The Most Pressing Issue...

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The most pressing issue in educational technology is the shift that is happening in the way we define technology. From being an add-on, to a tool, to being “integrated” into the curriculum - up until now technology has been a thing apart. Teachers chose whether or not to use technology with their students, and chose the activities that students would do when technology was allowed. For the most part, technology has been used to facilitate analog activities - the activities that took place before the technology existed.

But now we’re at the tipping point - technology is no longer a tool, but an environment. It’s ubiquitous, pervasive, and is happening with or without educator consent. It enables things never before possible, and students are doing those things, again with or without us. With free online courses from highly regarded individuals and institutions, learning has never been more readily accessible. 

But that learning is beginning to bypass our school systems that are wedded to an analog model of “educational technology” which persists in setting technology apart. “Any time, any place” learning is no longer just a description for the few students enrolled in online courses, but an apt description of what our students’ lives are like. 

So why is this the most pressing issue? If we as educators can’t tap into this paradigm shift, we run the risk of becoming irrelevant. We can call ourselves the gatekeepers of formal education as much as we want, but now there are performance-based badging systems and real-world digital portfolios that students can use to prove their competency. We must facilitate an environment in which students can explore new ideas in a deep and meaningful way, and help students to identify and nurture their passions