Don't Confuse BYOT and iTextbooks with Student Engagement

Some days I get up, look in the mirror and say "You sir, are a closet Luddite!"

Image: Frame Breaking 1812 Wikimedia Commons

It's not that I don't like progress, (as some mistakenly think Luddites do... for the actual explanation of Luddite, go to my previous post - Beware! Lest you turn into a new Luddite!".)

What I'm having issues with is the propensity of press that describe BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) as THE solution to technology assisted education.  What better way to offer choice? Get technology in the classroom? (And if we are honest) Offload the technology costs to the parents of our students?

Schools without technology see this as a way to get technology into the classroom, and we all  (I'm doing air quotes) "know" that technology in the hands of the student means an engaged student. Right?

On a related note, Apple Computer just made a "breakthrough" announcement for the education sector.  They are getting textbooks out of the 16th Century metaphor (Bound Books) and making them more interactive, more "engaging" and more affordable... (as long as you have an iPad to read them on).

Now both of these concepts delight me... I'm the world's biggest proponent of how technology can be leveraged to do things never dreamed possible... that with educational technology properly implemented, teachers can squeeze more into a 45 minute class than they ever could before, or what student or school board hasn't winced at the price we pay currently for textbooks... but at the same time I can't help but feel we are sending the wrong message when we promote BYOT,  or now... iTextbooks.

Beware! Lest You Turn into a New Luddite.

Image from Wikipedia

First, a bit of a history lesson.

According to Wikipedia, the Luddites were "a social movement of British textile artisans in the nineteenth century who protested – often by destroying mechanized looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life."

Artisans were a special class of people. They were masters of their craft, and added great value to their creations. Their crafts were specialized, and took years of training. They were also available only to those of means, the common person could never aspire to owning such fine articles.

Then along came technology, in this case the loom, which could create a reasonable (or even good) quality product that could be utilized by the masses.  The specialized expertise of the artisans was no longer required, and people sacrificed quality over affordability and accessibility.

Do you see where I'm going here?

Read the comment section of the Computerworld article I referenced in a recent post about how some organizations are increasingly bypassing IT in implementing cloud computing solutions, and the vitriolic comments about "users not being customers", and the theme of IT needs to protect users from themselves is prevalent.

Cloud computing is coming.  Just like the technology in the Industrial Revolution.  History has redefined the term Luddite from "artisans protecting the quality and value of their trade" to "a group of people who is scared of the changes technology is bringing to the world, and begins to actively resist progress".

If you are leading an IT organization, you don't want to be in this camp.

Security, compliance, and access are all in your portfolio, but don't stand in the way of the Cloud Computing revolution.

You may think that Cloud Computing is a passing phase, but I would encourage you to learn from a previous generation of craftspeople.