Week 1 - EDT5410

Reflecting on the two readings from this week had me thinking about my own struggle of being connected and wanting to unplug. I particularly enjoyed reading Postman’s article for the simple reason that I felt as though we had similarities in personality. Often, I think about simpler times when technology didn’t make everything so fast and readily available. It was simpler when I was younger, and we had to get up and move and think and go for the information we sought. Technology almost feels like a double-edged sword in some cases. For example, it allows me to do my job more efficiently (as with many people’s jobs), and I can work from anywhere I want. I’m connected to my email, Microsoft Teams, my cell phone, text messaging, and so on. But that hasn’t exactly solved any problem. Without the technology, I can still do my job. It just takes more effort and time. I also see technology as good and bad in my daughter’s life. Her education is largely inclusive of technology and she even requires the use of a Chromebook in order to complete assignments. She is by far, addicted to her cell phone which bothers me at times. However, I have seen her develop more rapidly as she has been provided alternative methods of learning on her Chromebook. She is allowed additional opportunities to do school approved “games” to learn subject matter. Without her having the opportunity for self-guided learning activities on the computer, that her teacher can retrieve electronically with automatic grading/assessment, I don’t think she would have advanced as much as she has the last couple of years.

I thought a lot about my daughter’s education when reading Reigeluth’s article, largely making the case for advancements in the educational system and technology. I whole-heartedly agree that today’s educational system STILL reflects more of the Industrial Age key markers than the Information Age, albeit, probably not as divided as when the article was written. For example, I think that we falter when it comes to standardized testing, conformity, and separating children into standard groups for the purpose of education. There is an elementary school locally that actually does not follow this model. In fact, regardless of age, children are assessed on their mastery and meet in smaller groups with children that are at similar stages in the learning of a skill or subject matter. It doesn’t have typical grades such as 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd grade and employs the theory that children learn at their own pace and progress to the next topic once they have mastered the current topic. This largely suggests that Reigeluth was certainly onto something; a something that I very much agree with. The downside, it is not public education, it is a private institution that comes with a hefty price tag for tuition. Which then has me pondering that only wealthier parents can afford the better education that allows for their child(ren) to flourish in a learning environment that is better suited for them. Unfortunately, a massive, nation-wide overhaul of the educational constructs doesn’t seem likely in my daughter’s tenure in school.