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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Technology is a tool...

Selling the Product - Tim Holt, Guest Blogger « Web 2.0 and Beyond
Technology is a tool. That is all. Technology, in any form is merely a tool to help get a job done. But the public does not see that in education because they are comparing the technology they mostly see with the technology in a classroom. And the technology the public mostly sees?

Home computers

Video games

Cell Phones

DVD and Blueray Players

MP3 players

Satellite and Cable television

Internet

What do all of these things have in common? For the most part, they are used for entertainment. So, when the link is made from one to another, they link the technology (entertainment) in their personal experience with the technology at school. If Jimmy uses a computer at home to surf the Internet, he must be doing the same thing at school. If an iPod is used to listen to music that must be the only thing you can use it for.

They see big bucks being spent on technology, just like at home. They don’t understand why.
We have not done a good job at showing how technology is a tool, just like a pencil, or a textbook, or a calculator. When we show off technology, we often show kids using the computer for remediation, which in many cases is not much more than a glorified video game, thus reinforcing the belief that technology is entertainment.


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