^This is me/my avatar dancing with a student and a visiting visual artist in Second Life.
There has always been technological change (printing press, photography, film, etc.). I believe the recent PBS Frontline exposé Digital Nation, is attempting to address how technology is changing society, from passive consumers to active producers and continuous learners.
Within a single generation, digital media and the World Wide Web have transformed virtually every aspect of modern culture, from the way we learn and work to the ways in which we socialize and even conduct war. But is the technology moving faster than we can adapt to it? And is our 24/7 wired world causing us to lose as much as we've gained? - taken from website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation
When Alexander Graham Bell first created the telephone people were baffled on how to use it and it took a couple of decades for the masses to adapt to life using telephones. The difference today is the speed in which technology changes. I often tell people that what is trendy or even advanced in technology today will evolve into something else 6 months to a year from now. I agree that technology changes are outpacing people's ability to master the skills to use it. Is this technology's fault? I don't think so. Developers are meeting the needs of consumers whenever there are advances in technology. Educators also need to be able to advance learning to meet the needs of their students.
Current US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and I are on the same page regarding teaching and learning technology. Duncan refers to the opportunity gap and the need to provide student from "every single background real opportunities to learn and grow and fulfill their tremendous potential." The gap is between those who have and those who do not have access: to technology, to teachers who understand the technology, and to the out of school learning opportunities to learn the technology. I agree that opportunity gaps lead to achievement gaps, especially for children from historical disadvantaged communities.
Secretary Duncan talked about what education looks like 5, 10, 15 yrs from now, as students demonstrate the ability to master a set of skills in a variety of places and spaces, using a variety of tools in the classroom or virtually, or on a mobile device. I agree with Duncan that teachers must be committed to continuous learning and developing their technology skills. Adults should model this for students/young people all the time.
When thinking about teaching technology and learning I often think back on my youth, when I was exposed to computer technology through my mother's career as a computer programmer. Although I did not use a computer in the classroom until my senior year of high school I think the early exposure really helped me. My mother was modeling how to use computers for her daily work and my high school teacher was showing me how to use computers to do what I was passionate about: making art. My teacher's area of expertise was ceramics but she was willing to explore computer graphics with us. She took the leap to ensure we had mastered technology skills for the future.
Learning how to make art on a computer began my journey into the world of digital art/media and virtual art. Early exposure and opportunities to make art using computer technology has lead me to write about new forms of art taking place online and in virtual 3D spaces such as Second Life (http://secondlife.com).
For example check out my recent guest blog post for PBS Art 21:
http://blog.art21.org/2009/11/30/virtual-artists-immersive-discoveries-i...
This post broke a blogging record for PBS Art 21. To date, it has received the most views and responses.
I believe it is possible to enter a space and time where teachers and students work more closely together to learn or adapt to new technologies. I do not feel that this is happening today. Teachers may not be the experts but the students are not always as productive with new technologies as they could be.
Teachers/educators should be willing to take the leap and commit (find the time) for continuing learning and modeling of productive ways to use technology.
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