Technologically illiterate teachers

I must say that without any question, I agree with everything said. There is, in my opinion, no such thing as being technologically illiterate, only technologically ignorant. And ignorance is a choice. Any teacher who is willing to look at something that they do not understand and say “I cant learn that” or “I wont learn that” is lacking in the most basic requirement for a teacher, the appreciation of learning new things.

On a professional level, it is even more important. With the introduction of digital media to the world, there was a dramatic shift in the way we absorb information. What used to take days may now take minutes, I am not saying that physical media is completely obsolete, but anyone who disagrees that it is less efficient is, by all terms, a fool. Twenty years ago, I could understand a teacher not understanding the core technologies (internet, e-mail, data processing), I am even willing to give lenience to those teaching a decade ago. We live in the age of the internet and also of perpetual change. A teacher not understanding, or worse, not being willing to learn how to use the tools of the time needs to be pushed into it, not to conform, but to be better at what it is their job is.

And on a psychological standpoint, it can really just come down to the message that ignorance in a field, willful or otherwise, sends to the students. These are the people we trust to take charge of preparing our young to take over when we are gone, and I for one want the lessons learned to be that everything is worth trying for, learning, and experiencing.