D/B1

I am excited about the potential use of technology in education. I would like to see modern, cutting-edge technology-use widely integrated, along with other proven educational structures, in all public schools as vehicles for successful learning. Technology is a major tool for learning and for staying connected within our society as a whole, and it should therefore be used as a major tool for learning and communication within our educational system. If our educational system is to prepare its students for the society and world at large, then our educational system should utilize the advanced technological tools available as vehicles for learning.


After reading both “Beyond Technology Integration: The Case for Technology Transformation” by Roberto Joseph, and “Of Luddites, Learning, and Life” by Neil Postman, two articles with messages on either side of the spectrum for educational technology support, I found that Joseph’s argument supports my ideals about educational technology more than Postman’s, although both authors bring up vital and opposing points.

I believe that, at heart, although not boldly stated as the articles’ central themes, both authors address the idea that there is an underlying problem within our current educational system; and that something about the way things are currently being done to educate our students is not working for all students. Failing test scores and high drop-out rates attest to this.

Like Postman, who states that “the great problems of education are of a social and moral nature…,” I agree and add that societal immorality and the failing family structure are major problems that directly affect the educational system. Each year I witness hindrances in my students’ focus and learning due to increasing emotional issues which stem from issues such as divorce, drugs and/or alcohol abuse within the family, low income pressures, homelessness, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, parental responsibilities as adolescents, split families, increasing single parent families, lack of parental support, and the list goes on.

However, I don’t think that increasing technology use as methods for learning would take away from focusing on changing the moral/societal issues that exist. Unlike Postman, I believe that increased technology use within the educational system would not only and simply “give our students greater access to more information faster, more conveniently, and in more various forms than has ever been possible” as he argues are not beneficial, but that increased technology use could also be used as a tool, vehicle, or method to foster an education that supports strong social and moral values and social responsibility, in addition to supporting critical thinking, and as Joseph supports, “learning-focused” education for students of the undeniable “information age” that we are a part of. In other words, technology can be used to teach students to be thoughtful, cooperative members of society, and critical thinkers and learners ready to compete in the job market and solve problems within our world. Technology can be used as a tool to improve our educational system. As educators with access to greater technology use in the school system, we would have the power to drive and encourage the proper use and purposes of technology that could foster positive advancement.

Like Joseph, I agree that the structure of the way we teach needs to be re-evaluated and re-structured, and that technology is key to this re-structuring. Technology is a tool that aids in student motivation and interest, a problem that the current “industrial” methods of teaching are not solving. As times change, our educational system needs to change as well to meet the growing needs of the students we are serving. Right now, the times are in favor of technology. Postman would argue that incorporating more technology into education would be simply “[conforming] to the requirements of what is new” and pose the question: “What is the problem to which new technologies are the solution?” I would say that change is a constant thing that we need to teach students to encounter with success, and that technology does solve problems for our educational system. Should we resort to only using books or audio to teach? No! Why not also utilize audio/visual tools and other technologies as they become prevalent and available? The educational system needs to be relevant to those whom we teach that are being introduced to new technology outside of school. Instead of allowing new technologies to compete with us for our students’ attention, we need to grasp their attention and teach them with it. Technology increases student motivation and provides meaningful, hands-on experience with the tools that students will need to become accustomed to in the real world and on the job. Instead of adding to the educational problems that exist, technology can be used as a tool to teach, similarly to how the arts can be used as a tool to educate and express learning.

In my experience as a middle school English teacher, I have not seen technology take away from education, as I interpret Postman believes it does, but rather I have seen it improve education. Every time that I have allowed students to use computers to type their papers, have included a video clip, website, internet-connected projector, have allowed them to use technology for research, or have given them the option to reflect over or demonstrate their learning through technology mixed with creativity and rigor, I have seen increased motivation and excitement behind their learning. I wish that our school had access to more up-to-date technology to use as educational tools. I believe it would also be very beneficial if my colleagues and I were more aware of and better trained to use and incorporate more technological tools such as ones that Joseph discusses (simulators, customized tutorials, self-regulated learning, etc.). I believe that our current educational system could be drastically improved by using technology to support teaching our current content and standards.

This differs from Joseph’s idealistic opinion that “educators must recognize that using technology to support what they are already doing is not a productive course of action when compared to using technology to transform their teaching to a paradigm that is attainment-based rather than time-based.” Again, I agree that structures within our educational system need revising, and that we are on our way to the paradigm shift he mentions, but along the way to acquiring a “perfect” or “ideal” model, using technology to assist in what we are currently doing as educators to make our students’ learning experiences more meaningful, realistic and fun would be highly beneficial from what I have witnessed.


Works Cited:

Reigeluth, C.M. & Joseph, R. (2002). Beyond technology integration: The case for technology transformation.Educational Technology, 42(4), 9-13.

Postman, N. (1993). Of Luddites, learning, and life. Technos Quarterly, 2(4).