THE ILLUSION OF PROGRESS

     How much time do children spend with television, music, computers, video games, and apps?  How many children have access to the newest mobile media platforms, such as smartphones and iPads? What do they do with them, and how often do they use them?    These questions are raised and answered by the authors of Common Sense Media and I urge you to look for yourself, as the statistics are alarming. (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-eight-childrens-media-use-america)  Technology is upon us, and whether we choose it for our children or not, they clearly are being inundated with it at early ages.   For this reason,  Mike S. Ribble and Gerald D. Bailey of the Digital Citizen Website offer  their readers several solutions for embracing this technology.    


     Ribble and Bailey propose a nine step method whereby children would be educated in the appropriate use of technology.   Basically, children would enter the digital world armed with a wealth of information to keep them and their technology safe.    Personal and financial privacy is paramount, legal ramifications and plagiarism are discussed, and an awareness of how their technology affects those around them would be created.   Digital Citizenship is a concept which they boast is more than a teaching tool, rather it is a way to prepare students and technology users for a society overwhelmed with drastically changing technology.  (http://www.digitalcitizenship.net)  To keep pace with society, they deem all students should have access to current computers, software, digital cameras, and more.  As well,  those students with special needs should be afforded assistive technologies such as page readers for word processing.

     What I gather from their concept is that technology is no longer a privilege, but rather it is an essential tool that must be utilized in all schools. This begs the question, should education continue to exist without technology?  (By "technology", I mean the addition of laptops, ipads, and iphones, not the assistive tools such as page readers, power point projectors and interactive websites etc.)  Yes, technology allows access to learning tools and information, but it is always one click away or one alert away from distraction. For example, did you play with or feed my fish at the top of the page before reading this article?   I wonder, is multi tasking removing our children’s ability to focus?  Unfortunately most books written are not online thus the information availiable to our children on the internet will always be limited and even sometimes tainted.  If our children's teachers are constantly focused on learning the uses of the new technology to inform their proper digital citizens,  at some point the upgrading of the teacher from an academic standpoint would suffer and this effects their students.   

     Before utilizing the latest technology in the classroom, I would also consider the ramifications upon the students of poor socio economic status.  Those who cannot afford technology, will not be able to communicate with others, or fully utilize what is learned in class through practical application.  This could only further the divide that plagues the education system in their attempt to provide equal opportunity to all students regardless of class, colour or creed.            

   

     It is only our ego that allows us to believe that we can change things and know how that change will affect the future in every way.   We can hypothesize, but can never predict all of the consequences or outcomes, and it is with this in mind that we should approach technology.   Technology changes at a pace so rapid that we see annual changes that don’t offer choice, but render previous technology obsolete.  It is especially important when rendering something obsolete that we stop to consider the possible ramifications of that process.  To progress so quickly without allowing the calming influence of time to enter into consideration, is to risk rendering our current process of education obsolete.   A process which can always be changed or altered, but one that I might add, has provided us with this choice of accepting technology into our lives.  And while I welcome new technology into the classroom, I caution everyone to ensure that it is not just for the illusion of progress, but rather for positive changes that will better our children's educational experience.  After all, if we teach our children to use a specific technology in school now, would not that same technology be obsolete by the time they enter the workforce, thereby quashing the argument that they need it to excel later in that very workforce?   I leave it up to you,  and please any insight you can offer I would greatly appreciate regardless of what position you may take on the issue.