Masters in Technology

Diego Congrains


Carlos and James are two high school boys. Both are excellent students and they always compete to achieve the higher grade in class.  They do not see each other as friends; they only see each other as competitors.  James has weak hand coordination, horrible spelling and handwriting, but he is excellent in math and science.  On the other hand Carlos is good in art, sports and always has a sophisticated touch when he hands in his homework.   One day the two boys get together to write a banner for a school festival.  Carlos’ father is a professional stencil typographer from who Carlos has his talent.  By the time the banner is finished, James realizes that if he can improve his penmanship, he can make money like Carlos’ father.  At the end of the school year, James and Carlos do not see each other as competitors again, but they see each other as good friends.  

This short story illustrates how we learn to use technology from early years in school without thinking how it can benefit us in economical ways or in personal developments.  

The new media technology that is being taught in school has the main focus in the school curriculum rather than the actual understanding of the subject or the appropriate use.  In other words, students are forced to type twenty page research papers without any training in typing.  As a result of the massive use of the internet, it makes it seem that if you can type twenty emails in your computer in one week, you may be able to type twenty pages in one hour.  

Clay Shirky mentions in the beginning of his lecture about a formal training for new technology.  In the past, appropriate training on a typewriter qualifies the person to complete work.  Nowadays, there is no proper training to use the internet.  We can create our own language to communicate; we can create our own words, destroying the structure of English because there is no manual to use the internet. 

The latest technology has made it easy for everyone by solving the problem to achieve a task in less time that will normally take hours manually.   As this solution is created, we (the consumers of the internet) create the problems. 

It may sound silly. Based upon the scientific method a problem comes first, then the method is developed to create an answer.  With the creation of the internet, the answer is given.  There is no possible answer that cannot be found on the internet.