When I began reading Shirky’s Cognitive Surplus, I was not very impressed. To me, it seemed he was trying to say that everyone had all this free time, and all they did was watch television with that free time. I was not so sure I would be able to connect at all to the book. Well, I did find some intriguing parts that sparked some thought about technology in the education world.
Lately, almost all topics to discuss in the world of education are about technology. These discussions are generally always about the technological devices that schools do or do not have. I found these discussions coming to mind when Shirky discussed the “milkshake mistake” (p. 14). The focus is so dependent on the devices rather than on how to use the devices with our students. The discussion should really be about what we want to do with the devices in order to better the teaching and learning in our classrooms. We always want the new and fun “toys,” but we, as educators, need to have a purpose behind these “toys.” We learned that in Nye’s Technology Matters.
The media is all about consuming, producing, and sharing (Shirky, p. 22). People, especially students, are very interested in making and sharing things with their friends. The Internet allows for them to do that. After reading this, I really started to wonder if our current education system allows those same options for our students. If students really want to share what they have learned, are we able to give that to them? Project-based learning is one way we allow students to learn, create, and share. Knowing that students are craving this makes me think that education needs to continue shifting to fit the students. I think, in many ways, it is going in the right direction. I also know that not every student fits that mold, so education needs to continue to offer a variety of options to the variety of students we have.
All people, students in particular, seem to be extremely attached to their mobile devices. People have the constant need to be connected to everyone at all times. Shirky says, “Our social media tools aren’t an alternative to real life, they are part of it” (p. 37). I find this very true. Being able to stay connected to our friends and family through our cell phones is no longer an option, it is a necessity for most. Their phones are a part of them and the first thing they grab before they leave their homes. Knowing this, I think it would be to our advantage if education could find more useful ways to use cell phones in the classroom.
With the ease of publishing comes more errors and less quality work out in the public domain. For example, I have seen more errors in published books and on menus than I have in the past. I do not think that everyone being able to make that final product easier is always a good thing. Because so many errors can be seen in something published or available to all, students are not seeing the difference between types of writing. They do not see that there are times they should not be using text language; sometimes, they do not even realize there is another way to write words. For how much longer will the formal word or way of writing be valued? Will we still need to teach it?
The new technological tools that become available are valuable and great for the classroom, but knowing how to use the tools is where the real value is. Shirky argues this as well (p. 140). When we have tools to use in the classroom, such as iPads, netbooks, and iPods, they are only valuable if people know how to use them. These devices can be great fun, but the world of education needs them to also be useful. If teachers and students work together to show off their “tricks” with the tools, great success can be had.
Technology continues to grow because people create and share their knowledge. As long as people continue that process, technology will continue to improve and be created.
References:
Nye, D. E. (2007). Technology matters: Questions to live with. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Shirky, C. (2010). Cognitive surplus: Creativity and generosity in a connected age. NY: The
Penguin Press.
