Postman - Again

"And now, of course, the winners speak constantly of the Age of Information, always implying that the more information we have, the better we will be in solving significant problems--not only personal ones but large-scale social problems, as well. But how true is this? If there are children starving in the world--and there are--it is not because of insufficient information. We have known for a long time how to produce enough food to feed every child on the planet. How is it that we let so many of them starve? If there is violence on our streets, it is not because we have insufficient information. If women are abused, if divorce and pornography and mental illness are increasing, none of it has anything to do with insufficient information. I dare say it is because something else is missing, and I don't think I have to tell this audience what it is. Who knows? This age of information may turn out to be a curse if we are blinded by it so that we cannot see truly where our problems lie."

- Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change

As an avid user and lover of technology, it seems contradictory for me to resonate so deeply with the arguments of Neil Postman. But I cannot help but become impassioned about the things he is saying. In the above quote, he reminds us that there are humanitarian issues that require our immediate attention. These issues are no different than they have ever been - prejudice, poverty, injustice, hate - we are all well aware of the problems. As someone who has been involved with groups that attempt to resolve these problems, I can testify that it is the human to human interaction that is life changing. I can remember my trips to Mexico and Peru during high school where I was exposed to the bottom of the barrel of humanity - street children. And I can tell you that it was holding them in my arms, physically bringing them food and into shelter, and buying them clothing that touched both their lives and mine. To this type of individual, the age of information is not worth much.

Let me make a disclaimer and say that technology does make it possible to communicate across continents, advertise for such humanitarian groups, and research such populations in a convenient, efficient fashion. It has certainly been wonderful to still be able to interact with some of these children when they do find a way to an Internet cafe. However, it is children like this that the information age does NOT service and I wonder what the implications of that are for lower income students within the United States.

I do not advocate for doing away with technology - within public education or within any other venue across society. However, I do not want to be a part of a technology obsessed generation because I believe that while those of us who have been exposed to upper-level education are learning all sorts of ways that technology can be relevant to our careers and every day lives, there are thousands of people who are dealing every day with some very basic issues - such as having a place to sleep at night and getting enough to eat. I just want to make sure that as I embark on a career in education, I am spending my time and energy wisely. And though teaching students how to use the technology that will be pertinent to their educational careers and futures, I also want to make sure that I am creating an environment where they can be encouraged to hone all of their humanity. Even more so, I would like to teach my students basic manners, how to deal with conflict, and how to appreciate differences in personality and background within their peers. These areas take time to develop - and I don't believe that technology or information will serve much of a role. If anything, as educators, we must be consistent in our expectations and messages and we must be aware of the needs and circumstances of all our students - not just the blessed few.