Which definition of technology or metaphor for technology appeals to you and why? Is there another definition you would like to contribute?
I found myself relating to different aspects of each definition. I think a combination of them comes closer to creating a current definition of technology than any one of them alone.
For example, Muffoletto’s (1994) suggestion that technology is a “way of acting” fits well with Feenburg’s (2003) suggestion that technology is becoming the “medium of daily life”. Modern culture is so immersed in technology that it is now difficult, if not impossible, to understand our students apart from their interactions with technology. Technology has affected their development and communication styles, and in turn, their (and our) use of technology has affected its development
As technology impacts our students’ development and culture, it is inevitable that it will impact how they learn. For this reason, I feel that a definition that defines how we will use technology, rather than what it is or is not, is important in the study of educational technology. As the affordances of technology change and as society changes with them, we will need to have a definition of technology that is equally fluid.
I propose that a definition of technology, as it applies to education, could be as follows:
Technology encompasses all of the past and current affordances of technology that allow students to interact with knowledge, to construct knowledge and to share knowledge. It is a method for finding knowledge and for collaborating; for creating knowledge and for remixing content to fit new situations. The power of technology does not lie in its presence, but in what we do with it. Different forms of technology, from the pencil to the internet, are useful in different situations and old does not mean useless any more than new means better. Technology is only as powerful and useful as the person (or persons) wielding it.
References:
Muffoletto, R. (1994). Technology and restructuring education: Constructing a context. Educational Technology, 34(2), 24-28.
Feenburg, A. (2003). Questioning technology. New York, NY: Routledge.
In response to Kozma and the above questions, create your own personal, short statement on an ideal pedagogical design of a technology-enhanced learning experience for math and/or science.
An ideal pedagogical design of a technology-enhanced learning experience for math would involve an activity designed for students to work collaboratively to construct knowledge. Depending on the topic, the students might use graphing calculators (or GC apps) to test theories, check results or explore options. Once they have come to a working theory, students would compare results with other groups and, with guidance from the teacher, edit, fix or refine their constructs. Some kind of practice assignment would then ensue. Later in class or as homework, students would go online and contribute to a class blog, either by asking questions, responding to peers and/or summarizing/scribing that day’s lesson.