We usually think of technology as a progressive thing in education, but any technology dates itself immediately through its form. Electricity, the wheel, paper, the printing press, metalworking, mass transportation, masonry, and more are all forms of technology. Technology isn’t a ‘leading edge’ but a tool of human practice. On a day-to-day basis, human processes are based on prevailing local technology. That is, we usually use what’s available to us to express our collective humanity (for better or for worse). To solve problems, reduce inefficiencies, or create opportunities, we turn to the technology that is accessible to us, usually in the form of tools and processes.
Arguments for or against different kinds of technology in the classroom is truly a waste of our genius. This argument is over and holding that kind of argument only dates the arguers. I get why some teachers are against technology in education. Powerful learning models can be designed without technology because knowledge is the ultimate technology. But if we think in terms of learning design, the argument that technology is already there and we’re simply arguing for a certain technology level can be useful. It’s not binary edtech-yes-or-no, but do we want old tech or new?
If we think of technology as a matter of sequence, then technology isn’t so much a teaching strategy or educational tactic as it is a principle of learning. When today’s elementary students are 40, they’ll remember today’s technology the way (many of us) remember cassette tapes. It will be funny, for example, that we used to hold large, heavy glass rectangles in their hands and had to open up apps separately, or had to know which app did what. And had to ‘Google’ information. And our refrigerators didn’t have touchscreens and we couldn’t ask Alexa to turn down the thermostat with our voices from the other room. And sometimes weren’t even connected to the internet because WiFi wasn’t always unreliable. And didn’t have the information that we might need to be pushed to us before we even knew we needed it. And we had to type! We had to actually touch a screen or keyboard made of little squares covered in Gorilla Glass to make words—crazy times!
iPads and other existing mobile technology will be remembered like symbols–markers for a time and a place in their lives. This usefully decenters educational technology as some kind of spectacular edge and frames it as a fundamental principle of modern learning. Reading and writing have generally been regarded as modern formal education. The ability to do each underpins the ability to make sense of an article or report, write an essay, memorize facts, evaluate cause and effect, conduct scientific experimentation, perform complicated mathematical calculations, and create poems and plays. These are the activities that actuate modern K-20 education. And increasingly, whether we like it or not, it’s technology that actuates these activities.
This article originally appeared here.
Kwa kawaida sisi huona teknolojia kama kitu cha maendeleo katika elimu, lakini teknolojia yoyote hujipatia tarehe mara moja kupitia fomu yake. Umeme, gurudumu, karatasi, mashine ya kuchapisha, utengenezaji wa chuma, usafiri wa umma, ujenzi, na mengineyo yote ni aina za tekinolojia. Teknolojia si "kiongozi makali" lakini chombo cha mazoezi ya binadamu. Katika siku-kwa-siku, michakato ya kibinadamu inategemea teknolojia ya ndani inayotumika. Yaani, kwa kawaida tunatumia kile kilicho karibu nasi ili kuelezea ubinadamu wetu wa pamoja (kwa mema au mabaya). Ili kutatua matatizo, kupunguza ukosefu wa ufanisi, au kuunda fursa, sisi kugeuka kwa teknolojia ambayo ni kupatikana kwetu, kwa kawaida katika fomu ya zana na michakato. Majadiliano kwa ajili au dhidi ya aina tofauti za teknolojia katika darasa ni kweli kupoteza kipaji chetu. Hili ni hoja ya mwisho na kushikilia aina hiyo ya hoja tu tarehe arguers. Naelewa kwa nini baadhi ya walimu ni dhidi ya teknolojia katika elimu. Mifano yenye nguvu ya kujifunza inaweza kubuniwa bila teknolojia kwa sababu maarifa ni teknolojia ya mwisho. Lakini kama sisi kufikiri katika suala la kujifunza kubuni, hoja kwamba teknolojia tayari kuna na sisi ni tu kujadili kwa kiwango fulani cha teknolojia inaweza kuwa na manufaa. Si binary edtech-ndiyo au hapana, lakini je, tunataka tech ya zamani au mpya? Kama sisi kufikiri ya teknolojia kama suala la mfululizo, basi teknolojia si kiasi cha mbinu ya kufundisha au mbinu ya elimu kama ni kanuni ya kujifunza. Wanafunzi wa shule ya msingi wa leo watakapofikia umri wa miaka 40, watakumbuka teknolojia ya leo kama vile sisi wengi tunavyokumbuka kaseti. Kwa mfano, ni funny kwamba sisi kutumika kushikilia kubwa, nzito kioo mstatili katika mikono yao na alikuwa na kufungua programu tofauti, au alikuwa na kujua ambayo programu alifanya nini. Na alikuwa na "Google" habari. Na friji zetu hazikuwa na skrini za kugusa na hatukuweza kumwuliza Alexa kupunguza joto kwa sauti zetu kutoka chumba kingine. Na wakati mwingine hata hawakuwa wameunganishwa na mtandao kwa sababu WiFi haikuwa ya kuaminika kila wakati. Na hatukuwa na habari ambayo huenda tukahitaji kusukumwa kwetu kabla hata hatujui kwamba tunahitaji. Na tulilazimika kuchapa! Tulilazimika kugusa skrini au kibodi iliyotengenezwa na mraba mdogo uliofunikwa na Gorilla Glass ili kutengeneza maneno - nyakati za wazimu! iPads na teknolojia nyingine zilizopo za rununu zitakumbukwa kama alama za alama kwa wakati na mahali katika maisha yao. Hii inasaidia decenters teknolojia ya elimu kama aina fulani ya makali ya kuvutia na frames ni kama kanuni ya msingi ya kujifunza kisasa. Kusoma na kuandika kwa ujumla kumehesabiwa kuwa elimu ya kisasa ya rasmi. Uwezo wa kufanya kila moja ya mambo hayo hutegemeza uwezo wa kuelewa makala au ripoti, kuandika insha, kukumbuka mambo, kutathmini sababu na matokeo, kufanya majaribio ya kisayansi, kufanya hesabu ngumu za hisabati, na kutengeneza mashairi na michezo. Hizi ni shughuli ambazo huendesha elimu ya kisasa ya K-20. Na zaidi na zaidi, kama tunapenda au la, ni teknolojia ambayo inaendesha shughuli hizi. Makala hii ilichapishwa awali hapa.