five months later, there were still references and news reports describing the return to school in Fall 2020 as online learning. To designate those Fall openings amid Covid-19 as online learning, dilutes the practice and everything many educators and researchers have worked toward to elevate alternative environments and showcase affordances. 

The progress made to promote online learning as a viable learning option is at risk.  

If you look up the definition of online learning, you will get many possibilities (I know! This is how I spent much of 2008 as I was formulating my dissertation).  The definition that continues to be most complete to me came from my colleagues, Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland (2005):

 

Online learning is an open and distributed learning environment that uses pedagogical tools, enabled by Internet and Web-based technologies, to facilitate learning and knowledge building through [*]meaningful action and interaction. (p. 15)

To me, this definition makes the complexities of online learning explicit and visible.  Moving content, pedagogy, technologies, and interactions from in-person learning to online learning requires reimagining content, pedagogy, technologies, and interactions.  Reimagining takes time and skill.  

No wonder educators have felt overwhelmed and stressed since March! There has not been time to reimagine.

You are in a unique position as teacher-learners in EDIT 760.  Module 2 focuses on The Online Learning Movement in K12 schools. Most K12 teachers started the 2020 school year in virtual environments as a result of this pandemic. The present situation is very instructive as you have the opportunity to compare what the literature says about online learning and what had happened 

in schools. As you read this week's resources on online learning in Module 2,  consider the following:

How do you characterize the type of teaching you did during the pandemic?  How would you characterize the type of learning your students did during the pandemic?  How does this compare to what you are reading in Module 2? 

(News articles or even research that supports your understanding would be great links and additions to your Module 2 Blog).

 

How did you feel about teaching and learning as you began the school year in Fall 2020 and Fall 2021? What are the message and expectations you are heard from school leaders and what are the message and expectations you wanted to hear?

 

You might even consider using the above questions to guide your Module 2 Blog Reflection (suggestion only).

*What is meaningful action? Hopefully you will figure this out in this course and other LTS courses (particularly EDIT 762). I'm happy to discuss further with you.

Reference:

Dabbagh, N., & Bannan-Ritland, B. (2005). Online learning: Concepts, strategies, and application. Pearson Education, Inc.

Back from Jeddah: A year later....

Okay, I actually was not in Saudi all this time but usually happens in life at the University, a few side trips have taken me away from blogging.  It is nearly the year anniversary of my trip to the Middle East and my experience continues to impact my thinking as well as my work. I suspected I would have some free time to write of my adventure last year.  However, nearly every minute of my time in Jeddah was filled either with preparation for the workshop and presentation or events planned by KAU faculty: a tour of al-Balad (old town Jeddah) and a late night (wee hours of the morning) feast with gracious woman from the KAU faculty (belly dancing optional).

While my workshop changed overnight from a technology infused experience for a handful of teachers to an interactive demonstration for 80 K12 and university educators (huge interest in the topic of Teachers as Designer!), I was glad I had adopted a "go-with-the-flow" attitude even before I left and came prepared with "give-aways."  So many surprises!  These are my impressions and only my impressions that stem from a life in the West, a life of opportunity, and a life of many freedoms.

I did not expect a high level of interactivity from the crowd.  I did not expect that the notion of authentic problem would be so widely embraced.  One of the professors from the women's medical college vowed to try to change curriculum to be more authentic.  A High School physics teacher beamed as she mentioned  she had always asked her students to use their knowledge to build roller coaster, but she had no idea that this teaching strategy supported by a body of literature.  I did not expect to hear a male voice boom, "Dropbox!" over the PA system in the auditorium when I asked for examples of technology that afforded speaking, listening, reading, and writing learning goals. Men were separated from the women and only appeared to us via a large screen when they presented. They were relegated to appear as a potted plant during the women's presentations.  I had completely forgotten that men might have been "attending" my workshop, er...demonstration. When I asked for clarification as to how Dropbox afforded speaking, listening, reading, and writing, this voice disappeared so I continued my intimate conversation with this group of 80 enthusiastic female educators.
Needless to say, these educators were very impressive. 

Less impressive however was the final presentation of the conference.  An educator from Finland shared the Finnish education experience.  There is no question that Finland has accomplished great things in their system.  However, upon reading the last slide--paraphrased, "Finland brings their success to Saudi Arabia," I found myself a bit annoyed.  How does tiny Finland see Saudi education conforming to their ways? There is more to this story than I am willing to write about here. It's safe to say that I had to voice the fact that around 145,000 Saudi students study abroad with 80,000 Saudi students in the US, most if not all returning to Saudi with new knowledge to impact their fields including education.  What is important here is that these students also have a deep understanding of how to situate this knowledge in Saudi culture.  Their perspectives need to be valued  and they need opportunities to apply their knowledge.

I reflected on my own workshop and presentation.  Did I leave any impression that there was only the US way to develop teachers as designers?  In my opinion, I don't think so.  I provided a framework tested and improved upon through experience working with my own Saudi graduate students. I wouldn't even say it was my perspective but rather that adopted from other professional fields.  It was an idea at the teacher level where local change (classroom) is possible.  What I did learn was it probably was not a good idea to question the motives of the Finns or the intentions of the KAU faculty to gather International Perspectives.

