ISTE & Neil Postman

Learning Objectives

• Explain the core principles outlined in the ISTE Standards for educators, emphasizing the standards' focus on pedagogy and the purposeful integration of technology to enhance student learning and foster 21st-century skills and responsible digital citizenship. This objective draws on the section detailing the ISTE Standards, which positions technology as a tool to achieve educational ends, outlining specific roles for educators such as being learners, leaders, citizens, collaborators, designers, facilitators, and analysts.

• Analyze key concepts from Neil Postman's critique of technological change, including his view of technology as a "Faustian bargain" with unintended consequences, the ecological nature of technological change that alters entire systems, and the idea that technology embeds its own powerful, often hidden, philosophy or bias. This objective focuses on Postman's more critical perspective, which highlights the potential societal costs and the non-neutrality of technology, contrasting with more optimistic views.

• Evaluate the tension and bridging ideas between the ISTE Standards' framework for integrating technology in education and Postman's critical analysis of technology's societal impact, recognizing the importance of critical awareness and considering potential unintended consequences, inequities, and the need to prioritize human values and wisdom over mere information. This objective addresses the synthesis provided in the briefing document, which explicitly explores the relationship between the two perspectives and suggests that a comprehensive understanding requires acknowledging both the potential benefits described in the ISTE Standards and the significant risks and unintended consequences highlighted by Postman. It emphasizes the need for educators to use technology mindfully, avoiding the pitfalls of "Technopoly".

Reading by Postman

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ISTE Standards

Look over the ISTE standards