If We Were Really Serious about Educational Technology

• show students how to edit their privacy settings and use groups in Facebook instead of banning online social networks [https://edtechbooks.org/-xkU] because they’re ‘dangerous’ and/or ‘frivolous’;
• teach students to understand and contribute to the online information commons [https://edtechbooks.org/-cXd] rather than ‘just saying no’ [https://edtechbooks.org/-BkE] to Wikipedia;
• put a robust digital learning device into every student’s hands (or let them bring and use their own [https://edtechbooks.org/-BBL]) instead of pretending that we live in a pencil, notebook paper, and ring binder world;
• integrate digital learning and teaching tools into subject-specific preservice methods courses rather than marginalizing instructional technology as a separate course;
• understand the true risk [https://edtechbooks.org/-ShY] of students encountering online predators and make policy accordingly [https://edtechbooks.org/-prV] instead of succumbing to scare tactics by the media, politicians, law enforcement, computer security vendors, and others;
• find out the exact percentage of our schools’ families that don’t have broadband Internet access at home rather than treating the amorphous ‘digital divide’ as a reason not to assign any homework that involves use of the Internet;
• treat seriously and own personally [https://edtechbooks.org/-Mey] the task of becoming proficient with the digital tools that are transforming everything instead of nonchalantly chuckling [https://edtechbooks.org/-GME] about how little we as educators know about computers;
• recognize the power and potential [https://edtechbooks.org/-dVV] (and limitations) of online learning rather than blithely assuming that it can’t be as good as face-to-face instruction;
• tap into and utilize the technological interest and knowledge of students instead of pretending that they have nothing to contribute;
• better educate and train school administrators rather than continuing to turn out new leaders that know virtually nothing about creating, facilitating, and/or sustaining 21st century learning environments;
• and so on…

What else could we add to the list?

If we were really serious about [educational technology issue], we would [?] instead of [?].

It’s almost 2011. Isn’t it time for us to get serious about educational technology?