Education Technology Philosophy

Education is a broad, multifaceted trade. Done well, it draws on many other vocations and skill sets, chiefly the use of technology. George Couros said, “Technology will never replace great teachers, but in the hands of a great teacher, technology can be transformational.” Prevailing attitudes toward technology in education are ever swinging back and forth between the extremes of outright rejection and bullish adoption, and the best outcome for students surely lies somewhere in the middle. 

The critical question to ask when considering technology's role in education is “Will it benefit the learner?” Applied to all sorts of technology, from new hardware to AI-enabled software programs to the latest researched instructional practices, this question acts as the ultimate litmus test before introducing a new piece of technology into the learning environment. The answer won’t be as simple as raising test scores. Factors such as student motivation, self-efficacy, and ownership of the learning are all critical to consider. When weighed against any sort of short-term disruption or initial cost, if the learner will develop skills and knowledge they otherwise wouldn’t have gained, then it is the educator's duty to adopt and deploy the technology to the best of their ability.