Technology and transformational education

Weblogg-ed is musing about what makes a blog that he likes, and in the process points to some interesting ed blogs. But what really amused me about his post, is his dawning awareness of the link between people working with technology to effect change, and people thinking about transformative education. It may be that in theological education we’ve been up against more skepticism about technology and so have made common cause that much earlier than regular education. I’m not sure.</p>

But what I AM sure of, is that many of us who care about helping to transform how theological education works, are learning that we can do so in part by the doorway of technology. Not because of anything in essence that technology "does," but because no theological professor has to "know" how to teach with technology. That in turn means they are more open to basic discussions of teaching and learning, and more open to changing teaching practice.

And of course, once they've had a great experience teaching in a technologically-enhanced way -- particularly if a canny support person has helped them reenvision teaching as learning-centered (rather than professor-centered) -- they're more likely to transform their non-technologically enhanced teaching, too. That's really been the pay off for me all these years, and the reason I've been working on integrating technology and theological education. Not because of some inherent desire to work with digital tools, but because it's an entry into deeper thinking about learning. If there is any way in which I hope my book is helpful, it's in pushing people to think more deeply about teaching and learning.

I'm glad to learn the weblogg-ed is moving in this direction (it was already clear he was), and I'm looking forward to more of his discoveries!