Editor:
The word technology is defined as "the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society and the environment."
In response to Chris Rowan's letter (Coast Reporter, April 2) , where else should technology be if not embedded in our school system? Furthermore, how can any knowledge ever be perceived as weakening a person's cognitive ability?
If technology is basically knowledge of tools and techniques, how can it be blamed for "raising our children?" Communities are responsible for raising children, not technologies. That statement removes all personal responsibility for monitoring our children's use of various technologies and guiding their growth and knowledge.
Technologies significantly affect our ability to control and adapt to our natural environment. The ability to control fire, the invention of the wheel, the printing press and the telephone are all considered advancements in technology. Technology has the ability to lessen physical barriers to communication and allows humans to interact freely on a global scale, anytime, anywhere.
There has always been and will always be philosophical debates over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. However, it is in that discussion and debate that true knowledge and growth evolves. Schools are an ideal place for our children to take part in that discussion and be immersed in various technologies.
Teachers will never be "remnants of the past," nor is technology "replacing" them. Education and educational practices need to continually evolve to meet the needs of all students and to reflect the world in which they live. By educating our children in blended environments, with both teacher and technology, students are better prepared socially and ethically to make their own decisions about the use and misuse of technology, which can only strengthen their cognitive ability.
Stephanie Samaras, math/science teacher, Chatelech Secondary
