10-Rep Learning ~ Teague's Tech Treks

Learning Technology & Tech Observations by Dr. Helen Teague

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Weekend Ed. Quote ~ February 20 ~ Technocentrism

A favorite excerpt on technocentrism:

“Consider for a moment some questions that are “obviously” absurd. Does wood produce good houses? If I built a house out of wood and it fell down, would this show that wood does not produce good houses? Do hammers and saws produce good furniture? These betray themselves as technocentric questions by ignoring people and the elements only people can introduce: skill, design, aesthetics. Of course these examples are caricatures. In practice, hardly anyone carries technocentrism that far. Everyone realizes that it is carpenters who use wood, hammers, and saws to produce houses and furniture, and the quality of the product depends on the quality of their work. But when it comes to computers and LOGO, critics (and some practitioners as well) seem to move into abstractions and ask, ‘Is the computer good for the cognitive development of the child?’ and even ‘Does the computer (or LOGO or whatever) produce thinking skills?'” Seymour Papert in this ground-breaking article  (italics mine)

 

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