I don't dislike technology. I tend to use what I'm comfortable with and ignore what I don't care about. I consider myself open to new things, but I don't seek them out.
My main concern with technology is that I feel like it is becoming a distraction and (big generalization) breeding lazy people. Everyone is so focused and concerned with instant information.. myself included. By providing instant information, I think sometimes, that we lose the education and learning process of actually finding the information. I think technology needs to be a compliment to education, not used in place of education. My mother works at a science/technology magnet elementary school in Indianapolis. They (whoever) boast that all 5th graders leave knowing how to create a PowerPoint, but the reality of the situation is, many leave reading below a 5th grade reading level.
I think people may be recognizing that the educational system is failing them. Not too long ago, Dean Lewis sent out a link to a youtube video, an amateur video made by students about the educational system. The one comment/critque sent back about the video complained about the soundtrack, the lack of statement as to who the audience was, the obscure message. Here's the link: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o). That critique entirely missed the point. I think the point of the video is that students themselves are recognizing that priorities are misaligned, that they are distracted, and that there is a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed. I'm not blaming it on technology. But, I can't help but think that priorities are in the wrong place.
I am looking forward to learning about and using new technology, actually. Don't let my post mislead you. It just seems inevitable that this problem, if not addressed, won't go away; it might just get worse.
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I also think some prioritization is in order. Technology should complement what we are currently learning. Students should have computer literacy but they should also have literacy in general. I think it is sad when children know how to IM each other but they can't read a novel or write a complete sentence. We in the library profession should be advocating for both types of literacy.
ReplyDeleteNice post. You seem to be forgiving of technology in many respects and seem to still be optimistic about its uses for the future. I think it has gotten out of control, and there is nothing that can be done to stop its proliferation. The funny thing is, nobody seems to be controlling and guiding it, but instead it is only that we are trying to keep up. I think this is doubly so for the librarian professional where all we can do is try to keep relevant by keeping abreast of the developments. Shouldn't we be creating our own solutions to our problems instead of relying on others to do it for us?
ReplyDeleteI think that our profession certainly does have a contribution to make to society and that's part of why I want you all to gain a certain proficiency with some of these popular tools. We can't contribute if we can't communicate or don't understand where others are coming from.
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