Technology: The Faustian Bargain
Teachers have an obligation to help students sharpen the good side of a double-edged sword.
I sit down with Sean Murphy, the headmaster of Palmer Trinity, the private school where I teach in Palmetto Bay, Florida. We debate the future of K-12 education and what role technology can and should play inside the classroom.
Last year, I moved the student newspaper to an entirely online format. This year, I purchased a semi-professional digital camcorder, green screen and advanced video editing software for my journalism and yearbook classes.
In my five years at Palmer, I have become known as a “techie.” Much of this has to do with the kinds of courses I teach. Still, I get the sense that some of my colleagues have branded me as a rebel, embracing technology and abandoning more traditional, pencil-and-paper pedagogy.
In part, I meet with Murphy to assure him that I have not gone nutty, and that I abhor using technology simply because its “cool.”
We agree on everything: technology can definitely enhance the learning process, but too many students are easily distracted by video games, social media, and an array of remote and online applications.
