The Monster of Education Technology chapter summaries

[Anthony]

Not sure how to use this discussion board exactly but I'll be posting a weekly tldr* version of each chapter as I read my book here.

*tldr: Internet speak for "short-and-sweet summary" - stands for "too long, didn't read"

[Anthony]

Chapter 1 - "The History of the Future of Ed-Tech"

Summary:
Watters introduces us to where ed-tech started, from its origins in the failed DynaBook (an idea proposed in 1972 to provide personal computers to children to program and learn) to PLATO (software developed in 1972 that resembles today's Khan Academy or similar online instruction tools).

Take-Home Message
"New technologies are easy to develop; new behaviors and new cultures are not" (p. 9).

Notable Quotes
-"One might say the computer is being used to program the child" (p. 10).
-B. F. Skinner contended that "..the simple fact is that, as a mere reinforcing mechanism, the teacher is out of date" (p.10)