This sign sums it up quite nicely…
It’s a sign.
• How are instructional technologies socially conceptualized?
• Which theories are predominant in specific learning domains?
• What new theory has been developed, and/or is "old theory" adequate to the task of explaining the social impacts and use of the digital?
• To what extent is digital research theoretically or empirically driven?
• Which concepts and key themes cluster and link regardless of theoretical or empirical approach?
• Can a new "theoretical framework" for understanding instructional technology (digital learning) be generated, and is this needed?
• To what extent have interdisciplinary approaches modified or developed theory?
• Which methods and approaches predominate in education?
• Does the availability of large volumes of digital data change how the digital is studied and/or the approaches taken to instructional technologies in education?
• Are certain methods intrinsically linked to certain domains or theories? How are methods tied to the social contexts around instructional technology research?
• Have interdisciplinary approaches modified or prioritized certain methods in the study of instructional technology?
*list of questions adapted from various existing research journals and texts
Meaning is defined by at least three points: the personal, the factual, and the resonance between them.
Sorting things is a fascinating process. Lately, I have been sorting through my Dad’s stamp collection, which includes my grandfather’s stamp collection.
The two small file boxes in the image above show only a fraction of what I have inherited—there are two large file boxes filled with binders, envelopes, and loose stamps from all over the globe.
What strikes me as I sort through this collection is not the monetary value of the stamps but the sentimental value. Collecting and cataloging stamps is a labor of love, but it is also a connection to something bigger.
I wish I could properly convey how it feels to handle this stamp collection. Maybe the tangibility fosters connection. Maybe it’s the attention to detail and beautiful print work that is evident on the stamps. It’s wonderful.