• Front Page
  • Search
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Menu

ICT & Computing in Education

Articles on education technology and related topics
  • Front Page
  • Search
  • Newsletters
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
  • Info
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy

Philosophy and technical support

February 9, 2016

Hume on the help desk? Picture is (c) Existential Comics

What would it be like if your tech support employed philosophers to help people out? This comic strip from Existential Comics provides an answer.

What I like about the site, apart from the fact that the strips I've looked at so far have brought a smile to my face, is that there is an option to have the joke explained to you. At the end of each strip there is a list of the philosophers featured in it, and also this button:

Click here for an explanation.

Click here for an explanation.

When you click on that you see a box like this:

Here's the joke explained.

Here's the joke explained.

I think this is a great way to teach philosophy. When I was a teacher, I used cartoons and comic strips to teach (at various times) Computing, Economics, English, ICT, Politics and Sociology. However, unlike the Existential Comics website, I didn't provide the explanation of the joke -- I asked my students to do that.

If you would like to create your own comic strips, see the article 25 useful resources for teachers, as it contains a link to 20 websites where you can create your own cartoons and comics for free.

If you're interested in a philosophical perspective of Computing, see the guest article by Mel Thompson, Should philosophy influence educational policy?

Incidentally, both of those articles first appeared in the Digital Education newsletter, which is free. You can subscribe to it by clicking on the button below. Thank you.



In On the lighter side Tags philosophy, technical support, Mel Thompson
← Digital Education post-Bett edition now outMy best and worst IT lessons #8: Logging in →
Recent book reviews
Blueprints (1).jpg
Review of Blueprints

I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote! In substantive terms there is little difference between the two, but you may find it interesting to see what the editor altered.

Read More →
Filming in progress by Terry Freedman.jpg
On this day: Review of the Flip Video

This seems like a hundred years ago! Since the introduction of the Flip Pocket Video Recorder a couple of years ago, several variations on the theme have been put on the market, both by rivals and Flip themselves.

Read More →
curiosity.jpg
Review: Cabinet of Curiosity - Developing a Superpower

School life ought to consist of far more than just a utilitarian pursuit of exam grades over all other considerations.

Read More →
dr bot.jpg
Review: Dr Bot - Why Doctors Can Fail Us-and How Al Could Save Lives

In this comprehensive and highly readable Dr Bot, Blease tackles a wide range of issues, including some that are apposite for those working in schools.

Read More →
books a manifesto.jpg
Review: Books A Manifesto - Or, How to Build a Library

A compelling read that's bound to make even the most well-read among us feel somewhat under-educated.

Read More →
algospeak.jpg
Review: Algospeak-How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language

A fascinating insight into how language evolves and adjusts according to changes in culture.

Read More →
polish.jpg
Need a break? This book of short stories could be just the ticket!

The 39 stories in this collection span a hundred years, during which Polish society underwent seismic political change several times over.

Read More →
digital culture shock.jpg
Review: Digital Culture Shock: Who Creates Technology and Why This Matters

An interesting look at how differently societies across the globe view and use technlogogy.

Read More →
the idea machine.jpg
Review: The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future

The written word has endured for millennia, and herein you'll discover why.

Read More →
craftland.jpg
Review: Craftland: A Journey Through Britain's Lost Arts and Vanishing Trades

A book that offers a glimpse into the way traditional crafts were practised before the Industrial Revolution.

Read More →
Dig+Ed+Banner.jpg

Contact us

Privacy

Cookies

Terms and conditions

This website is powered by Squarespace

(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved