Typically, if someone was offered an iPad or a new, technologically advanced piece of equipment for class or work, it is assumed they would be excited. Most would spread the word, share with coworkers or classmates to fuel a little envy, and some might feel intimidated or impartial to learning how to use yet another piece of technology; however, would you ever think that your new perk would cause you embarrassment?
One professor at the University of Kansas informed his class they would be provided iPads for their semester in a Future of Media class. The students were excited, shared the news with other classmates, and continually asked when they would be receiving them. The intent was for students to explore the use of tablets, whether they believed they would eventually replace laptops, and to look at how students, journalists, professionals, and educators could and would use them in their work.
The students, however, found it difficult to use the iPads in public settings. Having such an advanced piece of technology embarrassed them. They felt frivolous in a setting that they normally felt frugal, and saw the iPads as a representation of snobbery.
As students and professionals in an educational environment, I think this brings up an interesting point about technology and how we use and display it in the classroom and in the workplace. I bought my Mac during the beginning of my senior year of college. Very few of my friends had Apple products aside from an iPod, and I was very conscious about how others were going to view me. I was an RA at UNC, and initially I did not want my residents to see me with my new Mac because I was worried they would think my parents bought it for me and would assume I was a rich, spoiled, white girl. Why would any of my residents come to me with problems about financial aid or when they were worrying about scholarships and how they were going to pay for school when clearly I would not understand? I had several residents who were receiving a large amount of financial aid, were working, and constantly worried about money. I wanted to be sensitive to that, and for me, I assumed that meant to be quiet and humble about the things I could afford.
Often we do not think about the way we display the things we own in front of our coworkers or students. A former co-worker of mine always had the newest technology and was very open about sharing how great his laptop, e-reader, iPhone, and other things were that he owned. I agree that the new technology we have now can be beneficial to our learning and the way we communicate in and out of the classroom, but often I feel like we assume that everyone is capable of having the same things we have and that everyone knows how to use the same technological devices.
Has it just become an assumption that everyone knows how to use PowerPoint to its fullest extent and that Blackboard should be second nature to students? Does our privilege blind us in our teaching and interactions with students by creating a barrier for less privileged students or non traditional students who have not grown up using technology in the classroom? (I’m using “our” and “us” in a very loose way. I understand that this may not apply to those of you reading, but I’m sure you can probably see this somewhere within your classroom or in your workplace)
Students who come from less privileged backgrounds are not exposed to the same opportunities to learn and practice with the same technology as a majority of students. As professionals, we should be aware of how we use and present our personal technology and be sensitive to the needs of those who have not had the opportunity to work with it.
Thank you for this post. I honestly never gave this much thought until now. While I had a thought while reading of when I could not afford the newest technology (or access it) I never really gave it deep consideration.
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point that we need to consider how we divide or further divide populations based on access to technology. Do we make it more difficult for students/others by going paperless and moving a lot of our information/systems to online formats? Now that I have given it some thought I would have to say yes.
I recently moved and during my move I waited a couple weeks to get the internet and for a brief moment I realized how hard it can be without technology or access to technology. For example, since I had to keep up with my school work and research during my move I had to either stay late at work to complete school work or make sure I was at the library before it opened because there was always a line and if you are not number 20 in line or less you have to wait an hour (computers have hours limits at my library). How does this impact our students who may be in a similar situation?
Of course one could say we have computer labs and other means of accessing but from experience it takes quite a bit of effort and planing to use technology when you do not own it. Additionally, our computer labs are great setup for our traditional aged students so what are we doing to support our part time, adult learner and others students who may see this issues as a stress in their lives in relation to time and money? I know some of our college labs have laptops that can be checked out so that is a start even if its only five hours at a time.
Kelsi this was an interesting post about the assumptions we often make about others proficiency with technology and what that suggests about our own privilege. In a similar vain we often debate the efficacy of email as the only official form of communication between the college and our students. Given the population our particular institutions serves we are always in discussion about those who have it and those who don't - simple access to technology when they leave our campus. For many reasons I understand the desire and often the need to move more or our institutional operating functions to an electronic platform. None the less I think we must be mindful of who we are serving and the assumptions we may inadvertently make about their level of "tech savy."
ReplyDeleteThe other thought that your post has provoked is that one of the roles institutions of higher education can play is exposing students to technology and the ways in which it can appropriately be incorporated into their personal, academic and professional lives. So, rather than shy away from that role because not all students may have the same knowledge or access I think it becomes important to consider how we are filling in the knowledge gaps for our students. Last year one of our Psychology instructors very successfully used iPads in her class. Her intent was to make available the technology that would assist her students in connecting to the vast amount of information available to them. Students would use the iPads to do research, work in groups and answer questions posed by the instructor. Both the instructor and the students had a great experience with this. On the other end of the spectrum our ESL program realized that many of the students they were serving had little to know experience with basic computers and technology. To address this they have clearly stated one of their program goals would be to bring students up to speed with the technology demands of being a college student. They have begun teaching basic computer classes for this population and have integrated technology skills into their content level courses. A great example of recognizing our assumptions and privilege and also implementing some strategies to address making sure that students have the necessary technolgy skills to succeed in college.
I have never put technology into this context before, but your blog did get me thinking. Like the students, I am usually very excited when my employer is offering me new technology to help make my job easier (or at least make it so I am accessible 24/7). With each new technology upgrade I do find myself looking around at my colleagues to see if others are using similar devices. Typically, I am the last one for the upgrade, so feeling privileged is not usually an issue.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do see how this can be an issue for students. I work on a very diverse campus. We automatically assume that students have computers and should be self sufficient when it comes to accessing their records. However, we see students on a regular basis who do not know how to use a mouse or work a computer. They are usually older, non-traditional, students who are embarrassed about their computer skills. I cannot imagine going to class where computers are integrated throughout the coursework and not knowing how to use computers, let alone an iPad or other more advanced technology.
I think this is something that faculty should think about (both sides) and have that discussion with the class. Thank you for posting this blog!
I also never thought of technology in this way. It validated my recent experience however. I am going on my second week owning an iPad and I have found that I hesitate even taking it out of my bag in certain situations. I never thought about it in depth but your post helped me make sense of my hesitancy. One situation where I paused before accessing it was in a youth agency primarily serving low socio-economic families. I needed my iPad to take notes but I felt uncomfortable doing so. Just as Kelsi was saying, I do not want others to assume something about me or presume that I cannot relate to them simply by the technology I have and use.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is so incredibly useful and helps us perform better as students and employees. It helps us stay connected with friends and family as well as provides entertainment. Because it is so useful, I believe we tend to overlook issues it may cause. Some feel embarrassed because they have the newest forms of technology and at the same time some feel embarrassed because they lack those fancy products.
Thanks for the post. It was really interesting and made me think about the concept of “displaying” privilege in ways I had never considered before. I began with thinking about my own reactions to the iPad. Almost all of my current professors have iPads, and a handful of my classmates do as well. When I first saw it out, I think the first words out of my mouth were “What the heck is that thing?” The second thought was, “I don’t want one.” During that first week of class last fall, I watched two of my classmates over lunch struggle with theirs—pulling out first the screen, then finding the right way to fold the case so it sat up, then pulling out the fragile “accessories” (aka $75 keyboard, case, etc. not included), only to find out that the internet didn’t work. There were some additional jumps to make for royalties such as actual “use” it seemed. At the time, it just didn’t seem functional. Watching people type on it without the keyboard seemed exceedingly difficult and uncomfortable. Although, I did witness it worked really well for games. Those are expensive games (Best Buy’s cheapest iPad right now is listed at $499.99). I guess I have to question…are individuals using iPads for status and entertainment (look at my shiny new toy) or for educational/professional purposes?
ReplyDeleteAs I type, I can’t help but think—is this what my older relatives or some of the “veteran” professors think of me and my smart phone? To the above question I posed for the iPad owners, I would have to say both! Call me a hypocrite!
I think the overall point is the message of elitism and privilege that can go along with advancing technology. I appreciate your mindfulness when experiencing this as an RA and how your students might perceive you. To me that shows one end of the spectrum—humbleness. Unfortunately, I’m sure there are plenty of people who purchase things like this just because they can and they want others to take notice. Whether we’re talking about computers, tablets, eReaders, phones, cars, or other devices the consumers are going to fall somewhere on that spectrum.
