Tue, 2 Nov 1993 21:11:56 +0000
Hi folks, A recent spate of experiences motivated this piece, which I share with you in hopes that it may be useful for introducing new people to the Internet. Feel free to use it, giving credit, etc...
Ferdi
For many educators, the first glimpses of the Internet create an aversion reaction similar to vertigo, as layer upon layer of potential and limitless perspective replaces the feeling of being "grounded" that we unconsciously rely upon for security.
When we find ourselves in a new environment, moving to a new home, new job or even on vacation, we need to know where things are and how to make them work for us. Hotel ads extolling the virtues of "no surprises" show the "value added" aspect of stress reduction through predictability. Those who live in a small town, as I do, have a situation that has almost passed from the scene: I walk to town, where I must go to a mailbox to pick up my mail, everyone knows each other on sight, getting lost would be a 15 minute proposition even if you went down *every* street. It is quiet enough to hear the sound of snow falling on snow at 3 AM, when it says of itself: ssssshhhhhhh!
Of course this town has become surrounded by suburbs. The functionality required by "modern life" includes demands for shopping centers, malls, commuting and the like. The effect on our streets provide another metaphor for bandwidth (what happens when you try to fit T1 levels thru a dialup 2400 modem connection!), except that no one ever got run over by a bit. Yet, these changes have been absorbed by the new people (who escaped the cities for the clean, safe "country") and locals alike. We know where to go for tires, textbooks or tempura. We know which roads will be impassible at rush hour or after a heavy rain. We know how to get to New York or Philadelphia.
Some things don't automatically come with the suburban scene. "Culture" is one of them. If you want to see a foreign movie, modern dance, a jazz concert, you need to find a place that such events gravitate to. Typically, you will find a place of higher learning nearby (just as you will find Internet access!) Such institutions act as a magnet for people, who bring along their special interests, talents, experiences, and find ways to share them within communities. As much as I like my little town, I had no one to discuss bebop or the I Ching with until folks moved in who worked in research or education near Princeton.
Sometimes, however, you "just have to go to New York". This global magnet is your only recourse, other than global travel. Almost anything you want finds its way to New York, along with a lot you don't want. It's all there, somewhere.
Herein lies the metaphor. When we introduce teachers to the Internet, we are taking them from their room, the place where they live out their professional lives, and relocating them. Should they choose to keep their doors and windows locked, they may never realize that they have moved, and life can proceed safely as before. Once they venture outside, they will surely realize "this doesn't look like Kansas anymore, Dorothy!"
The sense of disorientation is equal to waking up in Manhattan. Once you realize that the even numbered streets usually go east and even numbered avenues usually go uptown, you can begin to find your way around. Landmarks will claim space in your consciousness, as will alternate means of arriving at them (when is it faster to walk than get in a cab? Which subway does the job?). There are probably as many destinations on the Internet as there are addresses in New York; there definately are more people!
Who would expect to get off a bus in the Port Authority and know everyone in New York, or be able to meet the leaders and luminaries that give the city its reputation? Yet, we treat "clueless newbies" with the same jaded matter of factness that New Yorkers are accused of, even if unintentionally. Some of us even argue against making the trip, what with the danger, cost and objectionable offerings that would cause blushes on 42nd St.
We need to be honest.
We are asking teachers to enter a new world, to relocate to a state of mind which is far removed from a "one room world" classroom, to a place where the entire world is the classroom. In my opinion, the vastness of the Internet is not the real problem. It is the organization of this immensity into communities which are closer to a "human" scale that will make the Internet as popular as the suburbs (with hopefully a better design!). People will want to move there, knowing that they are safe, supported and can learn their way around, to find and use things they really need to make a better life.
What do we need? Welcome Wagons?
As we make our first steps, we need to be constantly aware of design elements that organize us into communities, virtual and otherwise. Common interests, needs, goals must be supported by means to share, exchange and react. Tools arrive daily to make searching and retrieving information easier on the Internet, and surely new tools can help meld disparate listservs and newsgroups as veronica and gopher have done for archie and ftp.
The potential for virtual communities to create actual results requires mechanisms for person to person collaboration, which has implications at local, state, regional, national and international levels. These interactions and functions must take precedence over technical considerations, indeed must direct development of new capabilities. We do what is possible, and define what is possible through the filter of our experience. We (who are here) are amassing experiences, becoming acclimated to possibilities our peers can't even imagine.
Just like my neighbors, who react in shock: "You're going to New York? To Central Park? By subway? With your children?"