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Patrick:The one thing that seems interesting in this week’s discussion is the idea of __relative advantage__. I think it may be safe to say that the group as a whole is middle/ middle-upper class. So using that assumption most of us has the “toys” that are available in technology today. With that being said we are constantly bombarded with the upgrades to replace out “old” technology. That’s where the decision making begins. In some cases it’s __a matter of price__. And at what price point do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Let’s be honest, new technologies that we are talking about __have little or any disadvantages__ other than shelling out the money to acquire them.Another similarity is that many of us our __early knower’s__, which makes a lot of sense since we are in the same program and most likely same socioeconomic class. With that being said I think a __wide range of what Rogers see as complexity and compatibility exist among us__. Another trend I see is that many of us become __early knower’s of innovations due to mass media__, however that alone is not enough to convince us that a relative advantage exists.

Mary:There is a lot of talk about the rate of adoption and factors that affect that -- mainly __price__.  Some good discussion about how the __constant availability of new updates becomes overwhelming__ and __people are unsure about when to buy because they know that their purchase will be obsolete__ (or at least old) in a matter of months.  With K-12 innovation the discussion seems to be that the __continuous change keeps schools behind always__.  Some talk about if the __innovations are creating more harm than good by preventing students from learning basic skills__.  I also like the ones that you included on our group's discussion board.

__**Summary**__

Due to our degree interest, career path, access to mass media, and middle/upper-middle class socio-economic status, the assumption is made that our class may be defined as __Early Knowers__ (p.174). We know about innovations but have not necessarily adopted them. We also have a higher degree of __relative advantage__ (p.229) as we perceive new technology to be better than previous technology. We did not express that complexity (p.257) was an issue that keeps us from adopting technology. We appreciate trialability (p.258), which is consistent with Early Knowers, and we question our "earlier adopting" peers to determine if an innovation should be adopted. Many people discussed __cost__ as a significant determiner of when they decide to adopt new innovations. Another aspect that makes it difficult for some to determine when to adopt an innovation is the knowledge that the innovation will eventually become outdated or obsolete in a short period of time. This may be closely tied to cost as we want to "jump in" at the right time, when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. All of us increased our knowledge of new innovations, but some used the Discussion Board threads to actively collect knowledge about a particular innovation of interest. A few of us used the threads to actively work through the persuasion stage of an innovation. For example, several students wrote that they were now "sold" on a smartphone and were ready to adopt this technology after learning of its advantages and disadvantages.

Most innovation posts were related to technology hardware or technology clusters, while a few others discussed technology ideas or how technology affects our daily lives. As it relates to education, it is difficult for our K-12 schools to keep up with innovations due to cost and continuous change. We are also concerned for our students growing up in a generation where they text more than talk, and seemingly spend more hours inside with technology than outside in the fresh air. We also wonder if innovations create more harm than good by preventing students from learning basic skills.

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