OK, time for a technology rant… Last night I met a 19 year old co-worker at a pre-determined location so we could drive a company vehicle out of town for work. The night before I gave him simple instructions, plus the address of the location. We were to meet at a location two blocks off of the only major Interstate highway going east/west through Phoenix. Take the Interstate west, turn right at a clearly marked cross street, then turn into the location, also clearly marked, on your right. Did he make it??? Not even close… At 30 minutes late I called him, only to find out he had no idea where he was. He didn’t know what street he turned off of the Interstate on, he didn’t know if he was north or south of the Interstate. He didn’t even know how to read the street signs to determine the cross-streets of his location. After talking to him for 15 minutes, figuring out where he was, I gave him turn by turn instructions to my location and he got there. He claimed his GPS gave him wrong directions. OK, I’ve seen that happen. But I had previously given him simple “turn right off the Interstate, go two blocks, then turn right into the parking lot where there is a HUGE sign indicating the location.” When I asked why he didn’t just follow the simple instructions, he said “I wasn’t ever taught that. I don’t know directions, I only know how to use my phone.” Is this what technology is leading us toward? People who are helpless without technology???

 

I mention this only as a reminder for us as educators. While technology may be easier, faster, more informative, more fun, or less hassle, I think we need to make sure our learners understand fundamentals as well. Otherwise, these “shortcuts” could leave us in the dark if the technology fails us. In my example, a basic understanding of the four directions of the compass with some understanding of mapping skills would have helped. Just paying attention to what I said when I gave the simple directions instead of ignoring me and relying upon his phone GPS would have done the trick. How many young adults know how to do long division? Or any math by hand? How many of us remember phone numbers anymore? If my phone died and I had to make a call to anyone I know, (even my own mother!) I do not know a single phone number by memory. I couldn’t do it! I got an A in a graduate statistics course using state of the art software to solve complex equations. Do I understand how these equations work? Could I solve them by hand? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! And I just took this course a year ago, I couldn’t remember today how to use the software either. So, did I learn anything? Nope. I got a grade and a degree that says I did…

 

I believe we have to give learners an education that will benefit them in today’s world, using today’s technology. But I also believe we have a responsibility to help learners understand the fundamentals beneath the technology, where it came from, and how it got to where it is. Otherwise we’ll wind up with a society who can’t find their way across town, doesn’t know how to make a friend face to face, and has no way to call for help when their phone dies!