National Association of Educational Broadcasters convention highlights 1968 Sterling McMurrin, reel 1
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And we are our national educational radio presents highlights from the
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1968 convention of the National Association of educational
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broadcasters. The end E.B. convention was held in
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Washington in November. This program was recorded by WMUR
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Pham the American University. On it you will hear Sterling
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MCMURRAN chairman of the Commission on instructional technology and
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dean of the Graduate School of the University of Utah Salt Lake City.
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I hear it is a very great honor letter
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and personal privilege for me.
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To meet with you on this very pleasant page.
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Desire to respond to present
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Harley's invitation to comment on the work of
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the Commission on instructional technology and
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then to make a few observations on the
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whole problem of our technology and education
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assure you that I see broadcasting
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in the form of radio and television as being the very center of that
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technology.
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I have very great interest in
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things which way with which you are. Concerned.
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I have prepared a statement some of
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it to Diana with the assistance I was detecting
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stat to give you a clear description
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of what the commission on internal Instructional Technology is doing.
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President Tyra. I want to give you a rather complete
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hour of the activities of the commission though it's moving very
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rapidly and certainly is doing some things that are not indicated
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in the papers and I handed the paper with this detail is
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too long.
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And so having written that
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detail into the paper I find it necessary to not read
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much of it. I just get about six pages. I say
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this simply because if you are interested in seeing the complete
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description of the commission's activities I hope you will obtain a
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copy of the paper
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because the activities of the commission are very extensive.
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The present time I believe these are to be recognized.
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Real trouble with the light here that doesn't come out as far as the paper.
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One of the ways that technological illiterates I'm not sure what to do about it
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and.
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Accept it just bend the paper and.
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Then using paper for a long time. And.
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And. Now.
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If Congress enacted the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
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to develop the potential of noncommercial television and radio the
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first two titles provided for the extension to June 30
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1970 are federal grants for the construction of educational broadcasting
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facilities for the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Corporation.
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Title 3 of the aircraft arrived a comprehensive study of the school uses of
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TV radio and allied instructional media
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on the basis of title read by us an administration proposal a nine member
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commission on instructional technology was appointed by the secretary of health
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education welfare and the commissioner of education in March
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1968 to conduct this study under the
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congressional act a commission is required to submit its report to the president for
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transmittal to the Congress not later than June 30
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1969. Most of the commissioners are laymen in the
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matter of instructional technology. Only a minority have expert
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knowledge in the field.
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All however are vitally interested in education. Most of them are
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actively engaged in educational profession whose
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profession they represent the public schools universities foundations community
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colleges and in addition the membership includes a federal
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judge.
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I had intended to have it underlined and mark your
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mention of a high wire in a clear cut expert whom we have
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on the commission. Dr C. Ray carpenter professor of
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psychology Pennsylvania State University.
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Discovering that Dr Carpenter is sitting immediately and cried out.
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I thought maybe I shouldn't mention him for fear you would think it's only because he's sitting
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there but as a matter of fact as all of you know he
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is a man of very genuine expertness and a person of
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tremendous value as a member of the commission. I shall
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not read the names of the other members of the
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commission. Mentioning however that
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most of us other than Dr. Carpenter are
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technologically literate and as your chairman has indicated
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technological illiterates nevertheless have an interest
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in attractive young women and we
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have a very attractive young woman who though not a member of the commission regularly
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attends as a representative and
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assistant of one of the members of Miss list. I mention her because
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she also is present on this occasion.
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Some of you I am sure are acquainted with her.
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The Act which directed the establishment of the commission described its purposes
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primarily in terms of the instructional uses of
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television and radio. I will assume that most of you or perhaps
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all of you are acquainted with the explicit provisions of Title
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3. When the commission was constituted However the United States commissioner
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of education directed it to study the entire appeal of the destruction of
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technology without giving special emphasis to any particular medium.
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Accordingly the work of the commission have been concerned with the whole gamut of
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instructional techniques all new and cute printed mechanical
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and electronic automated in cyber name from books to
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television to computers from classrooms to learning centers
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from overhead projectors to satellite transmissions from preschool to
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graduate school. I would like however to assure of those of you
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who are especially interested in the instructional uses of radio
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and television that the commission and its staff are fully conscious of
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the emphasis of the congressional act and there will be no
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neglect.
