Chapter 7
The most interesting thing that I took out of the novel was the fourth question he raised to society. He asked, “Is it possible to preserve the best of American traditions and social institutions while allowing uncontrolled technological development? He goes on to say that many would say yes, but they seem to hasten their response after giving it. People as a whole are not completely sure of what to say regarding this topic. I, on the other hand, believe there has to be some sort of rationale in thinking on how to use technology. I also do not think about doing all the negatives that can be done with this type of control. I choose to do the normal, everyday sort of things that the average American does with his internet and technology. I see obvious examples of how negative of an impact technology could have on our society as a whole. I think it is interesting that he brings up the points of George Orwell, Mary Shelley, Ray Bradbury, and others who forewarned us about the obsession of technology. It seems that they saw something negative coming, but nobody seemed to truly listen. That being said, I do not feel as if anything has progressed to a point of being worried. Our traditions and institutions have not been overtaken by the technology of today. If anything, the technology has only enhanced each of these experiences to this point. There is no doubt in my mind that it could all drift toward the negative side of things, but currently, everything seems to be fine and dandy.
Most of the article deals with what to teach our students and what we should know as teachers prior to entering the classroom. The value on patriotism, rights, and amendments is expressed throughout the whole article. I, for one, think these are important concepts to have a grasp on in the classroom. I am not sure if teaching patriotism is the right route to go, but informing your students of their right and amendments and allowing them the chance to express them is important. They need to have a firm sense of what is going on in the world and in our nation. They need to know what it means to live her and the importance of the things we are blessed with.
