Scholarly Writing Assignment_etc567

The Social and Historical Foundations of Technology Use in Education

By Christie Mitchell ETC 567 September 29, 2008 Dr. Tammy Sherrard

Abstract We tend to think of technology as simply computers, or the internet, or a sophisticated machine that does the work of men, but technology is far less a stranger than we tend to think and is becoming more and more integrated into our lives. Some people bemoan the loss of a simple life, when we were more in touch with nature, did things for ourselves, worked with our hands…. However, in a balanced life, technology enhances and allows us to enjoy all those things to a greater degree now than we did in the past. Technology is what puts us on friendly terms with nature instead of at odds with it. Instead of a struggle to survive we can use technology to tame those tasks and open up time to enjoy the beauty of the world around us. The evolution of man has been and ever will be interwoven with technology. Technology is nothing new. Technology is defined one way as “the study, development, and application of devices, machines, and techniques for manufacturing and productive processes” (Encarta Dictionary Online). Another definition is the “sum of a society’s or culture’s practical knowledge…especially with reference to its material culture.” (Encarta Dictionary Online). Hand in hand with technology is education. Educating is “the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning, especially (but not limited to) at a school or institution.” (Encarta Dictionary: English North America, Online) Sometimes it has not been formal education, but always education in the capacity of educating oneself. Since man first picked up a rock and used it to do something all the way until now, when man pushes a button in order to do something, technology has been employed. Technology is the efficient use of tools and techniques for doing what we want to do. People have naturally always outrun formal education when it comes to ideas… so it is no wonder that cutting edge technology is and always has been self taught and self directed. Once a process has been tried, tested, and proven worthwhile it has been taught to others as others have demanded to know. This paper begins with simple definitions with a purpose. The purpose is to show that the terms technology and education have been emotionally charged and changed, by educators in particular, to mean something outside of what it simply is. This is due to the fact that educators are not typically on the cutting edge, but will always be asked and expected to teach according to it. Technology is ever changing and increasingly challenging, however effective education requires it. Effective education not only must incorporate technology, new and old, but now more than ever we must teach how to balance it in the ever expanding playing field we have to navigate.

Summary: The Social, Historical, and Educational Foundations of Technology in Education Education is teaching and learning. From the beginning it has been the simple transfer of knowledge from one person to another. As a society grows and develops education becomes more specific and diversified. The use of tools is and always will be a main focus of learning. This is the technology. The formation and examination of ideas is another aspect of learning. From the earliest recorded times and before, when Socrates schooled Plato to today, concepts and skills have been passed down from one to another. We began by writing in the sand and have evolved to capturing our message in digital form that can go around the world in a few seconds. Each society and culture has its own evolutionary story to tell in regard to the social, historical and educational foundations of technology in education. Modern American education begins with the first Europeans to colonize the land. “For seventeenth-and-early-eighteenth–century America, technologia (italics added) was the Puritan theoretical framework by which to integrate and contemplate both the explicit secular and implicit revelatory forms of knowledge believed necessary to live a virtuous life and develop an understanding of God's plan. However, technologia's sense of messy contemplation of virtue and "right living," which allowed for ambiguity and personal inquiry, faded in favor of technology/technist formulas of rationalized thought and reasoning. This technist mode focused on efficient control of the individual within a "democratic" society while retaining its moral claim as the map guiding American to become that "city on a hill." (McKnight, Robinson 2006) It is this technist point of view that asks us to integrate the tools currently in use into our educational curriculum. The technologia idea of the early Puritans dictated the use of the best tools only for the few deemed worthy, namely men and, at the time, those of one religious persuasion. This set a precedent for institutions of learning that followed, namely, the best tools and best schools for a small class of people to utilize. (Hoeveler 2002) This narrow foundation still underlies much of our national educational structure which has resulted in unequal educational opportunity and proficiency. This in turn has given rise to the call for national and state standards with an eye toward giving every learner an equal educational footing. It also has given rise to one form or another of splitting away from standardized education, to re-introduce ideas of morality and virtue for some inclined towards religious Puritanism way of thinking and also to those who do not wish to be limited by the standardization of curriculum. Technological advances have always been under criticism if only because people generally resist change in favor of what is known. Nowhere has technology suffered more than in the realm of education. The factors behind it are many, however to name a few, are that first education was made into a social service institution and free to all citizens regardless of race, background, handicap or any other determining feature. Secondly, it is

