Reflections - 7/18/11

The purpose of technology in education is to make learning more efficient. This does not take place without the effective implementation of that technology in the educational setting. Doing so must include more than simple familiarity with the technology. Pedagogical implementation of technology must also include: instructional competence, content knowledge, and connection between the learner and the content using technology. One additional caveat for the Christian educator is the biblically responsible implementation of educational technology. Genesis 1:28 (ESV) states, "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" Theologians call this the Cultural Mandate, and consider one aspect of it to be God's command to develop and enrich culture. One early example of biblical, responsible implementation of technology is the transcription and interpretation of the Bible into various languages. Thus using twenty-first century technology to educate students, through the lens of a biblical worldview, is one way Christian educators can work to fulfill God's calling.