Where is the future of technology headed? I am not really
sure is my answer. When listening to the webcast tonight of the future of
education it was interesting. It appears the overall belief is technology
is the future and the enabling of the networks that allow each individual what
kind of society that person wants...it is less about the discourse and more
about the connection into the discourse according to Stephen Downes. So
what becomes more important? The learner learning what they want or what
they should learn can be a key component. Technology is not just a tool
it is can actually is part of the thinking process: How we interact, why we
interact and so forth.
I think a big
issue with technology is the danger of isolation. Learning is a collaborative
effort. The building of ideas and concepts can be achieved more readily
if many minds are working together. I am reminded of the movie, The Net.
The lead character, Sandra Bullock, works on computers and no one knows
her because she never really leaves the house. She intercepts something,
a code, and is marked for murder. The movie then becomes the story of her
attempts to reclaim her life that is stolen by the people who are trying to
kill her. Since no one knew her and she has no identification, hers was
changed in the digital world; she cannot prove who she is. She
collaborates with other online, but in the end, she has no friends or people
who know her. So where am I going with this is probably the question you
are all asking...well, hopefully at least one person will read on, lol.
Technology can be a powerful teaching tool, but it needs to be tempered
with humanity. I can use a power point presentation but do my students
know what I am trying to say? Yes, there are words but what do they
actually mean?
I taught the 1st
Amendment the other day and was surprised where the conversation headed.
The students became tangential but still on topic. They wanted to discuss
many different aspect of the 1st Amendment yet we did stay on message because I
kept us there. If we were just relying on technology to teach there would
have been a basic understanding but 39 different ideas of how to get there.
Perhaps the basic understanding is good, but I had to ask question to
make sure my students were not losing sight of that basic understanding.
Yes, the 1st Amendment is about freedom, but at the same time, it is very
important to understand it is actually the basis that all other freedoms come
from.
So how did
technology help me? It did not teach the lesson but it was most assuredly
part of the lesson. My power point was shown on the smart board and the
CNN student news beamed from the Internet. Most definitely, technology is
a tool in this case.
Those who have
read my blogs before know I think technology is the wave of the future...and I
believe it will be instrumental in educating our students going forward.
Heck, I started with pad and pencil in my Master's program and now just
carry my computer around. However, we need to be cognizant of the human
element as well. The balance between the two is where I think education
is headed in the future.