funded by public tax money. Thirdly, it is governed differently in each state and in each community while largely the work of individuals in individual classrooms, without significant regulation. Since all citizens are guaranteed the right to an education, providing a “cutting edge” experience is nearly impossible given our level of commitment in the form of dollars spent toward this goal for a large population. While individuals are free to allocate more of their earnings toward the private education of themselves or their children, the average citizen is left to what the taxpayer is willing to spend. After that, the structure of administrating education to the general public is entrenched in a tradition of high cost toward a few at the top. What reaches the student is not going to pay for a great deal of what is being used, even commonly, technologically in our society. Consequently technology in our schools has nearly always lagged behind what is generally available to businesses and individuals willing to expend the necessary funds to have it. Our market driven society naturally favors those who have over those who have not which is ironic to its mantra of being free, equal, and democratic. After a period of education just for the wealthy and male the early foundations of education in our country did not establish teaching as a profession of esteem. Teaching the young was left mainly to unmarried women and some men. Generally a test was given to determine basic competency. Wages were low and varied according to what the community could afford. Outside of providing some basic materials, what to teach and how was left primarily to each individual teacher until just recently when standards and accountability have taken on heightened focus and import. However, the teacher is still very autonomous today. School teachers have been seen as, old fashioned, strict, sometimes punitive disciplinarians, and those who can’t do and therefore teach throughout history. Lack of importance has resulted in poorer funding, lack of respect, and low expectations of teachers. If the predominant attitude reflects this it is no wonder individuals seek alternatives and often drop out. To solve these problems standards and accountability is suddenly and forcibly put in place with the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. Administrators are faced with improving or losing funding. This is dramatically noted in Texas where “the high-stakes test=based accountability system became the model for the nation’s most comprehensive federal education policy” (McNeil, Coppola, & Vasquez 2008) where the following information was noted: Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 16 No. 3 over a seven-year period under this policy, and extensive ethnographic analysis of life in schools under the policy, show that the state’s high-stakes accountability system has a direct impact on the severity of the dropout problem. The study carries great significance for national education policy because its findings show that disaggregation of student scores by race does not lead to greater equity, but in fact puts our most vulnerable youth, the poor, the English language learners, and African American and Latino children, at risk of being pushed out of their schools

so the school ratings can show “measurable improvement.” High-stakes, testbased accountability leads not to equitable educational possibilities for youth, but to avoidable losses of these students from our schools. Now we must closely examine now how our approach to education affects student achievement and retention. Instead of increased funding, training and therefore respect we put a magnifying glass to the teacher, take away autonomy, and script each teacher and child’s day in the name of “fair and equal” education for an educated democratic society. Experimenting with teaching with the newest technology is placed behind achieving good scores on standardized tests. In fact, the only technology taught or used now is related in some way to improved scores on a standardized test. These tests do not test creativity, innovation, critical thinking or higher order skills, all of which are vital and necessary to personal fulfillment and achievement. So, once again, education is being undervalued thereby restarting the cycle of lower funding, lowered validity, and lower esteem for teachers which results in a lower value of education placed by students who feel they can learn more outside of school. Despite twelve years of accountability measures in Texas the dropout rate has steadily increased (Sloan 2005). However these declines have prompted new inquiry into possible solutions using technology. The Present Use of Technology in Schools Today teachers are challenged not only by technology but by today’s “teched-out” kids. Curwood (2008) graphically describes kids who have developed different thinking patterns than we did because of their almost non-stop exposure to technology. Not only are they spending their day with it, they are multitasking technology much of the time… doing things adults don’t even understand. As a result students today are very bored with traditional methods of lecture, notes and test. He points out that, “in a digital age, we simply cannot measure a child’s knowledge through an isolated, fact-driven standardized test.” He also includes the following revealing statistics: BY THE NUMBERS 44 Number of hours a week kids spend reading, surfing the Net, playing video games, listening to music, and watching T.V. 93% Percentage of youth ages 12-17 who are now online. 67% Percentage of preschool children who use computers.

