Technology

Katie Iverson

Technology is an integral part of our daily life. Smart phones are the new normal and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find basic phone options. Most people dont want a phone that can only be used to make phone calls. With so much technology available to everyone, it is easy to assume that everyone understands technology. This is not the case. There is an overall lack of understanding about technology. This is the biggest issue that I see as an educator, a student and as a consumer of technology. Most people do not understand the technology that they use every day. The term technology is difficult to define. People use the term so loosely, it can mean many things. If we roughly describe technology as comprising the use of artificial implements for the business of life, together with their original invention, improvement, and occasional additions, such a tranquil description will do for most of technology through mankinds career (with which it is coeval), but not for modern technology. (3) According to Feenberg, there are three aspects to technology: the hardware, the process and the know-how. Technology is about applying of scientific knowledge to do something practical. To understand technology, you must understand all three aspects. Technology and science are intertwined. In brief, a mutual feedback operates between science and technology; each requires and propels the other; and as matters now stand, they can only live together or must die together. (3) This connection between technology and science has been discussed since Ancient Greek philosophers used terms episteme and techn. Episteme is knowledge and techn is the application of that knowledge in a craft. Knowledge is a scientific understanding. As the concept of techn develops, the role of reflective knowledge is emphasized. Whereas techn is

associated with knowing how to do certain activities, epistm sometimes indicates a theoretical component of techn. (5) Technology is also becoming more prevalent in education. Even in public schools, where budget cuts are still forcing administrators to cut programs, teachers and school days. Last year my school had a half time principal and no music program, but each teacher now has a SmartBoard and I have a set of 30 netbooks in my classroom. To the general public and even to others involved in public education that does not make sense. What is comes down to, is that technology is a priority. While it may look like we are spending when there is obviously no money to spend, that is not what is happening. Funding in public education is interesting because certain funds are designated for very specific purposes. Grants or other outside sources of funds are usually how we are able to purchase new technology. For example the 30 netbooks that I have in my classroom were purchased with grant money that was designated to be used for technology supporting our engineering curriculum. The school was given that money, but only allowed to use it for the intended purpose. The grant money in my example came from an organization that is funded by businesses to support education about careers in technology and engineering. These businesses want to start preparing students at an early age for careers in technology and engineering because there is so much opportunity in those fields. Technology is an important part of education because it will be an important part of our students future. Technology is a black box for most of society. The sheer multiplicity of technologies in modern society poses serious difficulties for anyone who seeks an overarching grasp of human experience in a technological society. (6) We may understand how to use technology, but not

how it works or the history behind it. There are so many different types of technology, ranging from simple to extremely complex and most people in the world now have access. It is not good to have so much access to something that you do not understand. Without episteme you cannot have effective techn. The knowledge of technology is limited, which is why it can be considered a black box. A black box is anything that you do not understand its inner workings. The inputs and outputs are clear, but not the inside. For technology such as a cell phone, we can operate it, but we dont know how it works, or the history behind it. This is an issue because we use it everyday. It is dangerous to think that because we use technology, we are technologically literate. It is often assumed that the younger generation understands technology because they use technology, but that simply is not always true. The more we blindly use something, the less thought we have to put in to using it. As a result, we become more and more dependent on technology that we know nothing about. The use is increasing, but the knowledge is decreasing. One problem with this concerning trend is that because people give no thought to the technology they are using they do not consider that they may be giving up make choices about technology. That control can be taken from society and given to businesses and the government. Without the proper skills, focus and determination, it is impossible to hit a moving target. Technology is that moving target, continuing to evolve. Often people are instantly dissatisfied with technology as soon as they realize the next greatest thing is available. With the example of cell phones, there is always a new phone coming out that will make you feel like your phone is obsolete. Technology thus adds to the very objectives of human desires, including objectives for technology itself. (3) Your current phone is of course not obsolete, but

the power of advertising fuels your desire for the next greatest thing. When the i phone 5 came out, people who owned an i phone 4 didnt need it, but they were still willing to wait in line and spend their money. When people do not understand technology, they are more likely to be persuaded businesses promoting a product. Technology will continue to evolve driven by the pressure of competition for profit and the desire for a better life. there can be indefinite progress because there is always something new and better to find. (3) In education we have to be careful not to use technology just for the sake of using technology. New technology is being thrown at teachers with the expectation that it will improve teaching and student learning. Unfortunately a lack of understanding leads to poor choices and ineffective use of technology. When teachers are given the hardware but not the knowledge to use it, it is no longer valuable as an educational tool. For example, every teacher in my school has a SmartBoard. The district felt that it was important to have that technology in every classroom, but teachers have never been trained on how to use the SmartBoard. Without episteme, techn is not effective. To be able to use technology, like SmartBoards, as effective learning tools we need knowledge of that technology. Opening the black box is not easy. We must be willing to dedicate time and energy to expand our knowledge of technology. Only then can we improve as educators. Just like anything else we teach, we must be knowledgeable. Our techn is the craft of teaching and it requires episteme in all areas that we teach. There is no question that society is using technology more, so our role as educators is to understand technology so that we can teach technology to our students.

Citations 1. Feenberg, A. (n.d.). Science, technology and democracy: Distinctions and connections. 2. Feenberg, A. (2001). Whither educational technology? International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 11, 83-91. 3. Jonas, H. (1979). Towards a philosophy of technology. Hastings Center Report. 4. Kline, S. J. (1985). What is technology? Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society, 1, 215218. 5. Parry , R. (2007, October 28). Episteme and Techn (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Retrieved October 8, 2013, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/episteme-techn/ 6. Winner, L. (1993). Upon opening the black box and finding it empty: Social constructivism and a philosophy of technology. Science, Technology and Human Values, 18(3), 362-376. 7. Xin, C., & Feenberg, A. (2006). Pedagogy in cyberspace: The dynamics of online discourse. Journal of Distance Education, 21(2), 1-25.