Saturday in Jeddah

Here I am!  On the Red Sea!  Definitely not a place I would have thought to ever visit. The planning part to get here was probably more difficult, especially since I had to pull 2 all-nighters to finish my presentation and workshop, but from the minute I walked up to the Saudi Arabian Air check-in at  Dulles to the time I got to my beautiful room in the Jeddah Intercontinental Hotel, it has been a breeze.  And literally too.  While it is 80 degrees or 26 C, it is very comfortable, truly a treat from our local weather on Thursday.

While this is an educational blog, I have not had time to turn my attention to academics.  However, I have learned some things.  I read a lot about Saudi Arabia in preparation for my trip. I visited blogs, e-bulletin boards, and many websites.  I was actually very anxious to leave because what I was reading on the Internet was related to 'warnings' and 'cautions for women.'  I respectfully donned my abaya before landing in Jeddah--I was the only American female in my section. I chose to cover my head, although my Saudi students told me it was unnecessary for Americans to do so in Jeddah.  The wind was so strong and I had that 'bed head' kind of look, it was a welcome accessories. Fingerprinting and photography session in customs was only held up because of the technology--I must have broken two cameras because of my overnight flight beauty.  The people here couldn't be nicer.  My driver was there (he also was at the airport yesterday waiting for me, causing me quite a scare as to whether or not I was supposed to skip Thursday ITS to get on an earlier flight). 

I heard stories of my technology being confiscated (a Saudi student told me that is a myth). I heard that I would be stared at.  I heard that males would not speak to me.  None are true, so far.  There was a woman in the airport who was not in her abaya, there were many Saudi women not covered or only partially covered.  To tell you the truth, with the blasting air conditioning in the buildings, I am quite happy to wear my dress---besides, there is no worry as to having ironed clothes underneath or even if I wear something that matches.  (Oh! A big thank you to my Coldwater Creek saleslady!  The orchid color she chose and that I wore into town seems to be the favorite of many ladies.)

Tonight is dinner with the vice dean and faulty in the College of Education at King Adulaziz University.  My Mason colleague, Dr. Behrmann, received word there are separate arrangements for men and women but I am free to forego the invite for separate dining and I may join the group...so far Jeddah lives up to its reputation for being more progressive.

More tomorrow from the 1st International Forum: A Professional Teacher in the 3rd Millennium...

Early Days of Wikipedia

In 2006 when we began to design blogs, wikis, and podcasts into the ITS program and started to research and write about these tools, we observed some very interesting situations---
1. a leader of our College gave a presentation to the faculty citing Wikipedia as the primary information source;
2. leaders from a small school division participating in one of our workshops could not access Wikipedia, one of the resource links we asked them to use, because it was filtered out;
3. an ITSer implemented her podcast lesson plan with her 1st graders and shared the final products by uploading them to a wiki. Her school webmaster refused to do it so she found another way: Wikis.  However, part of her lesson involved 1st graders recording the reading books from their library---a big no-no (any ideas why?) This situation put the use of podcasts, blogs, and wikis on hold for the whole  school division until policy was developed.
4. A High School student performs an experiment.
We know a lot more about these tools now as they have been introduced and adopted by many educators.  Take one of these situations and analyze the issue or use of Wikis.  What can you learn from the situation to inform your own use of wikis in your practice? What do we need to know about Wikis to make them a valuable educational tool?

Professional Practice, Professional Development and Wikis

For the past several years I have had the most amazing experiences working with zoo and aquarium professionals as they completed their Master's Master's of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Zoo and Aquarium Leadership (ZAL) at George Mason. Our program's courses in the Integration of Technology in Schools Online Certificate program were offered to these professionals as electives because many of them were responsible for education efforts at their institution. My goal was to help them understand how technology could be used either to support their education goals, use technology to facilitate community events, design technology-rich activities for school visits or education programs at the institution, to connect with colleagues across institutions, and/or to initiate professional development opportunities.

When EDIT 564: Teaching with Web 2.0 tools became available as an elective around 2007/2008, the  ZAL students were very excited.  As part of their Master's experience, each ZAL student was required to do a project or write a thesis.  Many chose project work as this fit into their practice (parallels the ITS experience, huh?).  I had the honor to chair several of these projects and was even more honored that many chose to incorporate what they learned in the Web 2.0 course to frame their project. 

While all of these projects were implemented with great success and continue to have impact on the zoo and aquarium community, one in particular had success in an area that meant the most to me: changing attitudes about the use of collaborative wikis at the organizational level....that organization being the Association for Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
My student wanted to use a Wiki as a collaborative tool for all program animal managers to share information about program animals (see PARIS). In other words, it would be a great environment for the sharing of knowledge among professionals and for the development of these professionals. I thought it was a brilliant idea.  However, to be successful it needed to be approved by AZA.  And that's where the battle began. Apparently there is an internal battle related to program animals and exhibit animals (the program animals being those used in education efforts and not just for exhibits).  There seemed to be controversy about what information could be shared about program animals and the fear that a Wiki was too public.  

What arguments would you use or how would you go about convincing a large organization such as AZA that this was a really beneficial tool to support the project? 
Does this example have any relevance to a school division's use of Wikis?  For educating students? For Professional Development? 
Remember in the summer you graciously participated in a survey we administered about the value of online learning for Professional Development.  Would wikis be a good tool for this?  Why or why not? Would you feel confident to design online professional development using a wiki?  What sort of professional development could be done and what benefits could be gainded by the use of Wikis as an online tool for educating teachers?