Feenburg’s definition of technology made the most sense to me:
Feenburg (1999, 2003) suggests that technology is the medium of daily life in modern societies. His impression is that technology is humanly controlled and value-laden just like a social institution.
Humanly controlled – I currently see technology as an extension of the self. Technology can make completing specific tasks easier and offer other representations. It can act as a cognitive tool so that the user/human can focus on a higher order skill. Overall, technology is a tool that is exercised through human autonomy. However, the extension of the self will have different representations depending upon the medium.
Value-laden – Given our current technological scene, there are a variety of technological media that range from books, chalkboards, computers, probes, and specific software. With “old school” media, like books, it was a little odd to think of this as technology because its advancement was so long ago. However, the printing press is a huge technological advancement. In the classroom, the selection of a specific technology may speak to values connected to accessibility, socioeconomic status, discipline preferences, and philosophical preferences.
Technology does not equate to advancement. The creation and use of technology often contains artifacts of what society at the time values.