TOPIC: How often should educators incorporate technology in the classroom?
I believe a common misconception running rampant through our culture is the idea technology must own the characteristic of a plug or battery to be considered “technology”; however, technology is “the use of science in industry, engineering, etc. to invent useful materials or processes to solve problems or raise the quality of life.”
Technology consists of any process (idea or system) and every object (machine or product) invented to solve our daily or long-term problems as well as to better our daily or long-term living.
So what is the most productive piece of technological equipment introduced into civilization?
If you truly analyze and evaluate every piece of technology created since the beginning of the civilized era, the object providing the most value to our society is the first writing instrument. From the cave man’s sharpened stone to the Greek’s writing stylus to the Roman’s reed-pen to the quill pen, the writing instrument which most successfully allowed human civilization to records its history, ideas, and entertainment with ease, accuracy, and speed is the simple pencil.
Computer/Electronic technology is forever ingrained in our society. There is not one doubt about this fact; however, students learn to navigate and utilize these contraptions even before they enter a classroom, mastering their capabilities far beyond the supposed masters of classrooms, so styling lesson plans around their use is rather redundant.
When other educators or professionals inquire if I incorporate technology in my classroom, I smile and say:
“Of course I do. I force them to use a pencil every day.”
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