An article by Stephen Downes, Nine Rules for Good Technology, is so refreshingly simplistic at describing what people want from technology. We want it to ALWAYS be availaible. We want it ALWAYS to be on (or can be turned on quickly). We want it ALWAYS to be connected. It should ALWAYS be standardized.. Good technology is ALWAYS simple. Good technology does not require parts. It is personalized. Good technology is modular, able to be easily rearranged to fit our needs. And good technology ALWAYS does what we want it to do.
Now, I did take some liberty by adding "ALWAYS" to all of the steps. Afterall, technology is man-made, and with everything man-made there are kinks and setbacks. The referenced article was written in 2000. Take a moment and think how far technology has come since then.
The producers of technology have persevered through the obstacles to get to what consumers want. This perseverence is a testament to the progressiveness of technology over the passed ten years.
Teachers in 21st century will need training with new technology. Teachers will need patience. But most of all, teachers striving to utilize new technologies in the classroom will need perseverence; perseverence to get through the occassional kink and setback. Our students deserve it.
Doug,
ReplyDeleteYou made a nice point when you asked the reader to think about how much technology has changed since the article was written. Because it is always changing, it is important for teachers to become educated about what is available to them and make sure that they are using "good technology" in their classrooms. As you mentioned, patience is a key part of this. Even the best technology will sometimes have quirks and it is a teacher's job to make sure they plan ahead for these unexpected events. -Kayleigh