Editor's Desk

Stealing your soul

3/1/2011 By:

New technology is most often portrayed in the mainstream press as a bogeyman. And when it comes to its application in education and its effect on the children? Turn the hype knob up a notch or two. See much of the current hysteria over Facebook for evidence.

It’s not hard to look back and see just how silly much of the coverage of earlier tech was. My first technology stories, in the early ’90s, had headlines like “Email: Is It Right for Corporate America?” What about “Don’t copy that floppy” (News&Trends, page 12)? Even today you can find online the occasional debate over simply having computers in the classroom—ironic, yes?

We like to think that Tech & Learning takes a progressive view of the matter without being a cheerleader. Part Two of our series on the BYOD (bring your own device) trend (page 31) is a good example. Sorry, no horror stories about students sexting and cheating here, just practical advice on creating a secure environment in which students can learn.

That’s not to say we believe that all technology is good for its own sake. I’ll point to the essay on the evils of IWBs (“Whiteboards—A Modest Proposal,” page 37) by our favorite edtech provocateur, Gary Stager. My bet is that by the time you read this in print, there will be a great comment thread at techlearning.com. Go there to tell us your thoughts.

Kevin Hogan
Editorial Director