If We Were Really Serious about Educational Technology

McLeod, S.

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<h3 id="h3_iamo" name="h3_iamo">Editor's Note</h3>
<p id="p_avXi" name="p_avXi">This was originally posted to <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/11/if-we-were-really-serious-about-educational-technology.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-hxy" data-unshortened-url="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/11/if-we-were-really-serious-about-educational-technology.html">Scott McLeod's blog<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-hxy]</span></a> on November 22, 2010.</p>
</div><div class="nc_tweetContainer swp_buffer" data-network="buffer">If we were really serious about educational technology, we would… [here are 10 to get you started]</div><div class="nc_tweetContainer swp_buffer" data-network="buffer"> </div><ul id="ul_YhpK" name="ul_YhpK"><li id="li_EtxY" name="li_EtxY">show students how to edit their privacy settings and use groups in Facebook instead of <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/09/video-response-to-principal-who-bans-social-media.html" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-xkU" data-unshortened-url="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/09/video-response-to-principal-who-bans-social-media.html">banning online social networks<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-xkU]</span></a> because they’re ‘dangerous’ and/or ‘frivolous’;</li>
<li id="li_pGbm" name="li_pGbm">teach students to understand and contribute to the online <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Commons" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-cXd" data-unshortened-url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Commons">information commons<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-cXd]</span></a> rather than <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/11/just-say-no-to.html" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-BkE" data-unshortened-url="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/11/just-say-no-to.html">‘just saying no’<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-BkE]</span></a> to Wikipedia;</li>
<li id="li_UaxU" name="li_UaxU">put a robust digital learning device into every student’s hands (<a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/03/slide-banning-student-computers.html" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-BBL" data-unshortened-url="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/03/slide-banning-student-computers.html">or let them bring and use their own<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-BBL]</span></a>) instead of pretending that we live in a pencil, notebook paper, and ring binder world;</li>
<li id="li_CHuF" name="li_CHuF">integrate digital learning and teaching tools into subject-specific preservice methods courses rather than marginalizing instructional technology as a separate course;</li>
<li id="li_yZBQ" name="li_yZBQ">understand <a href="http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/internet-crimes/" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-ShY" data-unshortened-url="http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/internet-crimes/">the true risk<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-ShY]</span></a> of students encountering online predators and <a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pubrelease/isttf/" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-prV" data-unshortened-url="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pubrelease/isttf/">make policy accordingly<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-prV]</span></a> instead of succumbing to scare tactics by the media, politicians, law enforcement, computer security vendors, and others;</li>
<li id="li_AEKa" name="li_AEKa">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;</li>
<li id="li_nsfm" name="li_nsfm"><a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/09/we-cant-let-educators-off-the-hook.html" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-Mey" data-unshortened-url="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2010/09/we-cant-let-educators-off-the-hook.html">treat seriously and own personally<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-Mey]</span></a> the task of becoming proficient with the digital tools that are transforming everything instead of <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/08/im-not-good-at-math-im-not-very-good-at-computers.html" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-GME" data-unshortened-url="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/08/im-not-good-at-math-im-not-very-good-at-computers.html">nonchalantly chuckling<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-GME]</span></a> about how little we as educators know about computers;</li>
<li id="li_zuXe" name="li_zuXe">recognize <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf" data-shortened-url="https://edtechbooks.org/-dVV" data-unshortened-url="http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf">the power and potential<span class="display-url pdf-only"> [https://edtechbooks.org/-dVV]</span></a> (and limitations) of online learning rather than blithely assuming that it can’t be as good as face-to-face instruction;</li>
<li id="li_Mucc" name="li_Mucc">tap into and utilize the technological interest and knowledge of students instead of pretending that they have nothing to contribute;</li>
<li id="li_bdoV" name="li_bdoV">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;</li>
<li id="li_dLPE" name="li_dLPE">and so on…</li>
</ul><p id="p_aAvQ" name="p_aAvQ">What else could we add to the list?</p><blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;">
If we were really serious about [educational technology issue], we would [?] instead of [?].
</blockquote><p id="p_rAcV" dir="ltr" name="p_rAcV">It’s almost 2011. Isn’t it time for us to get serious about educational technology?</p>