Oppenheimer, Tech Tonic, and NETS

In my opinion, the common theme connecting Oppenheimer’s The Flickering Mind, Tech Tonic, and The NETS is balance.  In the case of the three previously mentioned articles, balance refers to the ability to manage the integration of technology all the while ensuring that appropriateness, student growth, development, and overall well-being is in the forefront of learning.  In The Flickering Mind, Oppenheimer discusses the multiple prophecies of America’s past concerning the future of education being centered around “motion picture-like” opportunities and then “bridging the digital divide” to “21^st century learning.”  Nevertheless, he stresses how with the more rampant appearance of various technologies in today’s schools, those prophecies of the past appear to be creating a problematic present.  Technology is not being employed correctly in today’s schools, creating more of a divide between schools and students that are “haves” and “have nots,” and potentially taking the place of tried and true necessary learning experiences that have proven to be effective in any classroom.  Tech Tonic takes a stand on the “why” and the “how” aspect of a balance between child development, learning, and technology.  The text stresses that children are human first and have specific learning needs outside of technology.  Technology should then be employed by a knowledgeable educator and connected to a child’s learning if the experience will “lead to the full development of a child’s human capacities.”  Finally, The NETS soothe those that side with Oppenheimer, as well as the child-first thinkers of Tech Tonic, by offering educators more or less a guide by which technology can be integrated soundly into the curriculum.  This information could and should be conveyed to students outside of technology first, via authentic learning opportunities within the classroom community.  In turn, that exposure can then assist educators in connecting those experiences to technology and thus create a balance that is both meaningful and appropriate for student learning. 

How does technology fit into my personal philosophy of education?

My personal philosophy of education is one that is forever evolving and child-centered.  Teachers should be consciously progressive in the teaching techniques, as well as the forms of technology, they are using year after year in order to ensure student progress, self-motivation, self-advocacy, and an ability to see the “big picture.”   This “picture” in large part is due to the fact that more and more students are spending large parts of their school day using technology: an always-progressing educational tool.  Students should be maximizing their learning while embracing technology across the curriculum, which in turn creates a more engaged student.  The combination of learning and technology is proof positive that students learning opportunities will then transition them seamlessly into any future endeavor as technology secures its place as an integral part of our world.