Week 1 Reflection

    Reading Charles Reigeluth and Roberto Joseph’s Beyond Technology Integration: The Case for Technology Transformation next to Neil Postman’s Of Luddites, Learning, and Life really showed me two very different ways of thinking about technology in schools. One sees technology as a powerful way to reshape learning, while the other warns us not to get carried away with it. 
    Reigeluth and Joseph argue that technology isn’t just something we should “add on” to teaching but something that could help change the whole system. They talk about moving away from one-size-fits-all teaching and using technology to support personalized learning and more flexible classrooms. When I think about my own time as a student, I’ve seen how certain tools - like adaptive learning software or online discussion boards like the ones in this class can really help students like me learn and collaborate at their own pace. Their hopeful view makes me think about how schools could be more responsive to different needs if they really used technology thoughtfully. 
    Postman, on the other hand, takes a very different stance. He ponders and thinks about the problems that technology is really solving. After reading that piece, I found myself stopping and thinking as well. A lot of my life I’ve witnessed schools jumping onto the latest trends with the newest apps, devices, and systems, without clarity on what tangible purpose they serve or what problem they solve. Postman also points out that academia is more than just a vessel for the distribution of information. There’s an important interpersonal aspect as well - it’s about learning how to work with others, build values, and make sense of a world that already throws too much information at us. Honestly, I can relate to that - I’ve seen classmates spend more time dealing with tech distractions than actually learning… especially in the age of social media and AI.

    It was interesting how these two readings balanced out in my mind. As someone who is interested in researching modern technology in instructional contexts, Reigeluth and Joseph get me excited about what schools could be if technology is used in the right way. However, in the midst of all the hype, Postman reminds me to slow down and remember that technology isn’t going to fix deeper problems by itself. I think a lot of my peers and I can agree that the best approach is somewhere in between: being open to new tools but always definitively knowing why we’re using them and what they actually do for students. In the end, both essays push me to remember what education is really for. After that’s established, then we can open the door to decide which technologies actually help and which ones just add noise.