Technopoly-Postman Ch. 1&2

I am currently reading Neil Postman's Technopoly for my Master's Education Class. I am currently not sure if I like this book or not :) He does brings up many thought provoking points.

Chapter One, Postman looks at a story of Socrate's and on pg 7 Postman says "But we may learn from Thamus the following: once a technology is admitted, it plays out its hand; it does what it is designed to do. Our task is to understand what that design is-that is to say, when we admit a new technology to the culture, we must do so with our eyes wide open." As others have blogged I think we need to be "optimistic skeptics." I think that this is the best way to be when it comes to technology. We can see it as a huge benefit to our studnets but also it can be a huge hinderance to thier learning as well. Postman also talkes about how technology is a hinderance to our schools, pg. 10 "..in the long run, television may bring a gradual end to the careers of schoolteachers, since school was an invention of the printing press and must stand or fall on the issue of how much importance the printed word has." I have to say this quote was kinda hard to read. I am a first year teacher and I love my job to think that technology would/could possibly replace me was sad. I agree that our studnets are losing much of that one on one experiences that are vital to communication. When you use technology to communicate and socialize you are only getting one demention. Postman also talks on pg18 how "One significant change generates total change." I thought this was a very true powerful quote, and how it applies to almost all of the technology that has been introduced, which leads to ch. 2.

Chapter Two, Postman goes through history and examines the lives and inventions of those who have added to our way of thinking and the way we live our lives. On pg. 23 Postman looks at why tools were use in cultures "But the main characteristic of all tool-using cultures is that their tools were largely invented to do two things: to solve specific and urgent problems of physical life, such as in the use of waterpower, windmills, and the heavy wheeled plow; or to serve the symbolic world of art, politics, myth, ritual,and religion, as in the construction of castles adn cathedrals and the development of the mechanical clock...tools did not attack..the dignity and integrity of the culture into which they were introduced..tools did not prevent people from believing in their traditions, in their God, in their politics, in their methods of education, or in the legitimacy of thier social organization." When you look at this chapter it is really eye opening how much this quote was true and how it did significantly affect the world and it's views. Postman also examines how theology was once the authority and that has been replaced by technology as our authority. Could this possibly be why we are in the state that we are in today? But it also made me think that we can not have technology be an excuse for all the sin. Yes it has made us more pronounced in our sin, but I think it just opened the door wider. I think that the door to those sins were cracked open and already there but only slightly visible. With the help of technology we are no longer as afraid to venture out and experiment in ways we didn't know how or never thought to once do before. The sinful heart was present but has just been given the opportunity and exuse to do what it naturally wants to do. Technology isn't the problem sin is.

My thought provoking questions are:

1. As a schoolteacher is technology going to replace our jobs?
2. Does technology make us more likely to sin? or Is our hearts already going to do it so no matter what the technology we would have still committed the sin?