Ever since Apple made it clear that they would not support Flash on their wildly popular iOS devices, we’ve been hearing about the death of Flash. It even seemed as though Adobe put a nail in Flash’s coffin when they dropped development on mobile flash late last year. Earlier this week, André Klein wrote a thoughtful (as usual) and comprehensive piece called “Why The Flash Based Virtual Classroom Is A Relic Of The Past.”

So what gives? I’m writing and teaching for a company whose flagship product is just such a Flash-based virtual classroom. I’m starting my first course using WizIQ tonight with Angela Maiers and Richard Byrne. Am I foolishly putting my faith in a dying platform?

I don’t think so. Adobe has made it clear that they don’t consider Flash dead and development of desktop Flash and Flash Media server are ongoing and very active. Adobe, in fact, envisions Flash as a next-generation web-based gaming and application platform. This month’s release of Adobe Creative Suite 6 includes a substantial update to Flash Professional. And on the web, Flash continues to play a vital role in delivering rich internet applications whose functionality just can’t be matched yet by HTML5.

Instead of being relics, I consider Flash-based virtual classrooms to be harbingers of what great interactive learning is becoming. None of them, including WizIQ, are perfect. Most software isn’t. If it was, we’d never need updates, future versions, or upgrades again. They also aren’t necessary in all settings. Coursera, Udemy, and WizIQ Courses all demonstrate that asynchronous video-based learning has huge potential and works very well for many educators and learners.

However, there is no substitute for live, face-to-face learning (and I mean face-to-face in both the virtual and physical senses). Asynchronous tutoring or office hours, for example, aren’t of much use. In-class discussion can be rich and passionate in ways that discussion boards simply can’t match. And being able to see a student’s facial expressions and visual nuances can be critical for instructors, especially when language barriers get in the way of clear written communication.

No, we haven’t achieved the holy grail of synchronous instruction in any of the Flash- or Java-based virtual classrooms. We can, though, achieve a variety of great learning experiences in reasonable facsimiles of a real classroom, complete with breakout rooms and embedded content. Right now (and, it looks, for the foreseeable future), other technologies like HTML5 simply don’t have what it takes to make this happen. That holy grail looks more like something totally bandwidth-friendly that works on any device, providing scalable access to synchronous learning on everything from basic feature phones to high-end tablets and workstations. There isn’t anything that can do this yet, particularly with the richness of mature virtual classrooms.

Mature, though, does not need to equal relic and technology that is evolving a bit more slowly than our needs hardly needs to be consigned to the rubbish bin. Rather, the tools as they exist right now give us a great preview of where synchronous learning is headed. Tools like WizIQ can and always will augment, supplement, replace, and/or complement asynchronous platforms and physical classroom settings, depending upon the needs of the instructor. And yes, they will evolve and improve and will, some day, move to emerging technologies like HTML5 or Adobe Air and new codebases that we haven’t yet dreamed up. Writing them off, however, in the midst of their evolution, with clearly established use cases and large user bases, is a mistake.

Flash will be here for a good while (perhaps for a long while, depending upon how Adobe ultimately leverages the platform and its many developers) and so will the virtual classrooms and synchronous learning it enables. Native Android and iOS apps will fill in holes in access to these environments, Air will push forward cross-platform compatibility, and new tools will emerge and mature as the technology becomes available, driving us closer at each step to that holy grail of anytime, anywhere learning.

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Confusing Tech Conferences
All over the world, there have to be at least a dozen tech conferences taking place over the course of a day. At these conferences, various items can be discussed, from new technology, to console gaming, and to the affect that technology can have on various elements of life. In these, we find people saying, “technology is good for the future,” or “technology is helpful in this current job market.” No kidding. Unfortunately, these conferences are often short on how to bring technology into kids’ lives in meaningful ways.

However, at least one researcher, Paul Howard-Jones, has called out this disparity. At the research conference “Promise and Peril: The Impact of Technology on Children, Schools and Communities” late last month, Howard-Jones explained,

“Parents and teachers need solid evidence and research about the benefits and pitfalls of various technologies.”

Parents Argue Against Technology
Is he saying that technology should come nowhere near education? Many parents have been obviously concerned about kids’ excessive use of video games and computers; why, then, would they allow their students to bring a laptop or even perhaps a tablet to class? In a normal situation, I don’t think they would (or at least would have a hard time seeing the value). This research conference highlighted why parents and administrative powers in schools are worried about taking an agreeable stance on the movement to get every school updated with the latest technology for education.

Educational Technology: Good or Bad?
The point of the lecture by the keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Rich, was to make sure that criticizing the ever-growing amount of media in the classroom was put to rest. If the audience was able to leave with one thing, it would be that “Technology in classrooms isn’t necessarily good or bad – it’s how you use it that counts.” For instance, if a school has every child on a laptop, but those laptops are not monitored…couldn’t the children just be playing Angry Birds instead of doing what they’re supposed to?

Conclusions
There many examples like this. With every pro in technology, there is a con to using it in education. If you make a list, it could seemingly go on and on. One good thing about educational technology stands out above the rest, however. “A 2010 study in the United States showed children between eight and 18 years old spend more than 7-1/2 hours a day using media…” but this isn’t a bad thing. In fact, as discussed at the conference, video games are now being proven to “enhance some brain functions such as visual motor skills and the ability to make fast inferences.” By the end of the lectures, it was decided that technology might affect children poorly, but when it comes to education, technology almost always has the potential for good if used and implemented correctly with the right pedagogy to back it up.

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When it comes to “social” Gina Bianchini is at the top of the ladder. I am relationship oriented person in how I work, learn, teach, and connect with the thousands of people that are enriching my life. But am I the only one? Apparently not. Connecting with people is a way of life for many of us. It must be a very important aspect of our lives or social networks such as Ning, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and now Pinterest, Mentormob, and the upcoming Mightybell would be as popular as they are. So what is next? How is Mightybell going to cater to our social needs?

Social learning is part of my social needs. I learn through conversations and what better place than on WizIQ.  I would like to invite you to join me in learning with and from Gina Bianchini on Conversation WizIQ on May 11, 2011 at 7 PM London time or click on the event announcer to find out the exact time in your area.

Watch, listen, and learn from this outstanding woman.

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Originally posted on ZDNet Education

It’s that time of year again. The weather is improving, flowers are blooming, the baby chicks have arrived at the local feed store (yes, I do live in the country, and yes, I did pick up some chicks yesterday, in addition to the ones I’m incubating), the grill is getting cleaned off, ed tech startups are all the rage among investors (OK, that’s just an interesting phenomenon, but still…), and I’m ready to shift my career again. It must be something about spring.

Regardless of the reason, I wanted to share my new effort, one that gets me back to teaching (which I’ve sorely missed) and gives me a chance to expand my sphere of colleagues who inspire and motivate me. Most readers will be familiar with Richard Byrne of freetech4teachers fame and Angela Maiers, author of a number of books on educational transformation. Richard and I began working with Steve Hargadon late last year on the Classroom 2.0 Book Project and now we’re launching a joint project with Angela Maiers called “So You Wanna Be a Leader? Lessons in Entrepreneurship for Teachers”.

Read the rest of this post over on ZDNet and check out our WizIQ Course Page!

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