Academic Technology

It has been a while since I finished my EduTech capstone project, and my ideas on Academic Technology have changed. I recently began thinking again about tech in the classroom, especially since I spoke about Academic Technology in Hawai’i in early January, and in March, I will be speaking at SXSW on a panel of students about the future of the classroom.

My Vision

Jeff Han demonstrating his multi-touch technology. Photo Credit: jurvetson

I have complex and radical visions for how technology will be apart of our lives. I imagine classrooms being outfitted with interactive and touch human-friendly technology that allows students to better collaborate and work in groups in and out oft he classroom. I picture libraries actually being great places for study. I picture technologically elaborate and visually appealing technology and multi-media laboratories. I see blackboards being transformed into information hubs (backchannels) that make it easy for students and teachers to share information. Unfortunately, schools do not have money to spare these days and teachers and students are no longer motivated to talk to each other or interested in going to school. Education moves slowly, while technology moves quickly. Education in general does not know how to adapt to the future. Technology budgets are slim and often misspent leaving both teachers and students behind.

Reality

During my capstone project, I mostly experimented with free social internet technologies, like Moodle, Wordpress, Twitter, Tumblr, and others. Throughout most of high school, I had a laptop in front of me. I multitasked; taking notes, looking up terms in science class, and more. However, in college, there has been only one class in which I used my computer (my first semester Media and Society class. Today, I find technology to be more destructive and distracting. Most of the applications and services I praised I now find to be useless inside the classroom. On the other hand, I find technology to be more useful outside the classroom. In college, an environment where oftentimes teachers and students do not communicate outside of the classroom (the division between academics and life are clearly defined), social technology usage outside of the classroom is more effective and really engages students with students, students with teachers, and teachers with teachers. I realize now that technology can not be a replacement for human to human classroom discussion and involvement. Besides, I again am reminded that technology is so often misused and misguided in educational environments. My number one recommendation still stands; in order to successfully use technology inside and outside of the classroom, Academic must be a top priority to students, teachers, and administrators. Technology must be just as thought out as any assigned reading or writing.

Conclusion

As you can see, I’m well on my way to developing my own Educational and Technological philosophy. I will be writing more about this topic. I may even start a blog about it. We’ll see. Please, I beg of you, email me.