Life Unplugged? Just Imagine
In today's wired (and, increasingly, wireless) society, the thought of spending the day without Internet, e-mail or cell phone may seem like an anachronism. But a national organization is challenging K-12 educators to do just that: imagine life — and learning — without today's technology. No subscription database of information for research. No software to support presentations.
What has the last 20 years brought us?
Broadband, camcorder, CD burner, cell phone, chat, digital recorder, distance learning, downloads, DSL, DVD, e-mail, filter, firewall, global positioning system, handhelds, Internet, instant messaging, laptops, listserv, Mp3, online textbook, PDA, personal computer, scanner, smart board, spell check, VCR, video games, web log, wireless
— Source: Technology Blackout DayYou'd almost have to return to the days of typewriter, mimeograph and adding machine to realize the impact of the digital revolution on the school environment. And that's the point Melinda George, executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), wants to make this month. The organization has designed a free project that asks K-12 educators to take one day to imagine a classroom without today's high-tech tools.
The first annual "Imagine a Technology Blackout" day takes placeWednesday, April 20, part of SETDA's month-long campaign to raise awareness of the role of technology in K-12 schools.
Unlike other initiatives such as National TV-Turnoff Week, "Technology Blackout" is not intended to result in the unplugging of monitors, the canceling of e-mail accounts or even the confiscation of a GameBoy (unless, of course, it's disturbing to the class). Instead, "we're just asking people to use their imagination. Think about the role of technology, then use the technology to record your impressions."
"In my day..."
It's only natural to wonder about the increasing influence of technology in the classroom, says George. Anyone over age 40 can probably recall switching television channels without a remote, spinning LPs instead of CDs and using the card catalogs in the school library. "In my day," goes the argument, "we didn't have computers, PowerPoint or smart boards, and we still learned our lessons."
Win technology prizes!
Technology Blackout Day can be completed with your class anytime between now and May 20, 2005. For details on submitting your results and qualifying for prizes, visit the Technology Blackout Day Web site.
Several prizes will be awarded, including three iPod players donated by Apple Computer, Inc. These will distributed at random to one student, one family and one educator.
A fair point, says George, but one that must be weighed against the realities of today's education. "Technology is everywhere, part of everything we do. " She emphasizes that this awareness initiative is aimed at educators and parents as much as at students. For most K-12 students, technology has been something they've grown up with, "and many are very savvy," says George. But in less affluent school districts, from the inner city to the remote rural area, "a lot of students don't have access to technology except through schools and libraries. We want Congress to hear how critical technology is to the lives of our 21st-century students." Technology Blackout day was created "as a vehicle for the student's voice to be heard."
How to get involved
Technology Blackout Day is April 20, but your class can get involved any time during the next month. SETDA has designed leveled elementary (K-2 and 3-5) middle school and high school lessons and activities that support state curriculum standards in social studies, reading and writing.
Participating in activities and submitting your outcome may win you a prize. Visit www.technologyblackoutday.com for details.
Parents are also invited to get involved. It can be as basic as a dinner-table conversation: "What would you do without your computer?" More standardized feedback, in the form of surveys and letters, can qualify families to win prizes.