Comments on: “Technology is the Devil” and Other Observations

By: Howard Rheingold

Howard Rheingold — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:47:12 +0000

Plato warned that using books would cause a decline in the arts of memory. I’m pretty sure he was right. I think the trade-off was worth it. You can’t fit the entire population into the Groves of Academe.

By: Susan Roustan

Susan Roustan — Thu, 17 May 2007 18:06:55 +0000

I’m a young enough educator to remember the “calculator wars” – you know, the ones we’re still having 20 years later? Anyway, I remember teachers saying that students shouldn’t be given calculators, because how will we ever know how to do long division when there is no calculator present?

You know what? They gave us calculators in the 4th grade. I don’t know how to do long division. Some people might see this as a problem. My question is – when will I EVER be without a calculator? I have one on my cell phone which is always on my person. In order to use a calculator, you do have to understand the concepts of math. While I couldn’t tell you how to do long division without a calculator, I can still get you the answer.

I guess that’s my feelings on this whole technology thing. We are teaching students as if they will never have the internet at their disposal 24/7, which is just impractical and, well, stupid. Most of what I learned of technology, I taught myself. Most of my students are that way, too. How cool would it be if they were able to learn about technologies (or at least, how to apply them to education) from teachers? I had no idea that the Civil War MUD (yes, I’m a geek – shut up) that I played in high school taught me about organization, management, military strategies, e-mail communication and delegation as well as history. I figured it out one day when someone my own age asked me how I figured out all of this technology stuff. Would you like to know how I got interested in such a game? My teacher – the most un-tech-savvy-person-known-to-mankind – sparked an interest in the Civil War. I found the game through surfing the internet (before Google was popular – so ACTUAL surfing) and told him about it. He didn’t understand a single word about the technology, but he encouraged me and asked every day how my troops were doing (again, shut up).

My point – though I take a while to make it – is that just because you don’t understand the technology, don’t discourage kids from using it in ways they are passionate about. Your kid can’t spell? Who cares? (Neither can I, for that matter) As long as they know how to use spell check – that is to say, can interpret the results of spell check – they will be fine. Maybe in the future, we will all talk and write like that commercial: “idk, my bff Jill? tisnf!” We don’t really know what the future is going to bring, but we can be sure that technology is here to stay.

Keep up the good work. Know that there are others out there spreading the word, too. Preach on, brother-man!

By: Justin Medved

Justin Medved — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:24:10 +0000

“Look, I’m not the most technologically savvy, but I have to tell you that in a lot of ways I think all this technology is the devil.”

This sentence would not be tolerated in any other field but education. Why?

Business, advertising, mining, publishing, health care etc., all rely on technology in order to function. Why must K – 12 education be different.

The tipping point is near. I can feel it. I will re-iterate the cry of most of the posts above me.

Keep at it!

Every little word counts.

By: Harold Jarche » Social Networking Advice for Educators

Harold Jarche » Social Networking Advice for Educators — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:46:19 +0000

[...] Pass this on to any educators who think that technology is the devil or that they can hide until all the Internet stuff is gone. Following danah boyd’s advice might actually encourage critical thinking and learning. [...]

By: Adele

Adele — Tue, 08 May 2007 23:27:03 +0000

Will,

As another one of the leaders in the class that had concerns about their blogs, I do not work in public school. I just want you to know I’m still working toward change in our Catholic Schools. And see – I’m still reading your blog

By: It works for me, but will it work for you? « A Teacher’s Writes

It works for me, but will it work for you? « A Teacher’s Writes — Mon, 07 May 2007 22:03:07 +0000

[...] Posted on May 7th, 2007. It’s all so amusing, isn’t it? And surprising. I was surprised this morning when our staff voted on the topics where they’d like to see our building’s professional development focus next year, and technology made the list. So often in meetings and conversations online with technology coordinators, I get the feeling that we are forcing these technological tools upon people, but here was a clear example of teachers saying, “Hey, this technology thing is important, and we’d like some help!” [...]

By: lukerodgers.ca » Blog Archive » Rethinking education for the knowledge age

Sun, 06 May 2007 01:32:14 +0000

[...] This is something Will Richardson touched on recently in a post titled “‘Technology is the Devil’ and other considerations“: while there are many, many teachers out there who communicate a real interest in re-envisioning their practice, on the whole, there’s little I’m seeing that suggests that any real systemic change or rethinking of the education model is occurring. [...]

