Technologically Torn

If you call my cell phone, but reach my voice mail, don't be surprised. Chances are my Samsung is vibrating somewhere in vain. It may be abandoned in yesterday's coat pocket, lodged between a couch cushion, or left plugged into the charger. The truth is my roommate often has a better idea of where my cellular device might be than I do. I never did understand why so many of my friends nearly break their neck in the process of running to the phone whenever it rings.

I admit my aversion for cell phones is a bit unusual for a 20 year old. My friends and family are constantly getting on me about being so “unavailable” in the age of communication. I must agree that sometimes they are right. It's not that I'm completely technologically inept or antisocial; it's just that I don't understand why people act as if there was never a time when cell phones did not exist. I know that technology is becoming increasingly more important in our world. Despite, much of what I’ve just said, I have really grown to like technology in most cases. I enjoy the convenience of my laptop and the entertainment of my iPod. But maybe my rebellion against cell phones is just me being an old soul and appreciating a time when you couldn't be tracked down by the Nokia on your belt loop and life was a bit more “real”.

Beyond my cell phone discussion, I guess my point is that I would like to view technology as an extension of human ability. Unfortunately, I feel that many times there is a point at which technology handicaps people because it makes “knowing,” “experiencing,” and “physically doing” less important. People are less compelled to talk to a person face to face because they feel the same objective can be met by simply talking to them over the phone. There will be a conclusion to a discussion either way, but are the results really the same. I would argue that they are not.

A few weeks ago one of my classmates brought up a really great question. She asked, "Whatever happened to Mozart and the people who were writing symphonies at 12?" She went on to say that she felt as if people were growing progressively less interesting as they became glued to video games and computer screens. My first thought regarding this comment was that the world has never had many Mozarts and that’s why we remember his name more than two centuries later. None the less, her words rang with an air of truth. After listening to her thoughts and reading another classmate’s (Andrew Orndorff) convincing rebuttal, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am technologically torn. Technology has its pros and cons and there are definitely situations when it is difficult to determine which side outweighs the other.

Perhaps the greatest example I can give of how technology has the ability to rob us and help us at the same time involves physical education in school. Last semester I was writing my final paper for Foundations of Education on the declining health of American children and I came across an article entitled Fast-foot Fitness. I was completely shocked at what it said. According to this article the popular video arcade game known as Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR, will become a mandatory part of the physical education curriculum in West Virginia’s 753 public schools by the end of 2008. While I will agree that the physically challenging video game is a clever way of attacking childhood obesity, I don’t understand how educators can fully endorse children trading in their time outdoors and team jerseys to play an interactive video game. I know that the goal is to improve the health of our children, but is depriving them of fresh air and social interaction really the answer? This is just one tough question of many that the 21^st century will force us to answer in regard to how technology shapes our daily lives.

Lash, Cindi. "Fast-Foot Fitness." Post-Gazette.Com. 4 June 2006. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. .

Response to Laptops on Expedition

It’s truly amazing what children are capable of creating when given access to technology and the freedom to explore. Watching Laptops on Expedition was an inspiring reminder that learning should be interactive. Learning does not have to be a process in which knowledge constantly flows from the teachers to the students. Teachers can learn from their students as well. In viewing this short documentary, I saw 7^th graders take the lessons they learned from a Unit on endangered species and create a wonderful documentary and presentation. The teachers at the school worked closely with one another to connect the academic lessons being taught in each class. The students were able to go far beyond what they received from class lectures and effectively demonstrated to the teachers what they learned without a formal test or essay. I thought it was fantastic that a mixed-income school with so much diversity could improve that significantly in a short period of time. The experiences those children were gaining through the use of laptops in the classroom will be valuable knowledge for their futures.

There were so many times in my own educational experience when my teachers underestimated my abilities and those of my peers. Looking back on my middle school and high school days, I recall very few opportunities when I was given the reigns over my own learning. I would have really enjoyed an activity such as the one carried out by these middle school children. For this reason, I hope that I will be able to lead my own students in projects similar to Laptops on Expedition one day in the near future.

http://www.edutopia.org/video/frame.php

Technology Autobiography

Technology and I have not always been friends. I used to be one of those people who struggled to program the clock on the microwave and feared any pop-ups on my computer screen that asked me to “press ok to continue.” I’m not sure whether I was convinced that the machine was going to disintegrate beneath my fingertips or what the problem was, but I simply did not trust myself with technology.
However, I do think a lot of my uneasiness with technology in the past stemmed from the lack of technology used in my schools and my parent’s view of new gadgets. My family did not live in the Ice Ages. We had TV’s, cars, washing machines, dishwashers, and all the amenities which came standard with most American families of the 20th century. But, we were never the first to adopt new devices. I remember the days when the rest of the country was wirelessly surfing the web, while my Packard Bell was struggling to dial-up. I remember how my friends were downloading digital images and printing their own pictures, while I was running to CVS with my negatives.
Miraculously, in the last few years a lot of changes have happened at home. Each time I return for the holidays, my mom and dad excitedly show off their latest possessions. Today a flat screen digital TV hangs above our fireplace, my mom walks around with a step tracker strapped to her hip, and my dad is checking his e-mail on their new laptop.
While my parents have definitely taken big steps into the land of technology, I am constantly reminded of the generation gap that exists between us. Perhaps my favorite story to tell involves my dad and the CD player. I was sitting in the kitchen one day listening to music. The CD rotating in the player came to a stop as the last song ended. Immediately my dad stood up and headed towards the CD player. As he took the shiny disk out of its slot he asked me, “Would you like me to flip it over?” With that comment I was rolling with laughter. I can imagine my children will find the same humor in my actions one day.
Today, I am much more comfortable with technology and have learned to truly enjoy it. College has definitely introduced me to a lot of new programs, websites, and devices I had never experienced before. I am excited about all of the new opportunities technology has to offer.