Web meets Deb

As excited and intrigued as I am about all the different new technology that is being created and used all around the world, it feels as if somewhere along the way, I missed the stage of 'Web meets Deb' and I've been fast tracked to 'Web meets World'. I have no doubt that digital technology is only going to continue developing at the rapid rate it has been going in the past decade.

Everywhere we turn today, we see technology being used to help us enhance our everyday lives. iPhones are whipped out to send a quick message to our friends that we are late, GPS used to help us newbies navigate our way around Perth, desktops booted up to get the latest news update, Smartboards switched on to upload an interactive numeracy activity, laptops switched on and earphones plugged in to tune in to the latest lecture podcast and the list goes on and on. Compared to how we used to communicate and navigate our surroundings a couple of decades ago to how we do so today, I can say life is infinitely quicker and connected!!

More importantly though is the question of how technology development impact upon education. Is it enhancing the learning the our students, providing a more holistic learning environment, bringing the focus from being exclusive to inclusive and tailoring instruction to student's needs? When technology is implemented well in an educational context, student engagement is high, the boundaries of a classroom are endless as students can be socially networked and accessing information for all over the world, students are exposed an online conduct that will benefit them in the real world and students can access instruction that is individualised to their strengths and weaknesses and can construct new knowledge on their own terms. These are only some of the benefits of technology development in education today.

As all things go, where there is a positive, there is also a negative. Technology is not cheap and the question arises as to where should the financial burden of technology in educational settings lie. It is realistic to assume that not every family will be able to afford technology at their homes. What happens then to their children. Do they fall behind or receive a less authentic learning experience. Does the development of new technology every few months create an environment of exclusivity whereby only the financially rich can afford to keep up with new toys. What about cybersafety? Is it safe for children to be part of the Web or are we placing them in a position of vulnerability? Is the pen and paper becoming obeselete? Are we creating a generation of future leaders who will be so technologically dependent that without it, they may fail to succeed?

While these downfalls are all real and true possibilities, I believe that there are solutions to overcome each and every one of them and that the benefits of technology development ultimately outweigh the problems it may bring.

Despite missing 'Web meets Deb', I'm striving to catch up and embrace all that technology has to offer, from making new Avatars, exploring the 3D world out there to seriously contemplating trading in my Blackberry for an iPhone just so I can experiment with augmented realities.

Until my next post...