Life Without A Computer

While I was home over Reading Week, I was unable to use the Internet because my family's computer had gotten some sort of virus. For the first time, I actually took into account how many times a day I think about going on the computer, because I would have to stop myself and say, "Wait a minute - I can't." Whether it was checking my e-mail, checking out a website, updating my blog, or looking up information, I suddenly realized how dependent I have become on computers. It didn't drive me crazy, though. In fact, I actually found it added to my relaxation over the week. I didn't feel obligated to respond to e-mails, and I didn't miss out on anything. Sure, I was happy to be able to use a computer again when I returned to Regina on Sunday, but I really enjoyed my time away from the computer. Instead I baked cookies, read books, and found other things to do with my time. I discovered just how much time I spend in front of the computer, often with nothing to show for it. I would seriously challenge everyone to try going without their computer for a week or even a couple of days when it suits them. It's an interesting and thought-provoking experience!

Technology Education

I was reading a chapter in Neil Postman's book "Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century" (2000) and found something he said relevant to this class. This is in regards to teaching about technology in schools:

"Everyone will know how to use computers. But what they will not know, as none of us did about everything from automobiles to movies to television, is what are the psychological, social, and political effects of new technologies. And that is a subject that ought to be central in schools. It requires some knowledge of the history of technology, of the principles of technological change, and of the economic and social alterations that technology inevitably imposes. If we want our students to live intelligently in a technological society, I don't see how this can be done if they are ignorant of the full meaning and context of technological change." (p. 170-171)

I think that Postman makes a really good point. How can we know where we are going if we don't know where we have come from? We should not be ignorant of the history of this technological development that is rapidly transforming the way we live. Children need to have an understanding of how society has changed since technology has become more common, and the implications this has for the present and future. Technological education should combine technological skills with technological history so children have a broader understanding of it. They need to know its personal and social impact. Such an education will aid in their critical thinking and enable them to use technology so that they control it, rather than it controlling them. Postman sums this up well: "My point is that, if we are going to make technology education a part of the curriculum, its goal must be to teach students to use technology rather than to be used by it" (p.171).

Tuesday's Class

Tuesday's class left me truly inspired! It is amazing to see all the creative possibilities that making videos presents. And never has it been so easy for amateurs to produce a quality product. With this kind of medium, the only limit is your imagination. I especially appreciated the music history video - a little creativity and effort can go a long way towards an impressive presentation on a subject. I'm not saying that in order for students to learn it must always be entertaining, but projects like this can serve as great introductions or summarizations that get the students interested and inspired. Projects like this show them that learning does not have to be boring, and shows them how what they learn can be applied to their own lives.

Education & Entertainment

I read an interesting article in my Comparative Education class that I thought was quite relevant to this class. It is by N. Postman in the book Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). He discusses that how one learns is as important as what one learns, and this has implications in the technological age. I thought this article especially poignant given the date it was written; I wonder what the author thinks now. Here is an excerpt:

"One is entirely justified in saying that the major educational enterprise now being undertaken in the United States is not happening in its classrooms but in the home, in front of the television set, and under the jurisdiction not of school administrators and teachers but of network executives and entertainers...like the alphabet or the printing press, television has by its power to control the time, attention and cognitive habits of our youth gained the power to control their education. This is why I think it accurate to call television a curriculum." (p.145)

The influence of television in the 1980's has extended to computers in the 2ooo's. Education and technology have become intertwined to the point where they are inseparable. Although television and especially computers can be educational tools, it should not get to the point where they become education itself. There is an ever-growing attitude that children do not want to learn something unless it's presented as entertainment. This is a severely misguided mindset, because education and entertainment are NOT the same thing. I know some people will disagree with me on this, but true education requires dedication, hard work, and application of the mind. Yes, education should be interesting, but this should not be mistaken for entertainment. When children are constantly entertained in an attempt to educate them, they are being spoon-fed the material. Their natural curiosity and ability to think critically will weaken when they are repeatedly subjected to education of this kind. I think it is true that the medium is the message. When entertainment is the focus, what kind of message does that send to children?

Technology & Morality

Yesterday's class really made me think about the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom. There are two extremes: the good side like the class using Skype to connect with the girl at home, and the bad side like the devastation caused for the Star Wars kid. Like anything in life, the key to using technology for good is to teach kids responsibility at an early age. If they learn how to be responsible users and think critically about the things presented on the Internet, I think that will lessen the potential for problems considerably. Parents and teachers need to warn children about the dark side of the Internet so that they are aware of it and know how to avoid it. More importantly, though, the positive side should be emphasized and good websites and applications presented so that children concentrate on those things. I think that to bar children from using the Internet in an effort to "protect their innocence" would only lead to irresponsible behaviour when they are given the opportunity to use it, because this will inevitably happen with the myriad places it is available.

I compare this to the drinking of alcohol in Europe and North America. This may sound strange, but stick with me here. In Europe children are exposed to alcohol at an early age, and grow up drinking with their families. They are taught to drink responsibly, and they drink to ENJOY it. There are virtually no problems with alcoholism in Europe. On the other hand, in North America people are not allowed to drink until they are older, but teenagers do it anyways. In general, their drinking practices are not responsible; they drink to get sloshed, not because they enjoy the taste of it. Alcoholism is a common problem. The suppression of alcohol use and the fact that children are not taught to use it responsibly has led to these problems. In the same way, barring children from the Internet will not help them. By teaching them how to use it responsibly, they will be more likely to use it that way. They will focus on the positive, productive side of the Internet and know to avoid those things that could lead to detrimental consequences.

Products of the School System

In my Comparative Education class we were told to read the article "Against School" by John Taylor Gatto, who taught for 30 years in New York and was once named New York City Teacher of the Year. It really made me think. It takes some time to read, but it's worth it. It can be found at:

www.spinninglobe.net/againstschool.htm

Gatto argues that the current school system is designed to produce mild-mannered citizens who are obedient to the law. The purpose of education is to educate people so they can take on jobs that serve the larger social system and keep it running. As a result, boredom is prevalent in schools because children's natural curiosity is repressed, and consumer frenzy means that children never really mature as they become adults because they never need to commit to anything. The rich get richer while the poor get poorer, and the system is designed to keep things this way.

As I thought about this article, I looked at our society with a more objective point of view. Although all children are entitled to an education, school is designed to weed out those with little potential to serve the system and build up those who have that potential. Thus, from an early age many children are led to believe they are of lesser value than those who are "smarter", simply because they do not fit the mold society would like them to. Schools are designed to set these kids up for failure. Why is education the only measure of value in today's society? Why do we look down on those who are less "educated"? Who decides what is and isn't worth learning? Just because someone does not meet the standards of the system - to graduate from high school, to go to university, to get a good job and thus become a productive member of society - does not mean they are failures as human beings. The ironic thing is that we depend on these people to maintain the standard of life we are accustomed to while looking down on them all the while. Who are the people who work at Wal-Mart on Sundays, at McDonald's at midnight, and at the video store on Christmas Day? Those who we have discarded as being unambitious underachievers. Yet we sure appreciate it when we can have these services provided to us at our convenience. This is just part of the problem of our society, and the school system is a direct product of the society it serves. As aspiring teachers we need to be aware of these attitudes and practices, and strive to show our students that they are smart, capable human beings who can aspire to be who they want to be. Gatto says, "After a long life, and thirty years in the public school trenches, I've concluded that genius is as common as dirt. We suppress our genius only because we haven't yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women."