To Transform Education or Not To Transform Education? That is the Question.

            Overall, the Joseph article for the case of technology transformation had great insights on how the educational system (and the world as a whole) has been nudged (and almost forced) to evolve from the Industrial Age to the Informational Age. The Internet and all its possibilities did not get widespread exposure until the early-to-mid 1990s and over the last 20 years the possibilities have exploded. You can buy and sell almost anything, read the news, check your horoscope, email your friends and family, and maybe most importantly access enough information to fill enough volumes to fill 100 libraries all at your fingertips. This of course begs the question how can all of this technology (and all of its moving pieces) be harnessed into the tools to equip and mold students’ minds in this changing and competitive world.

            Though the article does give great examples on how technology can transform education is does not give any specifics on how the roadblocks to implementation can be overcome. First, money from the federal government would be needed to buy all of the equipment needed to make the technology transformation. Currently, there is a big fiscal crisis and unless money from other programs in the Department of Education could be used for this new initiative the money would need to come from local governments or from internal means in each school district. Next, the Department of Education would need to be greatly involved in implementing the structure of this new type of learning. Right now, most if not all schools are bound by the No Child Left Behind laws which must be followed.  Also, a child’s emotional development must be taken into account when developing this new type of learning. The article did touch on it briefly, but did not give specifics. The only way to divide students up currently is by age and measureable skill levels. Of course, there are variances to the age and skill levels of the students in each grade level, but for the most part the students are on a level playing field. Lastly, who would determine the new curriculum and what it would contain? Would it be developed at the local level to be approved by the state or national level?

             If all of these roadblocks (and many more) were overcome, the idea of transforming learning through technology would be a great benefit to education as a whole. It would allow students not to be held back just because of their age and grade level, but be able to determine how quickly one advances by their skills and how quickly the material is learned. Computers and the Internet would enhance the learning the experience for teacher to student communication and student to student communication. This allows for collaboration among students to find the best answer to a problem and be a part of a team. Additionally, students would be better equipped for the changing world to be able to contribute to the world in different, productive ways. In conclusion, technology would allow students the opportunity to talk and interact with students from different parts of the country and world as well as visit different parts of the world (virtually) to compare and contrast how their area is different or alike. It would also allow teachers to see how teachers in different states or different countries are taking advantage of technology as a teaching tool (Reigeluth, C.M. & Joseph, R. (2002). Beyond technology integration: The case for technology transformation. Educational Technology, 42(4), 9-13.).

.           I would be curious to read what Neil Postman’s thoughts would be about the Internet and how technology has affected all aspects of life including education and learning almost ten years after he wrote this article. What if we always went with our first instinct on new advances in technology and didn’t see how they evolved? What would we have missed out on? When President Clinton launched the idea of the Information Superhighway to connect schools to the Internet, the author assumed this was just another way the government was trying to insert itself into everyone’s lives. The author tried to paint a picture of teachers being replaced by computers instead of computers complementing teachers. Back in 1992 when this article was written, the power and abilities of computers were not widely known. The Internet, or the World Wide Web, was in its infancy and really didn’t have a purpose. Over the past twenty years, the Internet and other technological advances (I-Phone, the Kindle, Blackberry, etc.) have far exceeded anyone’s expectations on the affect and influence they have had to teach and change ones minds. The author did not give enough credit to students’ ability to want to learn beyond the standards of learning developed centuries ago. The abilities of the teacher and students in a more advanced dynamic are discounted by the author as unneeded and not the answer to the problem. The classic teacher/student classroom is still the best starting point, but with technology this starting point can be evolved for the good of the teacher and student. Technology is not the only solution to the problem, but it can help (Postman, N. (1993). Of Luddites, learning, and life. Technos Quarterly, 2(4).).