Postman Ch. 1-4 & Wesch

Technology is full of wonderful opportunities as well as challenging repercussions, both of which we need to be aware of and respond to. Wesch demonstrates how educators need to think about the Web 2.0 tools available to our students use and incorporate them into our own practice so as to better meet their needs and tap into the creativity the tools allow. At the same time, we need to be aware of the negative effects new technologies can have on our students if we do not teach them how to use the tools appropriately. Postman tells us "the media of communication available to a culture are a dominant influence on the formation of the culture's intellectual and social preoccupations (p. 9)". The communication tools available to today's society are changing rapidly. It is importnat as educators we make sure that as our modes for communication change and grow, we ensure the critical thinking skills and intellectual ability of our students continue to remain a promient focus of education while incorporating new technologies.