While the first chapter shows several examples of
technologies that have changed how we think and what we think about, it is
interesting to learn in the second chapter how this all started. It seems like at one time tools could
be added and integrated into a culture without completely changing their
beliefs and traditions, their education and social organizations. An example was given of making
eyeglasses for nearsightedness.
The eyeglasses didn’t change tradition and how people thought, they just
helped people see better. It seems
pretty simple. But then the rest
of the chapter left me with many questions.
In the tool-using culture, tools seemed to come out of
necessity. Postman notes on page
24: “Tool-using culture, in other words, may be both ingenious and productive
in solving problems of the physical environment.” Eventually this changed to a technocracy where tools start
to become the culture. I am
interested to see as the book goes on how this changes to a technopoly. Is it possible that eventually
man/culture did not need any more ‘things’? If so, what led to new technologies? Were people during the tool-using
culture much more focused on religion and living in line with that, and now people
are not as religious? Is it
possible that technopoly also came out of a sense of necessity? And in the schools we work in now, do
new technologies seem to come out of necessity? Or is there another driving force behind it? What seems to drive new technologies in
your schools?
Ooooo, Karla, I love the questions you are raising here! No easy answers, I'd say...
ReplyDeleteI do think the rise in technology and corresponding diminishing role of religion in American culture is an interesting correlation. I'm not sure that it's necessarily a cause and effect situation, but it's definitely something to consider.
I really do worry that technology is an idol. I freely confess that it can be for me, anyway. This is something I'm painfully aware of, and my previous job as Technology Coordinator makes this ever clearer for me.
To answer the question of what drives new technologies in my school, I'll refer you to a pair of blog posts that I had published in CSI's Nurturing Faith blog this past school year. In them I outline what I see as some of the problems with how technology is often implemented in schools, and how I've worked to change that model at Sioux Center Christian School over the past few years.
http://nurturingfaith.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/rethinking-how-we-use-technology-for-teaching-and-learning-part-1/
http://nurturingfaith.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/rethinking-how-we-use-technology-for-teaching-and-learning-part-2/
As Dave has outlined above, SCCS is moving to a tech-integrated model. All you have to do is think about how we each use technology in our own homes to see that use of technology is an everyday thing. We rely so much on computers, iPads, and GPS systems that is hard to teach our students without these tools. As a kindergarten teacher, I can tell you that I don't have to teach my students how to use technology in my classroom. They come into school with a knowledge of what things are and how to use them. The students are expecting to see and use these technologies. School would be, I think, difficult for these students if we didn't supply them with opportunities for them to satisfy their need for the here and now. I guess that is what I see is driving a lot of the tech changes at SCCS. I am not saying that good old fashioned reading and writing are not being taught, but the tools that we use are definitely upgraded.
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