Technological Inertia

I agree with Andrea. In my Technology courses, and the ELA courses to which I have lent assistance with implementing this kind of solution, the learning curve for using the software effectively and creatively ends up being the project; the curricular outcomes coming in as secondary to just finishing the video task. I find this to be the main reason that the Language Arts and Social Sciences departments are loathe to incorporate the ICT and technology intensive elements; they can accomplish their objectives more efficaciously without the unnecessary and costly time commitment to learn the technological tools.
As I have recently learned in my Yearbook advisory role, the technology and creative expectations of a task can be a huge impediment to the student actually engaging in a task. The students expectations are to do the best possible technical and creative job which most times does not correlate with the individuals skills set and thus they are at a standstill until teacher intervention occurs.One or both of these areas are not as developed as the student might expect so they do nothing rather than face embarrassment or failure. Once the technical/creative expectations hurdle is overcome ( by outside independent learning or by simplicity of use[ as per the Web 2.0] ) then the students can then achieve the required goals quite well.

A question about being self-referential in Networks of learning

This is a question I posed to George Siemens on May 13th.

Have you any references to scholarly work that would address the question of isolationism and self-referentialism in communities of learning.
I have looked at Dave's edtech talk (lurking only) and a a few others and there seem to be very few voices of descent. I was just wondering if persons of dissenting opinions would be ignored, banished, or quit the communities of their own volition and how new or radical thoughts would enter the discourse if everyone is in general agreement all the time. From what I know of the scientific field it is the imaginative and oft-time radical ideas that truly make a difference in changing ideas and mind-sets.

I have found very little information on this topic to date. Anyone have a link to some ( text based) resources?