Should Technology Be Seen as a Subject?
I was reading a recent article in the Toronto Star regarding high school curriculum and how there is a pilot project at 28 high schools in Ontario to make financial literacy as part of the curriculum. Ecstatic about the idea, it got me thinking about how, even though it takes a lot of time, curriculum does change and things are added to keep up to date with the demands of the times.
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What came next was something that I had actually been thinking about since I enrolled in my Children in Technology class about a year ago: can technology actually become a subject? Yes, absolutely at a high school and university level, technology is used in everyday curriculum but can the exploration of what technology is become so relevant that it makes people want to understand the history of it?
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Anyone who is a returning participant to my blog knows that it is no surprise that very young children are being exposed to technology whether they understand it or not. It is simply all around them. Since the dawn of time it has been known that curiosity will lead to exploration and finally understanding, so the way that children explore technology can and will teach them, somewhat, what technology is!
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But what if alongside their math, language and science homework, children as young as 7 were bringing home homework about technology. “Media” as a subject is something that has been filtered through the education system in Canada for years. In a current volunteer position I have in a public elementary school, the children are required to learn about different types of basic media: things like what a commercial as, what an advertisement and what is appropriate to share as public messages in the world. What I saw a lack of was the education in what types of technology were, in specific, mobile technology.
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If you asked me this question 5 months ago, I would say that children shouldn’t be exposed to mobile technology until they are past the early years as I found it not necessary. My mindset flipped when I began learning about the impact of technology on children during the early years! When I scroll through timelines on twitter or Facebook and see a child’s video of them filming themselves doing a hair tutorial it occurs to me that children are using these products whether they understand them or not!
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This is where educators come in: why should we be teaching children common subjects and things that they will encounter in their daily lives, why not teach them about all the thing that they are most likely the most curious about! An element of the technology curriculum that is pivotal to students’ technological practice is knowledge of and skill in design. Back in 2012 an article was published regarding New Zealand’s eight learning areas (one of them being Technology). The development of broad technological literacy comes from the children participating in programmes in which the practice of technological development is experienced. Students gain an understanding of technology as it is knowledge informing practice.
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I agree with this method of teaching as it actually provides children with the opportunity to develop technological knowledge and skills within a relevant context. This study from New Zealand just shows that teaching technology to five-year-old students is achievable and a valuable addition to other learning opportunities!
Do you agree with this? Should we try to not only incorporate technology into existing studies but also dedicate a whole subject to it? Comment below and let me know what you think!
Julia
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