Tech No - No More

Along with being a Baby Boomer, I just discovered that I belong to a newly fashionable offbeat group called Tech Nos, or those who opt out of the latest technology. I do not have a television or a laptop. Saturday nights are spent with NPR and Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. My dear departed sister thought I was causing permanent damage to my now nineyear-old daughter. I feel self-righteous. After all, Libby read Little Women kindergarten. I secretly worry. Will the lack of exposure to pop culture cause Libby to be the brunt of playground brutes? Considering the aforementioned confession, I seemed an unlikely candidate to author an article regarding changing technology and the future classroom. Then I realized, while I no longer have students (I now work for the PA secretary of Agriculture) to beckon for technological assistance, I do have young colleagues who not only do most tasks more efficiently and effectively, but also help me on a daily basis with my personal technology hang-ups. It seemed logical to ask them for help again. Read below to find their answers to how technology will or should change our classroom delivery systems. The use of satellite classes, on-line classes and the fact that new technology in the classroom provides better access to a wide variety of learners makes many things possible. This truly makes obtaining a degree/education much more convenient. Not only can you complete coursework while fulfilling other commitments - other factors can be diminished including language barriers, disabilities, time constraints and even monetary investments. I finished my college degree requirements through the Brigham Young University while I was student teaching and holding a part time job rural Pennsylvania. (And yes, I am still a Catholic!) Learners are also given a broad array of educational venues. It would be possible for students to network with scientists and/or specialists who they could have only dreamed of interacting with before. Technology also provides students the opportunity to apply their skills practically, therefore, enforcing the information learned and the purpose for which the skill is necessary. Technologically proficient employees are sought after the workforce. Not only is technology important the classroom for skills and information, it also educates students on how to use the technology. Let's face it, this day and age our time is taxed, our minds are laden and survival is the first priority for many. Education (on many levels) can still be at the forefront of every agenda if it remains accessible, affordable, and exciting-technology provides this! Heidi Svonavec Director of Consumer Affairs PA Milk Marketing Board 2002 Agricultural Education Penn State University I'm probably not the best person to answer these questions, but I can tell you about my personal experience. For my generation, technology education was almost a mythical figure - something we heard a lot about but never actually materialized. My high school had good computers, but actually integrating them into a lesson was cumbersome. It basically came down to teaching a traditional manner (books, lecture, overheads,) with one day of computer lab time which we were given dull computerized tasks (i.e., Find ten facts about Shakespeare on the Internet ...lame). This was partly due to the newness of the technology and teachers' unfamiliarity with technology. Couple that with the fear that we would all just sit down and look at naked girls or learn how to make bombs and these quickly became completely scripted, narrow learning experiences. That being said, I think that students today might find some of this coming true. As technology gets closer to what we think of as high-tech (faster internet connections, larger storage capacity, etc.) and with more young teachers understanding technology, students may see more freedom to use computers to learn. …