Building Your Philosophy of Technology in Education

Technology is a highly important force in contemporary education. Computers and other instruments of electronic data retrieval and instruction are found in schools throughout the country. Some theorists believe that technology will dramatically change the culture and revolutionize the processes of education. Others see it as an additive, or an add-on, to the culture and to education that will make the transmission of information more rapid but will not exert a profound transformation. By considering the pioneers, philosophers, and theorists of education, you can clarify your thinking about the broad philosophical meaning of technology in relationship to culture and education.

Throughout the chapter on Philosophical Roots of Education and the chapter on Pioneers in Education, we have briefly mentioned the relative importance of technology to the thinking of different educational pioneers and in different philosophies of education. Comenius, for example, enthusiastically embraced the new technology of his day, the printing press, and worked to create appropriate educational applications for that technology by writing textbooks. Other educational pioneers and their followers may not have been quite so enthusiastic. Rousseau's distrust of modern technology is suggested by his insistence, in Emile, that the student should not even be allowed to read books until approximately age twelve. For a modern-day perspective, consider the Montessori position on television and computers in the learning environment, posted at the International Montessori Index Web site: http://www.montessori.edu/prod.html.

For the broad impact of technology on society and culture, you might consider how John Dewey, a leading pragmatist and progressive, would have reacted to technological change. Visit the Web site of the John Dewey Project on Progressive Education at http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/. It is possible to compare and contrast the position of the Council for Basic Education at http://www.e-b-e.org/ on the application of technology to education with that of Dewey and other progressives. With this information, will you encourage students to experiment with computers, digital cameras, and other technologies to solve their own problems, or will you use them for more efficient drill learning of basic skills?

This chapter recommends that you give careful consideration to the legacy of the educational pioneers as you start constructing your own educational philosophy. Your general philosophy of education will certainly influence your ideas about educational technology, but it is also worthwhile to spend some time considering your philosophy toward educational technology in particular. Consider how you would answer such questions as the following: Is technology a transforming force or an add-on to culture and education? What kinds of technological programs and information best agree with your ideas about knowledge, values, and logic?

Visit some of the Web sites that are recommended at the end of the chapter, and try to find evidence about the pioneers' attitudes toward educational technology. Then, reflect on the same questions you used to help guide your general philosophical inquiry. Which of the pioneers' ideas do you see as most valuable? Which would you wish to incorporate into your philosophy? Which ideas do you wish to confront and possibly discard?



Some additional sites you might want to visit as you reflect on your philosophy of technology and education include the following:

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education
This organization promotes educational uses of computers.

Educational Technology & Society
The full text of this quarterly scholarly journal is available on the web.

Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood
This report, from the Alliance for Childhood, is a voice against too much dependence on technology.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology
This part of ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Center, provides access to research on all aspects of educational technology.

International Society for Technology in Education
This organization has developed the National Educational Technology Standards for students.

J.A. Comenius, Education and the Different Kind of Technologies: A Conceptual Study
This paper by Esa Pikkarainen at the University of Oulu, Finland discusses how the works of Comenius may have been an early contribution to developing theoretical thought about technical education.