by J. Clark Gardner, EdTech Dojo co-curator
My brother Joel and are I quite excited to be working on the EdTech Dojo. Joel and I have worked together on many projects over the years, perhaps the most notable being an anti-drug rap opera that we won $1,000 for when we were in college. But why do a media-infused website/blog/podcast on educational technology, of all things? Why is it so important to us? I can’t speak for Joel, but I can speak for myself.
First of all, I believe education is a key to happiness. Not the only key, because there are several and they vary by individual (a staggering number of mine include cats or chocolate milk). But I firmly believe it is one of the most important keys to happiness.
It is crucial that we learn how to learn. That we learn how to analyze and question. The moment a student realizes that a plant is not just a pretty piece of scenery, but a complex organism that our world’s ecosystem relies on, is a moment that can change that student’s life. Suddenly the world is no longer stagnant and definable. It is a place to explore, to ask questions, and to seek knowledge, skills, and insights that will bring fulfillment and happiness.
My brother Joel and are I quite excited to be working on the EdTech Dojo. Joel and I have worked together on many projects over the years, perhaps the most notable being an anti-drug rap opera that we won $1,000 for when we were in college. But why do a media-infused website/blog/podcast on educational technology, of all things? Why is it so important to us? I can’t speak for Joel, but I can speak for myself.
First of all, I believe education is a key to happiness. Not the only key, because there are several and they vary by individual (a staggering number of mine include cats or chocolate milk). But I firmly believe it is one of the most important keys to happiness.
It is crucial that we learn how to learn. That we learn how to analyze and question. The moment a student realizes that a plant is not just a pretty piece of scenery, but a complex organism that our world’s ecosystem relies on, is a moment that can change that student’s life. Suddenly the world is no longer stagnant and definable. It is a place to explore, to ask questions, and to seek knowledge, skills, and insights that will bring fulfillment and happiness.
I believe learning should be an active and not a passive experience, involving all of our senses. True learning takes place as students touch geological formations, listen to a Bach concerto, discuss the themes of an Austen novel, and even as they smell the pungent scent of butane as their chemistry teacher yells at them for playing with the nozzle.
I believe technology can enhance learning by presenting students with sights, sounds, communication, and instructional capabilities that cannot otherwise be present in a traditional classroom. I also believe that technology is not the solution to everything – it assists with learning only when it is part of a carefully planned instructional program.
This is why I have made the decision to dedicate my professional life to learning. And the EdTech Dojo is going to help me, and soon many others, contribute to the all-important cause of learning.
I believe technology can enhance learning by presenting students with sights, sounds, communication, and instructional capabilities that cannot otherwise be present in a traditional classroom. I also believe that technology is not the solution to everything – it assists with learning only when it is part of a carefully planned instructional program.
This is why I have made the decision to dedicate my professional life to learning. And the EdTech Dojo is going to help me, and soon many others, contribute to the all-important cause of learning.
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