Reflection on “Beyond Technology Inegration: The Case for Technology Transformation” by Charles M. Reigeluth and Roberto Joseph

This article explores how new technology is typically used to support the prevailing methods in a field but end up resulting in new methods and improvements in performance.

The authors begin with a statement that technology has had a minimal impact on K-12 education in the U.S. I wonder…Is that also true for other industrialized countries? Are we all in the same boat?

And what has caused technology to have a minimal impact? Is it the lack of technology in schools? Is it that technology cannot add anything to how children are educated? What, really, is the impact we are hoping technology will have on education? If it is to better educate, are we sure technology can do that? Is it to educate faster or in a different matter (more one-on-one)? Are we confusing technology as the cause of something that has really been wrong for a long time?

The article goes on to state that we need to invest in ways that technology can transform the way we teach, resulting in improved learning. Certainly, technology can assist in learning in the event that the experience is only available through technology. For instance, watching a 3-D movie on open-heart surgery is much more informative than looking at photos in a textbook. But assisting in surgery would be even better than a 3-D movie. So the goal seems to be to better prepare the student for a future experience.

The author brings up another issue: Our current paradigm of education is not designed for learning, but for sorting. Has this always been the case in the U.S.? If not, what has changed? Has our general educational system always been “flawed” and we are only now figuring this out?

The question is asked, “How can a teacher help 30 children to all learn different things at different rates and in different ways utilizing authentic tasks?” The article goes on to pursue the ways methods could change. Should we also ask, “How can change education in order for one teacher to help 10 children”? Is it only the method of technology that will better meet the needs of the children or a change in structure? Can we come up with a way to educate all students that is individually-based. Are we missing an important step in the process to use technology by sticking with mass education?

Reflection on Of Luddites, learning, and life By N. Postman

I rather enjoyed this article and Mr. Postman’s thoughts. Maybe it is because the older I get the faster the world (and technology) seems to move! It also touched on what I mentioned above—separating technology from education and seeing technology as one of many tools. I don’t see this article as a pessimistic view of technology and education, though others might not agree. I differ with Mr. Postman’s indifference to technology in that I really am interested in the new and improved gadgets and software that seem to appear daily.

What would Mr. Postman think today? After all, this article was written in 1993. I was disappointed to find that he passed away in 2003 (Wikipedia).