When I consider how many independent school faculty members are lamenting the seismic technological shift that we're undergoing currently, I am continually stunned. More than anything, I suppose that I am stunned at their inability to see "the bigger picture," to use a trite phrase from school parlance. Why is it that faculty members can criticize students for not seeing "the bigger picture" when they themselves cannot do the same when it comes to the role that technology plays in everyday life and acquisition/deployment/manipulation of information?
That we can still hear phrases such as "we need to consider whether technology is a mere fad or whether it truly affects learning in a positive way", I cannot help but comment on the pomposity of such a remark. It is such an empty statement, yet the "smart talk trap" is effective at getting the attention of other colleagues and making them question whether their own technological proclivities might be misguided, or even worse, downright immoral. This classic example of a smart talk trap serves to prevent progress in many schools, progress whose intended beneficiary is the student.
To be sure, we can engage in philosophical discussions of the role of technology in education, but, at some point, we need to fish or cut bait. What skills do our students need to have when they enter a workforce, the skill set for which is changing, evolving, or uncertain (at best)? How can we maintain a tradition that respects the integrity of inquiry-based learning (or similar), yet also embraces technological tools that facilitate the acquisition of such learning?
To me, it is clear that there is much to be done in the way of professional development, insofar as educational technology is concerned. The odd professional day (or half-day) is insufficient. A teacher needs a technology integration specialist and a curriculum director to sit down at the same table, if the teleology of such a thing is to be grasped and presented as a goal.
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