After reading Chapter 1 of Neil Postman’s “Technopoly” I am very concerned about how technology has changed our lives. Before reading this I thought of ‘technology’ as the first computers that were available for home use, not the first computer that was built, but the first computer that was available for mass use. After reading this chapter, I believe ‘technology’ began with the first tools that made human life easier and allowed for mass production. The hammer or the wheel allowed for easier travel and faster building, conserving time. When the mechanical clock was introduced, the monks where able to monitor their time and get more done/ However, technology is neither friend nor foe, merely something that changed our daily lives and we had to adapt to these changes. AS new technologies come out we pay less attention to the old and focus on the new. It does not matter if it is better, only that is it newer. And the inventers of these new technologies are viewed as the people with the power of their day.
Being able to read and write gave everyone the same chance. You just had to get a book to learn, but you had to be able to read, which divided us into the ‘those that can and those that cannot’. Those that cannot are behind again. And now we have a generation so dependent on technology they have lost their creativity, their ability to do simple math, and their ability to communicate with others. Which makes me wonder what will happen to education? Will students go to school and rotate classroom as we do today? will students sit in a wifi hot spot and watch presentations on their laptops? or will they teach themselves via internet classrooms and self directed learning.
Technology has allowed us to stay connected all over the world, but if we had not seen the Eiffel Tower though photographs, television, or the internet would we still want to go visit it?
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI think you make a very interesting point questioning where technology will take the classroom. I do often wonder myself where education is headed in light of technology. My thought, and great hope, is that there is still value in human to human interaction. As long as the majority still holds to this truth, I guess our jobs are safe. I have to say that I see the benefits of self-directed or online learning (hence the reason I am in this class), but I also still long for being in a classroom in front of the teacher as a learner. This is actually one of the main reasons I chose to attend Dordt. I can still be in a classroom interacting with students and teachers! I think it will be interesting to see where education is headed, and I hope we are ready to do whatever necessary to show the value of a teacher in the classroom :)
A very provocative question! It does make you think about where the technological trends are taking us and what will be the outcome on formal education. Even now we can learn and experience so much vicariously through computers and other media but I think we are treading on dangerous ground when this kind of learning completely replaces the "hands-on" experiential kind of learning. Technology can definitely enhance and enrich education but cannot replace learning that is existential and interactive. For that reason, learning about the Eiffel Tower through technology is fine, but if we have the opportunity to actually go to Italy and see it and even touch it, by all means we should! I also love this class and the ability to do it online this summer is an extra bonus, but I sure would love it if all us could get together in person. I think we could learn even more from each other in that kind of a setting.
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