55% Percentage of online 12- to 17-year-olds who use social-networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace. 35% Percentage of girls ages 12-17 who have their own blogs. For boys, the percentage of bloggers is only 20%. There is a wide variance of technology use in schools across the country. Some districts and states are more focused and/or able to update their present systems than others. Where it is able to be implemented, technology is reaching across disciplines and able to carry a more interactive and rich content to students, who are frankly more geared toward visual learning than generations past. More and more classrooms are being equipped with new technology. One trend is toward using “smart boards” that allow a computer screen to be projected to the entire class on the white board, thereby allowing teachers to interact with the content and manipulate it while teaching. Content from a website, CD or DVD can be projected and used interactively. Teachers are beginning to use standard software creatively with students, teaching math and representing data in Excel, teaching and presenting with Power Point, and modeling organization of information with Word and Microsoft Notes. According to Kramer (2008) in “7 Ways to Bring Today’s Tech Into Your Classroom” Web 2.0 is in full swing with blogging, creating social networks, podcasts, wikis, social bookmarking, video, and interactive activities Google maps. Communication is heightened for all involved when these learning tools are accessible to parents and family members of the student as well. These activities bring learning into real life, allowing the information to be easily shared and reviewed by others. Given the world we live in we cannot ignore these avenues for teaching and learning. However we do want to include a balance, a variety of techniques, and critical thinking skills regarding technology for our students. Without these skills technology can be debilitating to a normal healthy life.

Technology and Society – Personal Editorial Technology Addiction Why

A topic of great personal interest, and one to which those around me have identified as being a personal challenge, is that of Technology Addiction. Besides working online as a virtual school teacher for Kindergarteners through 8th graders, I also enjoy online gaming. That adds up to a significant amount of time in front of the computer. While researching this aspect of technology I came across a few quizzes designed to measure the problem. I always came up as definitely afflicted. In my defense I must work on the internet, and the time I spend in pleasure is 1-2 hrs a day… far less time than what I see my family doing on Television. Positive Impact on Society The positive impact of technology addiction on society would be that we can communicate more over distances than ever before with more people (maybe to the neglect of the person sitting beside us). We can accomplish more work (maybe to the neglect of cooking dinner and washing dishes). Wayward teenagers are not hanging out on street corners (they are home glued to their computer screens if they have one). We can be reached at any time, anywhere, doing almost anything in case of emergency (to the detriment of being able to think coherently for no more than two minutes at a time). One other positive impact is that when a person figures out they have a technology addiction they can examine their life, prioritize, and make it even better. They can become mindful of their time and appreciate real life and simple pleasures like gardening again. Negative Impact on Society According to Dr. Kimberly Young of Computer & Internet Addiction Treatment in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada internet addiction is “any online-related, compulsive behavior which interferes with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one’s work environment.” She goes on to say that, “online behavior eventually becomes the most important component of the individual’s life and previously enjoyed activities and relationships are abandoned.” The website, maintained by Brent Conrad (2008) also states that, “between 5-10% of online users demonstrate symptoms thought to represent internet addiction.” Internet or Technology Addiction is not currently a diagnosable disorder, however the DSM-IV was last published in 1994… and things have changed. According to Conrad, the people most likely to be afflicted are those with addictive tendencies, depression, relationship difficulties, those who are highly intelligent (looking for greater challenge) and people who have a lot of free time on their hands. An outspoken advocate for the “Tech-Addict,” in particular “Online Gamer” is Thomas Umstattd Jr. who publishes a monthly podcast used frequently on Christian radio shows called “Straight Talk on the Dark Side of Digital Gaming.” He describes this sort of addiction as a “hidden danger” because there is no smell, or tell-tale commonly understood misbehavior like alcoholism. He states that there are individuals who will play from 60- 100 hrs a week online, doing little else. In fact, in my

