• Introduction
• Technology and Learning Patterns
• Incrementalism
• Narrative & Informal Knowledge
• Integration
• Redundancy, Congruity and Re-Visioning
• Invention and Learning: Topoi and Stasis
• Ten Topoi for Technology Skills
• Topic Functions
• Limitations of Topics
• Key Stasis Points
• The Rich/Poor Gap
• Managing the Gap
• Re-Visioning Class "Technology"
• Principles for "Meta-Structure"
• Challenges
• Modeling and Sharing
• References
• Printable Text of Article

© Copyright 1999 by Star Muir (smuir@gmu.edu). The right to make additional exact copies, including this notice, for personal and classroom use, is hereby granted. All other forms of distribution and copying require permission of the author.

For Isocrates, then, practical wisdom is the result of an interplay between the ideas gained from conventional wisdom and the perceptions generated by a new situation. Each part shapes the other: conventional wisdom tells us how to read a new situation, and a new situations tells us how to revise the norms of our conventional wisdom. (Poulakos and Poulakos, p.50).

Students have many different learning styles -- some gulp knowledge of technology in marathon computer sessions; others dabble a bit here and there when focused on a project or assignment. Some prefer to follow detailed textual instructions; others like to play around and see what happens. Some students like to learn alone; some would rather watch others and emulate. Some students are visual learners; others learn by verbal interaction. This obvious diversity poses some interesting challenges for using technology effectively as a learning tool.

Yet from this diversity certain patterns emerge. Beyond many differences in learning styles, there are some fairly common aspects of skill development: skills are learned incrementally, informal knowledge can play a key role, and redundancy and congruity are particular points for attention. Students develop practical wisdom by building on solid foundations, by learning from others, and by referring to clear instructions and accurate information.

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