Constructive criticism

Image source: https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2020/05/10/constructive-criticism-3/

Few people like criticism. But most of us can gain from it.

A friend and I were talking about some suggestions made by an editor of his latest book. She called into question the term “master bedroom." - “master” conjuring up the era of slavery and all of its injustices. Yeah, I can see that, as could my friend.

I was once admonished for using the phrase “cracking the whip” when assuring a coworker that I would have my tech staff work on a problem without delay. When I used the term, I was thinking mules as the historical reference to the illusion. She was thinking enslaved persons. I can see that too. I no longer use the saying.

After reading a manuscript of one of my books, a friend noted that I wrote “somewhat unique." “The word ‘unique' cannot have qualifiers. It is an absolute. A thing is either unique or it is not.” I stood corrected and remain so to this day. And I silently moan when others say “somewhat unique” or similar.

After a professional presentation, a librarian told me that I was racist. “Why do you say that?” I asked. “Because your slideshow showed not a single child of color - only white students!” I explained that I used photos of the students in my own school district (filtered to remove identity), which at the time was small, rural, and majority white. But after the criticism, I made sure I included as large a sampling of different races as possible. And it really wasn’t that hard to do.

The final piece of constructive criticism that I appreciate to this day also came after giving a keynote presentation at a conference. Once again a woman (probably a librarian) asked me if I realized that throughout my talk I played with the coins and other objects in my pockets. But perhaps it looked like I was playing with something else and I should not be lecturing about education nor be allowed within 100 yards of a school. Before every talk and workshop that followed, I always removed everything from my front pants pockets and placed them in my suit jacket pockets - and kept my hands out of all my pockets.

Constructive criticism can be embarrassing. Painful. Humiliating. But should one choose to learn from it, it can be invaluable. 

Might these two problems cancel themselves out?

The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment. Warren Bennis

The projections are reliable and stark: By 2050, people ages 65 and older will make up nearly 40% of the population in some parts of East Asia and Europe. That’s almost twice the share of older adults in Florida, America’s retirement capital. Large numbers of retirees will be dependent on a shrinking number of working age people to support them. Lauren Leatherby, NYT,  July 23, 2023

An article in the July 24, 2023 Star Tribune newspaper reported that we Minnesotans can now renew our license plate tabs at the local supermarket. Using a machine similar to an ATM, one provides the necessary information and payment and bada-bing, bada-boom one gets new stickers printed out. No human contact necessary.

And, I would suspect, fewer employees needed at the vehicle registration desk in the county offices. Perhaps less demand for postal workers who might deliver the stickers. 

It seems to me that we may be facing two big problems that just might cancel each other out.

The first is that there is a shrinking percentage of our population who will be in the workforce. My Boomer generation is large and retiring in growing numbers. Our children and children’s children seem to be postponing starting families. The advisability of large numbers of immigrants who might fill needed work positions seems to be called ever more into question. 

Yet at the same time, automation and AI are doing more of the work that was once done by humans. Warehouses look to be run by some sort of robotic pickers. Manufacturing has long been dominated by robots. Self-driving cars are becoming a thing. Even tasks done by nursing home workers are being co opted by little C3POs. (Somehow I would rather have a robot change my diapers and empty my drool bucket than a human being.)

As “cheap” labor becomes harder to find and more expensive when found, the push for automation will make increasing economic sense for businesses and the government. My local bank recently remodeled its office area, taking out dozens of cubicles once used by bank officers. Of the ten teller windows, usually only two are now occupied. Hey, with online banking and ATMs and Venmo, who needs to go to a bank any more?

One business that seems to remain labor-intensive is the local supermarket. While the number of checkout clerks has dwindled due to self-checkout, produce workers, meat cutters, shelf-restockers, bakers, and deli workers are still plentiful. How long, I wonder, before the big stores figure out a way for shelves to be somehow automatically restocked? Before all hamburger is processed and packaged before being shipped to the store?  Before robots start baking the bismarcks and apple fritters? 

The nature of human work will change. Rather than flip burgers at McDonalds, the employees will maintain the burger-flippin’ mechanical devices and troubleshoot the already present machines used to place orders. “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us,” will be true for all fast food joints unless the AI cook develops the ability to get upset. People who really enjoy cooking can work as chefs in more upscale restaurants.

I have always believed that any person who can be replaced by a machine, should be. Work should engage the mind, allow for creativity and problem-solving, and give individuals a sense of self worth. Automation and a shrinking workforce may just make that more likely.

So ends my morning mental rambling on this hot, hot day…

Missing ISTE conferences

I attended (and usually presented) at every ISTE summer conference from 2003 to 2013. I served on the ISTE National Board from 2004-2008 and their National Education Technology Standards writing project in 2000. I was named a “Best of the Best” presenter in 2005. I was given “Making IT Happen” recognition in 2015. In other words, I was deeply involved in the International Society for Technology in Education. (See Why I Belong to ISTE)

So it was no small lump in my throat that I read Tim Stahmer’s recent blog post, “Not at ISTE”.  In the post, Tim reflects on his experiences at ISTE conferences in the past - and compares them to today’s state of both the organization and their conferences.

Like Tim, a major reason I attended the ISTE conference (really any conference) was the opportunity to see friends and associates and have discussions related to common work/tech/education issues we were facing. I often enjoyed the keynote speakers who were bigwigs in education or technology and it was fun to see some of the new and innovative technologies being used by fellow attendees. (I usually spent very little time the vendor area - usually just to say hi to Minnesota business reps.) 

Around 2009, the organization and the conference began to change. Tim reflects:

That was the year they dropped the old name, NECC (the National Educational Computing Conference), and moved their primary office to Washington DC. I think that was the start of the organization becoming more corporate and less of a community of educators. A big business that promotes the edtech industry, as opposed to one dedicated to improving the practice of teachers, helping schools, and enhancing student learning.

Maybe it was because 2008 was my last year on the board? Even while I was on the board, though, corporate voices played what I thought was an outsized role in ISTE’s policy making. Apple had a permanent seat and there were always at least a couple more corporate seats at the table. 

Over my final years of work and especially over my past four retirement years, I have drifted away from paying much attention to ISTE, AASL, and other educational organizations. At some point, we “boomers” need to loosen our grip on the reins of our profession, leaving visioning and problem-solving to younger, brighter minds. I admire Tim for staying informed. Sorry to say, I’m just not that interested.

I deeply appreciate the experiences afforded me through conference attendance. (I did fight for years trying to get ALA and ISTE to stop holding their national meetings at the same time each year, arguing that many of us swung both ways - techs and librarians!) Perhaps like Blockbuster and fax machines, physical conferences are indeed a thing of the past, to be attended only by those for whom change is difficult.

A few blog posts about past experiences at the ISTE conference:

• Policy and iPads: a few ISTE 10 impressions
• ISTE 12: Escalators, Apps, and Sitting
• Howdy from ISTE 2013
• Student focused ISTE 17