When Not to Use Technology: Final Thoughts
While teaching eight years in the Philippines, I learned a very important lesson from the culture … it’s people that are really what’s important in life. I love gadgets, some people love travel, some live for their degrees but what’s really important? People.
The Learners: Kids and Communication
Integrating technology with education in a Web 2.0 world is all about people. People communicating, collaborating, stimulating and and learning from each other. Actually, that’s what teaching should be all about. Social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace are the preferred means of communication for kids today. Today’s generation of students loves to multi-task, perhaps that is why these social network places allow them to do a multitude of tasks all on one website. If anything the social networks have proved that people are important to today’s generations, they just communicate in a forum most teachers are not used to.
So who should NOT use technology?
The Extremes
Technology, when placed in the wrong hands, is very dangerous. There are two ends of the spectrum that this statement can refer to. One end is the beginning user, the other the techie who knows it all. Both of these individuals should be considered armed and dangerous and handled with care. Our job is to guide students in their (and our) learning. If the use of technology inhibits or prohibits learning, then were faced with trouble. The WOW! factor often distracts the audience from real learning. It can lead to bird walking when it comes to learning and understanding.
We must emphasize good teaching, not good technology. The use of technology should not and cannot be abused. It cannot be the ‘dog and pony show’ which substitute for real learning. Promote and teach “pedagogy-based” technology workshops, which focus on good teaching practices and on the design and implementation of technology-mediated courses. If done correctly, a technology department needs to put “student engagement” and “professional development for teachers” at the top of their priorities.
People to People (p2p), Face to Face (f2f)
We are encouraging a society of parallel relationships. Kids are chatting with each other, texting each other, and communicating without ever facing each other.We must be careful they do not become isolated and socially inept. Last week a middle school decided not to sponsor a dance, kids wanted to play computer games. They said they were too afraid of rejection at the dance. Wow, what’s happening?
May 15th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Great post! These reasons are why we, at ISB, are trying to take the technology out of the IT curriculum, focusing instead on thinking, habits of mind, and the process of inquiry. The technology tools are constantly changing, it’s the process, the habits and the ethics that need to be embedded in every tool we use.