By: jefffing

jefffing — Sat, 05 May 2007 11:34:10 +0000

I saw your recent presentation on 30 April. I have been using the technology available to me in the elemntary classroom for the last 8 years. I’ve taught educational technology at the college level for several years as well. The way to increase the use of technology in the classroom is to have teachers comfortable with it. This needs to be an integral part of their training. Licensed teachers are being required to take proficiency tests in academic areas but not in the use of technology or computing. While colleges are now offering or even requiring some technology training, no testing of techology skills(except for those specializing in educational technology) are required.
Education tends to react to societal needs, not precede it.
We need new teachers coming into the field to be able and dedicated users of the technology. All things change.
After all, as Yogi Berra (or Pogo Possum) once said, “The trouble with the future ain’t what it used to be.”

By: BRBLearning

BRBLearning — Fri, 04 May 2007 22:09:00 +0000

This System Cannot Be Saved…

The recent confluence of three news stories drove me, finally, to this conclusion: I, like so may others, have been moving the deck chairs on the Titanic around long enough. The ship is going down and we need viable alternatives……

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 04 May 2007 19:46:29 +0000

J wrote:

“I was at this conference. In fact, I was exactly two seats behind the person making the “Technology is the Devil” response. I wanted to cuff her in the back of the head.”

Your violent remark offsets the impact of your subsequent points. Integrity first, online and in person.

By: Page

Page — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:45:05 +0000

I feel your frustration. In a faculty meeting the other day, I was asked to talk about a technology in-service day we were planning for August – web 2.0, digital storytelling, rss, etc. After I was finished, there was time for feedback or comments on the day. One teacher responded “…this sounds boring…” which of course opened the floor for all the technophobes in the room to express their discomfort with spending a whole day learning about technology. Change is hard for many.

I agree with several of the posts above – we won’t be able to sway all teachers all the time, but I do feel like we are getting closer to that tipping point.

By: Janice Friesen

Janice Friesen — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:29:14 +0000

I am glad the teacher felt like she could say what she thinks. She expresses the doubts that many have. Although I don’t agree with her at all, I think she is reflecting the reality now out there in most schools.

Somehow, what you said made people feel they HAD TO respond! That is good. Maybe we are nearing a tipping point.

By: Pamela Livingston

Pamela Livingston — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:12:28 +0000

It can be really frustrating but there are legs out there to your work, Will, and children benefit every time a teacher tests out a blog after reading your very accessible and well done book, or leave a workshop you’ve done and then go and look completely differently at a unit. It’s slow for sure but things are happening.

By: Lenva

Lenva — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:43:07 +0000

I hear exactly the same comments from colleagues on a daily basis. It will take time for this to filter through, but we just have to keep on fighting. Change happens very slowly – too slowly for some of us and it is so frustrating.

I know you won’t give up – you are too passionate about it. We need the shining star models out there for all to see.

By: Patrice

Patrice — Thu, 03 May 2007 23:08:39 +0000

Will, as one of the students in your school leaders’ class who was inspired and used much of what we discussed and learned during those months, I believe that to truly make a difference, the approach needs to change. Those who felt threatened by the beauracracy of their systems worry about their jobs and while we would all like to think that we would rise to the call–it is not always possible especially for financial reasons.

I am lucky, in that I do not work in the public sector and I do not have all the restrictions associated with public school. But, after spending a couple of decades in education, I believe that in order to truly exact change, we have to acknowledge the political aspects of change. Change the minds of the legislatures; change the minds of the superintendents and associations; change the minds of the teachers’ unions–AFT/NEA, change the parents–and then change in the principals and teachers. Schools love to work in a top down manner. I believe the challenge is not to get the principals involved and on board–the challenge is to get those in the political arena on board.

Education loves new programs, new philosophies–whole language, diagnostic prescriptive, phonics based, non-phonics based, learning centers, collaboration, and the list goes on and on. And, educators always have reasons for not moving to the next level. It makes one wonder how mankind stopped using their toes and fingers and moved perhaps the abacus.

Talk to all stakeholders–sell to the top thereby giving the prinicpals the freedom, the opportunity and the support necessary to become risk takers and innovators. This is the true challenge.

And of course, celebrate those who have the ability to take those forward steps–build off of those small triumphs to support the (your)message.