Lesson 2: Technology: Boon or Bane?

“Technology is in our hands. We can use it to build or to destroy.”

Boon – is a thing that is beneficial or useful. It is also called “Advantage.”

Bane – it is curse or destruction. It is also called “Disadvantage.”

The education technology is boon when:

•        Technology is a blessing for man. With technology, there is a lot that we can do which we could not do then.
•        Technology contributes much to the improvement of the teaching-learning progress and to the humanization of life.
•         With cellphones, webcam, you will be closer to someone miles and miles away.
•        Many human lives saved because of speedy notifications via cellphones.
•        Your teaching and learning have become more novel, stimulating, exciting, fresh, and engaging with the use of multimedia in the classroom.
•       With your TV, you can watch events as they happen all over the globe.

The education technology is bane when:

•       When not used properly, technology becomes a detriment to learning and development.

o   Examples:

It can destroy relationships.

Erode marital relationship.

•       The learner is made to accept as gospel truth information they get from the Internet.
•       The learner surfs the Internet for pornography.
•       The learner has an uncritical mind on images floating on televisions and computers that represent modernity and progress.
•       The TV makes learner a mere spectator not an active participant in the drama of life.
•       The learner gets glued to his computer for computer-assisted instruction unmindful of the world and so fails to develop the ability to relate to others.
•       We make use of the Internet to do character assassination of people whom we hardly like.
•       Because of our cell phone, we spend most of our time in the classroom or in our workplace texting.
•       We use overuse and abuse TV or film viewing as a strategy to kill time.
•       The abuse and misuse of the Internet will have far reaching unfavorable effects on his moral life.

The integration of technology in the instructional process must be geared towards:

• Interactive and meaningful learning.
• The development of creative and critical thinking.
• The development and nurturing of teamwork.
•  Efficient and effective teaching.

“Technology is made for man and not man for technology. Technology is made for the teacher and not teacher for technology.”