Blog # 1 ... media technology

Dear Readers,


I am Anthony Martinez. I guess a nobody from nowheresville. Actually, we call it Merced, California; look it up. Anyway, I do not know much about media technology, as it pertains to education. I have never had a blog before, I don't have a myspace or facebook or anything like that, so this whole assignment is a little foreign to me. And since I don't know much about media technology, I kind of have a negative opinion about its effectivenss in the classroom.

Actually, I don't mean that entirely. I think if adults are learning about mathematics or physics or some type of science or engineering or computer programming, then media technology is a great thing for the classroom. However, if it's kids trying to learn English, then I think we need to be very careful about what type of media technologies we introduce them to. The reason I say this is because I really believe that things like online social networking or personalized blogs and websites get in the way of actual reality. Who I am perceived as on my blog is not the same person I really am. It's like a false reality I create for myself and whoever wishes to be caught up in it with me.

I mean just look at this website. While it is a forum for me to share my ideas, it's also an opportunity to create a false persona. My "profile" can be altered in a hundred and one different ways to create something totally inaccurate of who I really am, but rather, who I'd really like you to think I am. And I think this is dangerous for young students because rather than exposing them to ideas and perspective and boundless knowledge (which I suppose is the ideal) what we're actually doing is showing them how to indulge in a false reality of their own.

Now, I know this isn't the intent, but I really believe that it ends up being the actual lesson they learn. If a kid sees my glorified profile all jazzed up, I really don't think he/she is going to take away from it my feelings on moby dick, but rather, how to turn yourself into your very own idol. The end result is kids end up growing up thinking recreating yourself online is just as natural as a full moon. How can one ever find out who they are when recreating yourself is just a click away?

But I'm not foolish enough to think it's all bad. I know that those things I listed before are just a very small aspect of everything media technology encompasses, and that there certainly is something special about having so much knowledge set before you on a screen. If I really knew how to harness the power of everything this thing can tell me I could rule the world (or at least pass Eng495). To be honest, if it weren't for sparknotes I probably wouldn't be here today. So I suppose that is the key in developing the role of media technology in education. Teach the power of media technology as a resource rather than a forum of indulgence. But then, I guess the hardest question to answer is how? How do we introduce the power of the internet to children without letting their minds be overwhelmed in the glamour of its permissiveness? Well, that one I'm still stuck on...