The Concern of Education and Technology #edcmooc

When I was reading the selections for this week, the thing that came to mind is the differing opinions of how technology will affect education if we rely on it too much because of how "dehumanizing" it can be.

Monke made the point in his article that, despite all the technological advances we've made over the years, education isn't improving because we're relying so much on technology to entertain and teach our kids, but we are losing some basic skills in the process, in particular creativity.  He cites how those students who go on computers to be "wizards" at it tend to be the ones who are less creative in how to use it, and how less face to face contact is one of the causes why kids are having a harder time reading. "It may very well be that educators are trying to solve the problem of illiteracy by turning to the very technology that has diminished the experiences children need to be literate" (Monke 12).

I don't know whether he has a point or not, or if my own personal experience kind of counters that.  As a child, I started reading when I was around the age of 3.  My parents had told me in the past that it was because as a kid I watched a lot of "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company," where one show taught me the letters while the other one taught me how to put them together.  My son, who is now 4, is also already reading -- along with also watching "Sesame Street" at an early age, he also watched "Super Why!" and "Word Girl" for a time (his 3rd birthday party was "Super Why!" themed).  Along with the encouragement and interaction he got from myself, my husband, and other family members, he can do some basic reading as well as count up to 100 when given the chance.

There again, he had help from us, as well -- obviously I don't remember if I got help from my parents, but I know with him we help him out when he encounters more difficult words (like pronouncing "hour" as "hore," which made for an interesting car ride when he saw the "one hour parking" signs).  So a human touch is applied to his learning along with the technology we are given.

Kolowich in his article talks about how some institutes have started including video lectures in an attempt to "humanize" the experience.  Although there is a "human" element to it, watching a video doesn't really "humanize" it for me as much as a live interaction would be.  When I'm talking to my mom on Skype, that's "humanizing" for me, because we're both live at the same time.  When I'm watching a professor on a video, not so much because it's still a pre-recorded lecture that could have taken place six months prior.  There's still that distance that you can't avoid.

Again, it's not an either/or thing, really.  Although Monke might disagree with me, it really is in how you use the technology that determines how "human" an interaction you have.