Technology Literacy

In "Technology Literacy and the Myspace Generation," Susan McLester makes some interesting points. I think that it is important to talk to both students and employers about technology needs. Those are the groups of people who know what the needs are.

I disagree with what Alan November is saying in this article. Standards are not necessarily bad. It is important that students know about technology, so there is no reason that technology literacy should not be a standard. Also, November's comparison of the NETS to going to Russia is not valid. The NETS lay out what skills and knowledge students should have, not how they should be given the knowledge. Similarly, the farmers in Russia are standardized in the same way; they get milk from their cows, but they don't have to do it in the same way. He also criticizes the NETS because they aren't forever applicable. Teachers cannot teach about technologies that do not exist, but if they teach students to adapt as new technologies become available, then they are helping their students adapt to a constantly changing world.

I think the NETS are good technological standards for students, but I think that sections I-V should be taught in the classroom regardless of technology. If the students are learning what they should be, they should be able to apply that to the use of technology. Even though section V deals with digital citizenship, if students are taught citizenship in the real world, they should be able to apply when online. I think section VI is the only section specific to a digital world, and it creates the basis for participation in the digital world because it's important to have an understanding of how to use technology.