(versione italiana qua)
No, this is not the situation criticized by those (far too many, unfortunately) who argue that Italian teachers are lagging behind because they “fail to recognize the potential of digital technologies”.
Instead, it is the vindication of those who emphasize the centrality of the human element in educational processes. These advocates have consistently argued that, in education, having a tablet for every student or super-fast networks throughout the school building is not truly essential. What is essential is having well-trained and well-paid teachers whose social role is recognized and defended. In a recent speech, I highlighted how the relational aspects of the teacher-student relationship are fundamental to the success of the educational process. This idea was elaborated in Plato’s Dialogues, where he observes that the affective component of the educational relationship between didàskalos (teacher) and mathetés (student), is a fundamental aspect of paideia, the ethical and spiritual growth of the disciple. Technology, when used appropriately, can enhance this relationship. However, it must never replace it, as doing so risks impoverishing and ultimately destroying our humanity.
Finally we have authoritative confirmation that the skeptics of digital technology in schools are more justified than the enthusiasts. This is evidenced by the recent UNESCO report “An Ed-Tech Tragedy?”. Curiously, this report seems to have received little attention in the major Italian opinion newspapers, which had previously hailed the pandemic as a positive catalyst for forcing Italian teachers to “go digital”. To me, this is akin to praising the Titanic disaster because it taught people the importance of knowing how to swim - but let's aside this digression).
In summary, the report highlights that, at the onset of the pandemic, there was great optimism about leveraging the situation to expand the use of digital technology in education. The motivations were, as always, noble and commendable: to make the educational process more efficient and accessible to all.
Instead, as digital solutions became the primary means of delivering compulsory education, the transition from in-presence education, centred on the school as a physical space, to technology-supported distance learning revealed numerous harmful and unintended consequences.
The executive summary of the report acknowledges that some argue technology helped address an emergency situation and maintained continuity of learning for many students, though not all benefited equally. However, the report presents a more troubling picture of the overall situation: the educational system unprecedented dependence on technology has led to exclusion, staggering inequality, unintended harms, and learning models that prioritize machines and profit over people.
The mere list of chapter titles in the section of the report analysing these failures (“Act II: From Promises to Reality”) is enough to convey the scale of the disaster:
- most learners have fallen behind;
- inequalities have deepened;
- learners engaged less, achieved less, and dropped out of compulsory education;
- education has been undermined and impoverished;
- immersion in technology has harmed students’ health;
- environmental costs have risen;
- the private sector has tightened its grip over public education;
- unprecedented surveillance has infiltrated the education sector.
These, I repeat, are the chapter headings from the UNESCO report mentioned above, not my opinions. I find them to be highly relevant assessments.
The document then goes on to discuss alternatives approaches that should have been considered, from keeping schools open to using non-technological solutions.
The final part of the report offers recommendations for the future use of digital technology in education, with the hope that it will better respect the human component. Among these recommendations, two stand out: the assertion that in-person learning has priority over other modalities and the emphasis on protecting education from the diminishing opportunities for free, accessible and available use – opportunities that have been reduced as a result of digital technology.
Precisely, “Plato's revenge.”
--The italian version has been published by "StartMAG" on 6 july 2024.
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento
Sono pubblicati solo i commenti che rispettano le norme di legge, le regole della buona educazione e sono attinenti agli argomenti trattati: siamo aperti alla discussione, non alla polemica.