Ethics of Technology

We've been speaking a lot about the ethics of using technology to teach composition. Is technological literacy content that students should be getting in composition? How do we know that technology in composition is good or not?

With the changing trends in education and the world, really, it's inevitable that philosophies and techniques will also change with the times. Before, it was okay to turn essays in handwritten on paper. Then, when I got to college, it was necessary to type out my compositions and turn them in that way, not for the technologies available to me on the computer, but because it was easier for the professor to read. Lately, though, I've noticed that the trends in the world make it necessary to follow along or be left behind. It used to be that "keeping up with the Joneses" was a choice, but now it seems to be a necessity. And with the technologies that are available, it seems only right to make sure that a student gets the advantages of those said technologies. The world changes, education systems change, and we've got to keep up to get ahead.

With the philosophy I feel is shaping my teaching past and future, I think that students should be given the opportunity to learn the techniques of technology. My philosophy has always been "know everything" when it comes to learning and teaching. When I was in school, I made sure I went above and beyond an assignment, not just for the "A" grade I was expecting, but also for my own learning opportunities. When I became a teacher, I always told my students, "Don't just expect to spit back at me the minimum of what I have taught you. Know everything to ensure that you'll get everything." So, with all these philosophies and theories that we're talking about now, I've realized that I pretty much have the same ideas. I think a little bit of everything in education is necessary to ensure the student gets a solid foundation to build their own opinions and educational pursuits. So, yes, technological literacy should be included in a composition course to give the students a well-rounded, well-developed educational background. It can only be seen as a learning opportunity for the teacher and the student. I've learned so much already just from being a DI and a student in these "new-fangled" technologically-based classes I'm in.

I had always been semi-opposed to technology in the classroom, only because I always felt that I didn't need object cameras, lcd projectors, etc. to get my lessons across. But, the partiality came from my opinion that even though I didn't need these technologies, they couldn't hurt, either. And that's why I think that any new experience is a learning opportunity, whether it's good or bad. That's what learning is all about. I guess we'll know if it's good or bad if one or five years down the road everyone starts mandating technology in a composition course or educators start calling for pen and paper only systems!