Technopoly- Overreliance

"Over-Reliance"

I am once again baffled by the ignorance and autopilot tendency we have demonstrated in our culture in recent decades.  This overreliance on "the machine" to diagnose and give weight to ideas, rather than thinking it through ourselves.  I want to reflect on the quote by Postman regarding this issue:
"One might even say that an intelligence test is a tale told by an expert, signifiying nothing."  We all know that there is more to a person's intelligence than what a test can possible identify or reflect, yet, we often allow these things to carry more weight than they should in our views or understanding of something. Ex. Political polls- Numbers mean everything, despite their limitations to reflect the views of the voters polled  (machine = reliable          person = untrustworthy) 

The examples of the medical arena in the U.S. versus other countries in the use of tests and surgeries to identify the threat and conquer, much like we do in other areas of society has left us creating more problems as we "solve" others.  The author stated that the doctors are no longer using technology, but technology is using them.

I am reminded of the “autopilot” (reflected on in my post on chapters 3 and 4) that has become so prevelant in our students when they access information online. We have to be the regulators training them with discernment, not simply limiting the info they access. “Teaching how to fish”, rather than simply “feeding them” idea.  In reference to "A Whole New Mind", we need to pay more attention to the story behind the data and not assume that because information came from a machine that it is "truth" in itself with no other factors involved.  It is encouraging to find that medical schools, as well as other fields of study, are looking at the value of the story being the stats.  Hopefully, we are learning a little something, as a culture, about not just the benefits, but the limitations of the machines we use.  

Technopoly Chapters 3-4 "On Autopilot"

ON AUTOPILOT...
I got quite an economic education reading these chapters. While I had a broad knowledge and understanding of how America developed economically and technologically, this author's prepective was a great lense in which to reflect on these events in our history.  I was led throughout this section to think about how our educational system will look if we continue to allow machines with a set technique to do the thinking for us?  Will we, as teachers, simply push the buttons and apply the techniques already set out for us? I certainly hope not. I don't want to be put on autopilot, nor do I think this will "improve" the educational process.  So many times in this section, the author noted how the speed and amounts of information continued to increase, but much of what was/is so easily accessible could not/cannot be connected to any improvement beyond speed and volume.  We are the context and meaning providers in the classroom. Our students have information coming at them in great quatities and at great speeds.  If we do not teach them how to discern what information is true and meaningful, they will not stop to reflect, and will likely become what the author spoke of in his experiment with a fake story.  While I laughed a bit ready this humorous story, it was disheartening to recognize that this happens so often in our society today.  Science and studies are "truth" no matter how bizarre or incomprehensible they may seem.  I might have to share this story with my kids this coming school year when we talk about discernment in our study of various concepts. What can we be doing in our classrooms to challenge our students to go against the current of our society in this way?

Technopoly Chapters 1-2

This was a very thought-provoking reading, begging the question...To what degree is technology a benefit and a hinderance in our society as a whole and in our classrooms?  I will begin with the quote
"New technolgy does not add or subtract...but changes everything."  Throughout these 2 chapters, the author challenges we, as readers, to use what has happened in history to examine the effects of technology on a particiular society.
One example was regarding the mechanical clock. While it was a positive in regulating time, it ended up benefitting business owners and taking the focus off of God.  Another example was the invention of the mill, which opened the door to the growth of prositution in the community.  We live in a sinful world, so every invention that has a initially pure and good purpose to improve society, will end up having sin taint and negatively impact it.
The obvious connection in today's society is the Internet. While it has allowed us to do many positive things, it has also opened the door to sinful things, as well.  We are able to easily communicate with others, but it has negatively affected personal relationships in taking away from face-to-face connections and in making it easier for many to make very public things that they would never say in a face-to-face conversation.  It has also made the way we locate information much easier, but has made it all too easy for false and unwholesome information to be easily accessed.  The third thing that came to mind in regard to the Internet, is the attention spans of today's generations.  We not longer have to pay attention to a complete piece of information, but look for the "answers" or tidbits of information.  We are inundated with bells and whistles from many sources, rather than focusing on a single thought or idea for any time to reflect. This advancement has changed the way we process information.
I guess I come away from this reading, an "optimistic skeptic".  We have to look at all advances in technolgy with a critical eye, but cannot shut out the good that something provides simply because there are negatives that go along with it.

Beginning Grad Ed.

I am hoping that by the end of this summer, I will be MUCH better at integrating technology into my teaching.  Right now, I am somewhat comfortable, yet also somewhat hesistant in using the tech tools we have available in our school.