Characteristics of Good Technology

There are 9 rules to good technology according to Stephen Downes:

1) Good technology is always available - as the cost of technology and equipment goes down it will be  available to more people;
2) Good technology is always on - if it is not on it can be turned on with a flip of a switch or a few key strokes;
3) Good technology is always connected - in more and more classrooms there are computers that are connected to the internet for the teachers use at any time (of course school districts may limit the use of certain sites they deem unsuitable for classroom use);
4) Good technology is standardized - with standardization everything will work on every type of system;
5) Good technology is simple - it should not require you to read a manual to get it started, a program should do just what you want it to;
6) Good technology does not require parts - programs which use complicated start-up commands are not as good as those which start with a single command;
7) Good technology is personalized - technology that lets you not have to fit into certain requirements is what is considered good technology;
8) Good technology is modular - technology that is made up of distinct parts which can be arranged into a different configurations without a lot of effort; and
9) Good technology does what you want it to - this will differ from person to person so it is very personalized.


This is just one persons opinion, (with some of my own comments thrown in) as to what good technology is.  Each person may have their own thoughts on what they think good technology is based on thier own personal experiences and familiartiy with computers.  A person that is a computer immigrant may not have the same perception as a computer native.  Either way technology is an every changing field and will continue to grow and change and be ever present in all aspects of out lives.

Stephen Downes also has a video which describes his views on personal learning environments or PLE.  His video states that we learn thru communities as we connect with other people and share information.  Learning is not just learning facts but also how one feels and an immersion in the environment around you.  I was not really following a lot of what he was saying in his video but if anyone wants to watch and learn what is PLE I have added the link http://www.downes.ca/presentation/245