Do We Run as Fast as Technology?

I bet, You, the Digital Natives will laugh at that Ad. If we convert the price into recent Rupiah (6/10), it will cost >31 million rupiah. Nowadays, we can't do much with those bytes of memory--it's same with the size of 2 digital files, such as songs or pictures--but have you ever imagined that in July 1980 it was a BIG invention? It's just 30 years ago, and may be 30 years from now is our turn to be laughed by the next generation. Maybe, 50 years later the price of a Core2Duo notebook will be as cheap as a liter of rice. Even it's still be laughed because the gadget that's very sophisticated today will be the primitive one in their era.


Yes, we can see that digital technology runs so fast. However, do we run as fast as those gadgets?


Have we moved from "primitive" thinking way into the modern one? Do you know, somewhere there are some people who are so conservative that they reject the penetration of technology into their life. I got this point from the debate activity in the last session of TLL lecture. As the "con" side (we acted as if we're the school board), we had to argue the opposite group that tried to convince us using technology in our school. When we're on that position and tried to think conservatively, we found many reasons to reject that idea. From a paranoid thought that digital technology can decrease students moral value, make students lazy and depend on it, until the cliche reason, lack of infrastructure.


Actually, all of the reasons stem from their paradigm. As we know, to change someone paradigm is not easy. There are so many reasons influence it, e.g. the background of their life, education and also culture. Maybe they think that people in the past can also grab knowledge even though modern technologies haven't exist yet. Even the students they've taught for years without technology can achieve some great achievements, maybe.


However, will they stick on their argument if they see the movement progress from another school that optimize the usage of technology for learning? While their 'isolated' students can only hear the teacher to get knowledge, the other students can gain as many information as they want just by click-ing! While another students can create and share their own 'chemistry experimental video' , for example, they can only wait to get opportunity having their own experimentation.


Well, let's say they can accept the idea to apply technology, they may still have some problems that avoid them to do that, such as the lack of fund and infrastructure. I think, it's job of government and us to balance the condition. We (as teacher or teacher candidates) can contribute by introducing the application of technology in the classroom. I have a good news, in 2010, PT Telkom and Indonesian government is developing "Internet Masuk Desa" program so 5700 villages all over Indonesia can access Internet. Hopefully, by this innovation, Indonesian students can run as fast as technology, even one step ahead by creating new technology. Why not?