Kylie Rogalla
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?pagewanted=all
ReplyDeleteI think all the technology advancements in classes, ranging from Kindergarten all the way through grad school, is a very important part of education now. Teaching styles have morphed because the learners (students) have changed tremendously in the last 10 years. Learners expect information to come to them very quickly. With that, technology, such as the iPad, is being introduced into many classes and university's across the country. There are those who disagree with these ideas because there has not been enough data created yet to proved or disprove that by using iPads are a helpful learning tool in the classrooms. Some professors believe it is just a cool fad and its value will slowly wean away.
I would have to disagree with this. As a teacher, I have the kids use their smart phones and iPads (if they have them. Some are embarrassed to use them because they are the only ones with them, but if there is a class set being distributed, everyone is very excited to use them) to send me answers. It is a modernistic approach to using small white boards, or having students raise their hands with an answer. This way, everyone is engaged to what is going on, and they can relate to it.
I don't see this as a fad, but as a way that education is moving forward. I think that professors and professionals would be naive to not move forward with this wave of technology wizards that are moving through all campuses. These advancements are going to continually grow and get better. I believe it is our job as higher ed personnel to keep changing with them.
I was in high school right around the time cell phones had solidified their standing in our culture. Left to deal with this new fact of life, the administration adopted the policy of banning cell phones on campus, in attempts to prevent the many hang ups teenagers seem to have over them.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of my sophomore year, my English teacher provided new perspective on the ban of cell phones in class. We were a high school that was located in a predominately upper middle class neighborhood, so many kids were able to have the latest technology. However, we were also a school that bussed in kids from the reservation, where such luxury was less common. This obvious disparity, meant that cell phones reinforced the differences between the students.
Ever since that late afternoon English class many years ago, I have noticed the subtleties that seem to hint at what socioeconomic class someone belongs to. When I came to college, those differences appeared more frequently, probably due to the fact I lived in traditional style residence hall for all four years, where doors were always open and people would freely come and go. For guys the deciding factor seemed to be the size of their TV or the video game system. For the girls, room decor appeared to be the deciding factor on SES.
As student affairs professionals, it is important we are in tuned to what messages we are sending; and what messages are students are seeing/hearing from their peers. With this knowledge we can help to create more inclusive communities.
I am an early adopter of technology--mainly because my partner is a software engineer. New technology is a part of my life, and a part of my partner's because it's the job. I often think about privilege in the technology I sport because of many of the points you raise in your blog. What message am I sending as I carry around several hundred (if not thousand) dollars worth of technology? I am highly connected, and half of it (as mentioned by Lori) is provided by my employer. We look at it as a greening effort in some ways, an increase in productivity in other ways, and for fun as well.
ReplyDeleteI work on an extraordinarily diverse campus where many of our students, including those with low SES, are sporting Macbooks. This is of course not universally applicable, but it is interesting to see how our students prioritize their finances to include the latest technology. One of my student staff members doesn't receive financial support from her family, takes student loans, receives grants, and has an EFC of <$1000 just bought an iPad 2 last month.
Is it iFeel embarrassed or iFeel excluded?
I wonder why everyone has jumped the gun on this whole iPad thing... Institutions of higher education are purchasing iPads left and right to "fulfill the educational needs of our students." Really, really, really!?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand what is wrong with a computer with an internet connection, especially when we consider that iPads cannot be used to their full potential because institutions of higher education cannot download applications without violating Apple's terms of service. This is an example of where I think we are moving to quickly to adopt technological platforms that we do not fully understand or cannot utilize to its fullest potential.
If the iPad is being used to access the internet, and many of our classrooms have computers, or students can rent laptops from various services across campus, then what are we really providing iPads for? Is it so we look cutting edge or innovative in an effort to recruit students? Maybe we are just making student uncomfortable as we try to look tech savvy?
By the way, whatever happened to you, me, some logs, an open field, and Socrates?
Thanks for a great post! You bring up some good points about privilege, especially in our roles as higher ed administrators.
ReplyDeleteI'm still fairly new in my position as director for LGBT services. I attended a conference earlier this year from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. There, I was reminded of the difficult path that I faced as a white, heteronormative-looking male. I was constantly reminded of the privilege that I had in a community that is fighting for social justice and equality. It made me very mindful to try to downplay my privilege, as well as to use that privilege to help promote equality. Your post was just another reminder of the privilege that I possess.