experience, it is common to know individuals who spend 12-16 hours per day within the game. Many addicts seem functional except for the fact that they don’t hold a job and have trouble maintaining real life friendships and other relationships. While engaging in activities online certain chemicals are released in the brain that can be addictive, like adrenaline and endorphins. Games are set up to lead the player on to keep playing offering highs when certain status or items are earned or won. There are entire virtual worlds that provide satisfying escape from the real world. A person of marginal success in real life can achieve esteem and great success within a virtual world. Commodities are even bought and sold, sometimes even for real money, which increases the satisfaction of the game. (Umstattd Jr., 2008) In a newscast on June 30, 2008 for the Today Show, Dr. Dave Greenfield examined “virtual- addiction.” He states that if someone else thinks there is a problem, if excessive time is spent online, if a person is obsessed with the outcome of online activities, or it is impacting relationships and work then there is definitely a problem. He also acknowledges that there has not yet been a medical classification however, with or without a label he still sees the problem and it is a danger to our youth. Conclusion Education and technology have evolved over time. Due to certain constraints we put on ourselves our educational system does not always keep pace with current technology, however effective teaching and learning demands it. The issue is often confused by how we measure outcomes and what outcomes we measure. We lose track of our real goal to provide a free and equal education to all citizens for an informed democracy and instead give way to politics and procedures that do little to equip our students for their, and our, future. If we expect to truly educate and retain our students in our public educational systems we need a more authentic commitment to our goals that would require the integration and consideration of technology into the way we teach given the way students today learn. Forms of technology students find engaging are blogs, visual presentations using the World Wide Web and PowerPoint, social networks, wikis, podcasts and video to name a few. Equally important is for students today to be taught the possible negative side of technology and how to critically evaluate its use and impact on their life. Schools must have ongoing teacher training to walk hand in hand with the positive forces of technology and equally prepare youth to face and win over the possible drawbacks. References McKnight, D. & Robinson, C. (2006, July) From technologia to technism: A critique on technology’s place in education Then Journal Online Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://thenjournal.org/feature/116/

Hoeveler, J.D. (2002). Creating the American Mind: Intellect and Politics in the Colonial Colleges. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. McNeil, L. M., Coppola, E., Radigan, J., & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2008). Avoidable losses: High-stakes accountability and the dropout crisis. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 16(3). Retrieved September 17, 2008 from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v16n3/ Sloan, K. (2005). Playing to the logic of the Texas accountability system: How focusing on “ratings”—not children—undermines quality and equity. In A. Valenzuela (Ed.), Leaving p.8 Kramer, S. E. (August 2008) 7 Ways to Bring Today's Tech Into Your Classroom. Instructor (New York, N.Y.: 1999) v. 118 no. 1 p. 40, 41 Retrieved Sept. 20, 2008 from http://libproxy.nau.edu:3774/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790efee46b7eed8 de34d68ec9333dfe44f425e01c3dd7b538f1f220e1aee03123bec&fmtH Curwood, J.S. (2008, August) Generation IM. Instructor (New York, N.Y.: 1999) v. 118 no. 1 p. 34-6, 38-9 Statistics: PEW INTERNET AND AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT, 2008; KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION. 2005 Retrieved Sept. 17, 2008 from http://libproxy.nau.edu:3774/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790efee46b7eed8 de34d68ec9333dfe44f425e01c3dd7b538f1f8abd40434fb13239&fmt=H Conrad, B. (2008) Tech Addiction: Internet addiction and Videogame addiction help, quoting Young, K http://www.techaddiction.ca/faqs/index.html Umstattd Jr., Thomas 2008 Straight Talk on the Dark Side of Digital Gaming Podcast http://www.cgames.com/ Sept. 18, 2007 What is gaming addiction? Interview with Dr. Kimberly Young; Sept. 10, 2007 The Dangers of Digital Gaming Shelby, Dr. Michael (2008, February 20) Today Show Interview: Internet, Texting, E-Mail Addictions, Pull the Plug on Your Habit; YouTube Video Accessed September 29, 2008 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBwbcgGPRK0 Greenfield, Dr. David (June 30, 2008) Interview Newscast Posted by Brian in Expert Interviews, News, The Reality of Addiction, Video Accessed September 29, 2008 from http://www.cgames.com/category/news/