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The media of radio and television on the contrary.
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I'm glad that receives some applause I should tell you that I have been
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associated in another connection for the last several years three years to be
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exact. With your president William Harley.
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And ever since the establishment of this commission
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he has periodically brought this matter up with.
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That you know the intent of the Congress was to be concerned
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with broadcasting with radio and television.
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And if Mr. ticked in who is sitting here my lad and I have to buy
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the matter the untap original intent of Congress in this
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connection has been discussed at considerable length by the commission.
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And there is a definite intention on the part of the Commission to
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give full.
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Consideration for radio and television
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broadcasting for say on the contrary the commission intends
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to fully explore the great values which the arts of radio and television have for
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education to assure appropriate support for their future development and
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use. I am pleased to report here that the National Association
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of educational broadcasters has and as an organization
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and individual members of that association are currently working closely
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with the Commission in its studies. In an address
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before the National Association Association of audio
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visual techniques on July 13
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1968 Mr Howard the commissioner of education briefly
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described the purposes of the Commission on instructional technology.
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We have reached the point he said when we have to find an approach to the development and use of
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educational technology that is at least superior to the processes of
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sink or swim selection or a random accidental experiment.
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We've got to come up with a more orderly informed way of taking advantage of all
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that the new technology has to offer. I think we have
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every reason to expect he said at the report of this commission. It will give us the
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courage. And I'm authoritative independent and expert assessment of instructional
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technology that we have long lacked. It will suggest
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priorities for the purchase and use of the new technology. It
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will give our school officials better guidelines and grounds for deciding how much to spend
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on what devices in what combination. Equally
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important it will help elected and other government officials determine
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levels of funding both locally and nationally.
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With this charge in mind the commission is looking at instructional technology as a whole
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as a system rather than the size of the various
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media it is concerned with the status and potential of each medium.
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And of the media combine the prospect of developments with attitudes and
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obstacles and with the most significant questions raised by the
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introduction of technical means in education throughout a caucus
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is on the most urgent and imminent problems facing America's
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determination to equalize educational opportunity and
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individualize the processes of instruction. First
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meeting of the commission was held April 22nd 1968
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by this time the Office of Education had selected the Academy bridge occasional
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development to act as staff for the commission and the Academy's
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executive vice president Mr. Sidney G dict and study director
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under the commission's direction the staff promptly began to assemble.
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Ideas and information. Letters were sent to over
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2000 person representing a broad sampling of the educational community
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as well as other interested institutions individuals government
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agencies associations and private enterprises involved with
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instructional technology.
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In addition in order to ensure the widest range of response announcements were placed in
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trade professional and other publications inviting communications
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to the commission. Simultaneously.
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On extensive and extensive set of questions probing broad
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policy matters as well as technical details and specific uses of
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instructional technology has been developed. This is a very
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extensive set of questions and has been under constant
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revision and development since the beginning. The staff has
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sought expert information and opinion on every phase of the commission's mandate
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from the stablished representatives and Mavericks alive. After the
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result between 150 and 200 research and information papers have been
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commissioned numerous interviews seminars have been
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arranged. The commission has also retained an expert to consult
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expert consultants who work with its staff. One of those whom I
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recognise as being here today is Colonel Hitchins who is
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head of the educational technology developments of the Air
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Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
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Colonel Hitchens was good enough and his
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commanding officer is good enough to get a leave of absence
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to work with us as an expert in the building for the next
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several months.
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He has been tremendously valued.
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Now I intend to delete a great
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many lies and details as to how the commission is
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proceeding.
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I bantered them in here not with the intention of reading them to you but for the
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record and for your information if you care to pursue the matter in detail.
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The commission members have been gratified by the interest manifested in their work and
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by the caliber of the dozens of distinguished persons scholars technicians
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practicing school Mann and others who have agreed to prepare papers or grant
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interviews hundreds of thoughtful replies have come in response to the
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commission's original invitation and announced they have come and
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continue to come from all corners from industry from superintendents of big school
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systems from dozens of smaller places from nearly every state
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commissioner of every of education and every state office our
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education.
