Thursday, February 5, 2009

"Technology is a tool"

Paul Navarre started his presentation with the above quote. It is precisely correct. All technology comes with great advantages and great responsibility for appropriate use. His outlook on how technology systyems sjhould be designed and used is very practical. The components that create the "wow' dfactor of technology use are meaningless when considering whether the technology helps you to solve the problem or accomplish the task you want to address. This is a nod to efficiency in technology use that many people overlook and it is a refreshing point of view.

A second comment of importance revolved around his opinion that students must know how to learn independently. Upon reflection, this is the real purpose of our educational system and always has been. I'd like to think the Jeffersonian ideal of public education was to ultimately result in a literate populace capable of making rational, well-thought decisions. With the availability of technology that provides such great access to information, it is more important than ever for our students to learn to think critically and make well-educated decisions....

....like whether or not Gresham, Oregon is north of the Columbia!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for your thoughts. Whenever Thomas Jefferson is referenced, I stand up and take notice. I think you'd enjoy the book on Disruptive Innovation--I shared in the Lit Review on Thursday. Check it out.

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  2. Well said. Our goal is to teach students to use tools efficently and effectively as independent learners!

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