Old technologies don't die

Photo by Steve Wheeler

We connect with each other and with information in many ways. Today, more than ever we have a bewildering array of choices, including a variety of means to connect using smart phones and the Web. I captured the image on this page recently on a Dockland Light Railway train as it sped across East London.

You can see just about everyone in the photo is using a smartphone in some way. They are accessing information, listening to music, watching TV or a movie, perhaps making a call to a friend or family member. Some are zoned in, using their ear buds or head phones to listen to content without distraction. It has become a familiar scene in many industrialised cities across the globe. There is one exception in this image though, and you have probably spotted him while you gaze at the image. Yes - the man about six people along from the left is reading a newspaper. He's a positive deviant. He's doing things differently. Because he can. And he also knows the value of the 'mobile device' in his hands.

Witnessing this scene reminds me that no matter what technologies emerge, and no matter what disruptive innovations come along, we will always have the older, more traditional media to use. I still see overhead projectors lurking in the corners of school and university classrooms. Paper didn't disappear when the computer age arrived. Even chalkboards are still in evidence in some classrooms I visit. We can connect to information in many ways, and we should never rule out completely the older, more traditional technologies, because they still have uses.

Personal, connected digital technologies enable us to access content and interact quickly and easily. We can also repurpose, share and create content using these devices. However, sometimes reading a paper based book or newspaper offers an experience that is still valuable. There is something special about turning over a new page in a novel. The sensory experience of the aroma of a newly printed book is not replicable on a smart phone or tablet.  Kindle readers are convenient, but when the batter runs out, we can revert to paper based content. Teachers who are effective know that anything and everything can be used to create stimulating and creative learning environments. That's why they never rule anything - tool, resource or technology - from the mix.

Old technologies don't die - they get built upon.


Old technologies don't die by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.