Technology 4 Technology Sake

Recently, I've witnessed a surge in the research, use and overuse of technology for technology sake. "Technology for technology sake" is the use (and sometimes abuse) of interesting, but sometimes purposeless technology simply because "it's cool". Technology without a purpose, or with a misguided or possibly deliberately twisted purpose, has proven to cause countless business projects to fail and does not teach our students how to focus their priorities in life.

Wow. How did I make it all the way to priorities in life? Well, there are many things that take our students attention: AIM (and little brother AIM Lite), text messaging, phone calls, etc... these things make the world go around for them. Teenagers have little self control when it comes to technologies that "connect" them and excite them. Sometimes they're distracted to a point of no return....or failing a class.

There are also a vast number of technologies that will be essential in our students' lives. In addition to actually learning the core content they need to learn in school, we hope to make things interesting for our students so they will want to continue to learn.... overloading their list of things to learn with these nonessential, "cool" technologies, is like throwing another gallon of water into a pool that's already overflowing.

Here's a rule of thumb to follow in business and in education: If you NEED a tool to do a job, find the right tool for the job and use it! As always, justify your need for that new tool before you buy it (even if it's free) because there will always be overhead. That overhead may exist in the amount of time, or lack thereof, our students have to learn how to use this new tool while also learning the content you are trying to teach via the new tool.

Our students have immense needs. Teaching technology for technology sake is not a way to appropriately fill our students' time. They need to learn, live and thrive with technology, but it's got to be technology with a purpose!