Beyond or Before Technology - Education

I teach a Reading Strategies class, which I have typically taught in a classroom with computers. The textbook, as written, requires students to utilize the computer to traverse the numerous exercises, quizzes, test and examples given in the textbook. The class itself is set up in Blackboard, which is the same classroom setup that we use for this class. I stood in front of my class the first evening, without computers and heard myself say, “I have not conducted this class, without computers before,” “this should be interesting.” The class meets for two hours and 40 minutes. All the materials I brought to the class, instructed students to go to perform various tasks on the computer. I never factored in the possibility that I would not have a classroom with computers. As I read Neil Postman’s article, Of Luddites, Learning, and Life, my Reading Strategies class came to mind. I had no idea I would be reading this article, and it would pose such a question as: “What is the problem to which the new technologies is a solution?” So in my case, did I really have a problem, not having computer technology in my Reading Strategies Class? I guess not, I defaulted back to what I knew to do prior to having computers. I taught the lessons, right from the book, utilizing the overhead I had, the bulletin board (white board) and engaged my students to participate in the learning process. There were a lot of interaction and two hours and 40 minutes later, we were all surprised how quickly the time had gone by. I see how as an educator, we can become dependent on technology as the tool for instruction and learning, and should stay mindful that it is not the sole vehicle of which learning should depend.

I am an advocate of Mastery Learning. Being a special education teacher and having written numerous individual education plans, I am in agreement with the concept of “a learning-focused paradigm of education, ” as outlined In Charles M. Reigeluth and Roberto Joseph’s article Beyond Technology Integration: The Case for Technology Transformation.

Both articles point out that the correlation between purpose of education and the methods of instruction are misaligned with the possibilities that technology offers. I do not want to give in to the cynicism of Postman in prescribing a revisit to the roots of the practical application of knowledge minus technology. However, what a powerful question he asks, again, “What is the problem to which the new technologies are a solution?” What problem does technology integration vs. technology transformation fix? C. Reigeluth and R. Joseph suggest that, “technology might allow us to transform our teaching methods in ways that could result in a quantum improvement in learning.” (p.9) I certainly understand Postman’s point of view, but as our society continues to evolve, I believe we should learn from the past but embrace the new paradigms, with hope that we rectify some of our mistakes, but advance in embracing a technologically integrated future for learners.