Is It Okay To Be A Technologically Illiterate Teacher?

After reading the blog Is it Okay to be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher? by Karl Fisch, in his blog he talks about the accountability of teachers to learn how to use technology and not just say "Im not good with computers". I can understand his frustration with this, I work at a branch of the Mobile Public Library and it is housed within a Lutheran School. One of the teachers is going back to school and frequently comes into the library to use the computers however, she doesn't have a clue what she is doing. The really bad thing is that she doesn't want to learn she just wants you to show her how to do it for that assignment.

The library also has a Goodwill Easter Seals volunteer, she is in her early 60s tries to learn how to use a computer but from one day to the next she can't remember even how to turn one on. I do give her credit for trying, but it gets old having to figure out how she pulled the security system up, which then locks the computer making it inoperable for the rest of the day.

When I think back to my childhood I feel lucky, because I remember going to computer class in kindergarten and learning where to place your fingers on the keys. I also remember my Dad who had a computer that he played with and then when we got old enough he built us our own. I know how to use a little of everything on a computer, but then I look at the kids that come to the library and they seem to know way more then I do NOW. These kids come in and use proxies or anonymizers to override our security system to access myspace, facebook, and other sites that are restricted for anyone with out parental consent and under the age of 18. When I first started working there I had no idea what these were, but I quickly became formiliar.

I think that as an educator one should know how to use a computer to its full extent. Especially if their classes are going to be expect to know and use the information. One of the comments that Mr. Fisch made will stick with me for a while. He said "If a teacher to day is not technologically literate- and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more- it's equivalent to a teacher 30yrs ago who didn't know how to read or write".