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Questions which the Commission on instructional technology is examining are
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not limited to educational problems that are currently urgent or to the
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uses of equipment which is presently available in the signing papers and
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interviewing experts holding seminars. The commission has attempted to
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avoid undue emphasis on equipment per se or on the particular
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medium but has attempted instead to probe the valuable technology
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employed in systems of instruction. I cannot
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overstate the commission's interest in the instructional possibilities of technical
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instruments. When these are employed in instructional systems which
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relate them effectively to one another do the purposes and total
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activities of the instructional staff.
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Here are a very few questions of the type which we are raising
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and for which we are seeking answers. What changes may be necessary in the
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organizational patterns and administrative procedures of schools and
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colleges. In order for new technologies to effectively
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improve instruction. I should add that we are raising the same question with a
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respect to all technology. What effect would be the extensive
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use of instructional technology on teaching on the teaching profession.
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What are the costs of selected programs and technical systems.
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What can we learn from craft costs and resolves Arkan hypothetical
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car studies establish guidelines and rules for the future. How can
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cost benefit analyses be made of present activities and future
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activities. Arkin instructional technology be employed to improve the
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quality of teaching and learning in ghetto schools and in schools
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in other poverty errors. The report will in no
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sense be a technical manual nor a chapter by chapter handbook
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on each individual technology or media. Instead we
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propose to prevent the present findings under such tentative headings as
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if occasional need and instructional technology. The present
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state and future possibilities of the art. New goals and
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possibilities of instruction. Administration management and policy making
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cost and financing. The commission's report will
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provide information and explicit recommendations.
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It will be directed primarily to the federal government to the
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administration and the Congress but it will be of special interest and value
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to all leaders in education local state and national to
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teachers and students to technical specialists
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to decision makers in civic affairs and to the general public.
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And now a few comments on the matter of education
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and technology do turn to the role of technology in
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education and the task of education in a society where
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technology is rapidly becoming the key determinant of the culture.
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It is now commonplace to say that we are at the beginning of a revolution in
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education. Certainly all the ingredients for a revolution are at hand
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and the signs are promising. But we cannot yet say for sure whether the
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revolution will be productive or abort. And if it is productive we do
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not know for sure just what it will produce. What we do know
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is that one of the tasks of education are becoming more complex and more difficult.
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Great possibilities seem to be opening up before us and that in the
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months and years immediately ahead the schools must make a series of
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decisions which will importantly affect the character and quality of
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education and will have a determining impact upon the total life of our
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society. For a long time to come. Genuine
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openness to innovation readiness Corps experiment
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commitment to a continuing assessment of Van Ness and of the most effective
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ways for achieving these are the decisions which must be made
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now and can be made now. It is here of course where
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technology enters the picture. There are at least two kinds of school men
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who are likely to short change their schools in the future. Those ultra
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conservatives who refuse to believe that the new developments in educational
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technology have something genuinely important to bring to the improvement of
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instruction and those altars at the other extreme who planted
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too hastily in too expensive investments without reliable knowledge of
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their value and without adequate competence to employ the
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equipment successfully and effectively. It is
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entirely obvious that the destruct discussion of the process of instruction
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becomes inevitably involved with the problems of the substance of education.
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It is clearly impossible to answer the question of power in education
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without at the same time coming to grips with the question of what. But
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judging from the energy expended on these matters it apparently is not
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equally clear that neither of these questions can be properly pursued
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without including the question of why the question of the larger aims
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and purposes of education and their relation to the goals of instruction.
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In recent decades much attention has been given to math.
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Fortunately over the past decade and a half the substance of Education
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has begun to find its proper place in research and development and
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effective techniques are being developed for the conception and production of
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improved instructional materials. We are here to be on the
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threshold of a major breakthrough in instructional prophecies.
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Moreover the close relation between substance and method is receiving more
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respect. But the serious discussion of educational purposes and
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goals and their relation to the substance and techniques of instruction
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still lags far behind.
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The importance of this predicament.
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Is immediately seen when we consider the possibilities of the new instructional
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technology possibilities for a more effective individualization
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of instruction and for a generally larger return on the investment in the
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schools return in the form of increased knowledge improved skills and
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cultivated towers.
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