We are a people who live in a time that is very exciting. Each day almost brings a new advancement in the field of technology. To think back to my first encounter with a computer, an Apple that ran on DOS, to sitting in my bed on a computer no bigger than a textbook is absolutely amazing. Technology is no longer a luxury for most of the western world and power nations, but rather a necessity. Technology is an essential these days in order for us to communicate with each other, and to complete the work needed to maintain a competitive edge in the world.
With this technology comes a major question. Is technology a means or tool to get us to an end result or is technology the end result? The question is most prominent in our education system. Schools invest thousands of dollars into technology in the classroom. I remember as a grade schooler the renovation of one of the rooms in my private Catholic school. The room was gutted, and later dedicated with a plaque above the door that read, "Room 220: The Room of the Future." Inside the room was fitted with the latest technology. An LCD projector hung from the ceiling and projected onto a Smart Board the newest technology at the time. Surround sound filled the room providing the most high quality and high tech sound for watching movies or listening to audio. The whole room from audio/visual to the lights was controlled by the teacher's podium. At the time this was big news, and maybe the plaque wasn't so off at all, because in most school settings this is the technology that fills our classrooms. Along with these high tech rooms our schools are filled with laptops. Some schools in the Saint Louis metro area require that laptops be purchased at the start of high school. Technology has become not only a want these days, but transpired into a need. We must have technology in the classroom to succeed.
If we go back to the original question I posed and put into the context of education we can ask, "Is technology a tool in which we use to educate our children or is technology what educates our children?" This is the very question that was raised at my high school when considering moving to a completely electronic system for textbooks and requiring students to have a laptop. My high school, a private Catholic school, eventually decided that to require laptops was not in the best interest of the student. The reason the school ultimately decided is that they could not in good conscience come to see that the laptops would be a tool. After looking at other schools they saw that the laptop had become a distraction. Thousands of dollars had to be invested in IT taking funds away from other aspects of the school, because of the need to develop firewalls to block students from instant messaging, Facebook, and games. The research also showed that the technology had begun to replace the value of a teacher, and in the mission of my school this was unacceptable. On top of that if the system crashed then school was debilitated for the day because it revolved around the technology.
Why even tell these stories or ask these questions? These correlate with the two videos above, because we are indeed in a society that revolves around technology. As a student in college I myself know the temptation to log onto Facebook during a boring lecture. I know that when I am bored the first thing I do is text someone or get on my laptop and waste time. I don't like to buy books for class, because I never pick them up. I listen to hours of music, because it speaks to me. All of this is not bad, but have we as a society lost the beauty of slowing down and returning to simplicity in our lives?
At the opposite end we must also look at our failing education system. If we are to remain competitive in the world our educators must figure a way to incorporate what our students use into their lessons. I have witnessed an all lecture class with no use of any technology in my college terms and watched students doze off. The fact is that we are over stimulate as students, and now expect to be entertained in everything we do. It is a fact, because there are courses offered for educators in training on how to use technology, so that the future of American education can adapt to our youth so that they have an interest and remain competitive.
The simple fact is that we must find a balance between education as well as a way to teach a return to normalcy. If we become a people who are constantly stimulate without reflection we run a great risk of losing identity of who we are as a community, people, and as an individual. We must use technology as a tool and the not the end result while seeking to uphold the traditions of reflection, slowing down, and simplicity in our lives.
I think your question "Is technology a tool in which we use to educate our children or is technology what educates our children?" is really interesting and will probably become vital in this class. My dad is actually writing his dissertation on a very similar question.
ReplyDeleteI really like your poll you have on the side of your blog! That's a brilliant idea. How did you add that?
ReplyDeleteI think your thoughts on the videos we had to watch for class were great! I am very passionate about our educational system and think its needs reformed ASAP. This is why I want to participate in Teach for America so badly--I want to make a difference for kids who haven't been given the same opportunities as other children in America, simply because of their race or economic background.
Also, you asked me to post links to my other blogs. Here they are: http://whatismylife-erin.blogspot.com/
http://takingpoeticlicense-erin.blogspot.com/
Brett,
ReplyDeleteYou and I wrote on very similar topics. We have a little too much yin and not enough yang. I found it very interesting when you said that having a class centered on so much technology can be disasterous because there would be times when the technology would not work and therefore the class would be held hostage. If this should happen, the lesson cannot stop, though I feel that as time passes, it will eventually succumb to this. Teachers must be fluent in both methods of teaching: With and Without Smart Technology. Very well said!
I forgot to comment on the actual blog! Nicely done integrating the videos, but the blue and yellow color scheme makes it very difficult to read.
ReplyDeleteBrett, I found your blog very interesting and I agree with the point you were making about when students are bored in the classroom they will be tempted to get on facebook or get out their phone to text. I know that at my high school, the school spent so much money on buying laptops for the English department. When the teacher wouldn't be looking, the students would log into their facebooks instead of doing their class work. Even though technology can be so great, I think it can be distracting at the same time. I like how you said we need to find a balance in technology but still having a simple class plan.
ReplyDelete