21st Century Skills

No one can really argue the fact that society looks differently today as a whole than it did in, say, the 1800s, and now even the 1900s. Naturally, the change of society requires a corresponding change in education, because we must prepare our students to survive and thrive in the society in which they exist. In our contemporary context, we almost instinctively mention technology as the characteristic change of this generation, and we therefore, in my opinion, establish technology as our "secret weapon against failing standards." This mindset worries me. Yes, students who are bound for today's corporate office rather than yesterday's corn field need to learn computer networking rather than the mechanics of a plow; but I think there is a fine line between technology being part of education in order to reflect society, and technology being used as a miracle replacement for traditional, "outdated" education curriculum.

Whether a student will be harvesting corn or working under Bill Gates himself when he or she leaves school, that student will still need to know that 5+5=10, the world has 7 continents, and a capital letter always begins the first word of any sentence. Now, if a teacher can teach that same information with all the available technology in the world, I will never doubt its potential nor its results. However, I resist this overwhelming stampede into educational technology only as far as to say I don't believe it is the only option. Again, I realize that education must supply skills for participation in modern society, which means that "computer-savvy-ness" is becoming more and more assumed and expected; but, I also have to keep one foot in the curricula I feel are foundational, and therefore equally essential to the success of my students. Brooks-Young defines this conflict well by stating, "the sticking point seems to be how to do both well." I plan to use technology in my classroom, but only as it enhances my students' mastery of the curriculum; whereas some teachers, I fear, supply an abundance of technology-based skills despite the curriculum.