Chapter 1

Wow!  In the first chapter of Technopoly, Neil Postman has already challenged many of the thoughts I have had about the ever-increasing role of technology in school.  I was very interested in this course because that seems to be such a hot topic of discussion lately among faculty and parents. 

The biggest challenge I face is how do I help students learn who were born into this technological age that I am trying to adjust to?  Sometimes I feel like some teachers (including myself) try to be so lively and entertaining and have all sorts of activities/videos to hold students’ attention.  But should we have to do that?  Or should they have to learn like we did 10 or 20 or 30 years ago?  On page 17 in his book, Postman talks about how some students now might be considered failures because they can’t sit through a lecture.  But soon, those who are now considered failures might be considered successes. 

As I read through the first chapter, it was quite obvious to me through his many examples that this time we are living in is not the first time that technology has had an impact on the way we live and function in society.  As I read the piece by Socrates, I couldn’t help but think how man once viewed writing the same way some of us view technology today.  I have to admit that I am a technophile who focuses more on how technology can be a burden and I am very cautious about how it is used as a learning tool.  I loved the Smartboard I had in my classroom for the last 4 years, but I tried to be very careful to use it in ways that enhanced what I was doing.  However, during my past year as a substitute teacher, I spent a lot of time in a district that decided to give Ipads to every student.  I spent the whole year trying to find anything educationally meaningful that came from this venture.  More often than not I saw it being used for entertainment and not education.  I could spend a lot of time taking about this, but maybe I will save that for another time!   The point is, I think Postman has a good suggestion that it is important to look at how technology can be beneficial, but not to forget to analyze the long-term changes it will bring.

On page 18 Postman says:  “Technological change is neither additive nor subtractive.  It is ecological. . . It changes everything.”  Would you agree with this?  Do you have example from your teaching that show how you have simply added a technology without changing everything?  Or is it ecological and it does change everything?  I would say the Ipads in the school changed many things.  One negative aspect I noticed is that I feel like the quality of learning went down a lot because kids rushed through work so they could play games.  On the flip side, I guess you could say a positive aspect is that kids were a little more disciplined in the hallways. . . because they were playing games during breaks and before/after school.  This also has long term affects on how students communicate with each other.  Again, I could write a lot on this, but now I am interested in your examples.