RUNNING HEAD: MAGLOV POSTMAN PAPER

Postman, ​The End of Education​ Paper

Sara Maglov

Loyola University

ET 690

Spring 2019
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Summary

The term “Faustian Bargain” comes from an old German tale in which a man, Faust,

desires more out of life and agrees to make a deal with the devil. Faust is willing to trade his soul

for unlimited knowledge and worldly possessions. (Britannica, 2017). Neil Postman likens our

relationship with ever-changing technology to a Faustian Bargain in his book ​The End of

Education.​ Postman argues “ For every advantage a new technology offers, there is always a

corresponding disadvantage.” (Postman, 1995). Much like the character from German folklore,

as we adopt a new form of technology that may be beneficial in some ways, we are sacrificing

something else in its name. Often times, with the advancement of technology, we are placing

certain cultural groups at a disadvantage. Including groups that may not have ready access to the

latest technology or the education required to go beyond simple usage to innovating and creating

like their more privileged counterparts. A study conducted by Hargittai and Jennrich highlights

that groups such as women and individuals with lower socioeconomic status are less likely to

participate online and are placed at a disadvantage in terms of technological representation.

(Hargittai & Jennrich, 2016). Postman discusses this as he argues new technology presents new

biases including political, intellectual, sensory, content and social biases. (Postman, 1995). These

biases will elevate one group while simultaneously demoting another. Postman also argues that

with each new advancement in technology, we are giving up something of ourselves and what is

given up is determined by the technology and is out of our control. The design of each

technology determines what the user values and what the user regards as less important.

Essentially, we trade our ability to think and choose freely for the latest in technology. Yet,

despite the complicated relationship between technology and user, Postman recognizes the
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inevitable: technology is, and will continue to be, a major component in education. Therefore,

Postman urges educators to be aware of the Faustian Bargains being made and teach our students

about the sacrifices associated with technology as well.

A Framework for Technology in Education

With each passing year students are provided access to more and more technology in the

classroom. With this growing trend, it is crucial for educators to be mindful of the implications

and “Faustian Bargains” being made on behalf of students. It is important to consider and to

address disparities in access and exposure to technology due to socioeconomic status. Educators

must also consider ways in which to shift from using technology to teach to teaching students

how to use technology. It is equally as important for educators to address other forms of learning

to ensure students do not become lone individuals that interact solely with technology.

When considering the gap created by socioeconomic status, educators should build in

opportunities for students to have access to and practice with technology tools that may be used

to judge their performance. For example, the use of computer based assessments provides

teachers with a more timely way to administer, review and grade assessments (Karay, Schauber,

Stosch & Schuttpelz-Brauns, 2015). However, this practice may be placing some students at a

disadvantage. Students with ready access and opportunities to interact with online platforms are

more likely to outperform students with less resources. (Zhao, 2012). Postman asserts

“...technological change always produces winners and losers--which is to say, the benefits of

new technologies are not distributed equally among the population.” (Postman, 1995). As

educators, it is important to keep this in mind and provide all students with exposure to and

practice with computer based assessments before administering high-stakes tests.

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Educators must also consider the onslaught of information available to their students via

technology. Technology users are exposed to countless pieces of information in various forms on

a daily basis and most of today’s students have ready access. While this access makes obtaining

information on a variety of topics easy, educators need to teach students how to discern between

relevant and irrelevant information and then what to do with the information gained. Otherwise,

as Postman argues “...new technologies will make schools obsolete.” (Postman, 1995). Educators

need to work to teach students how to utilize technology and responsibly acquire knowledge

while providing other vital human interaction skills a computer cannot replicate.

Technology in Today’s Schools

Currently, in Baltimore County Public Schools a large majority of students have access to

personal laptop computers. In many schools, students as young as kindergarten have their own

devices to be utilized in the classroom. In all schools, there is guaranteed 1:1 access beginning in

1st grade. Students utilize these personal devices on a daily basis to access lesson materials,

practice skills and participate in assessments. There are certainly clear advantages and

disadvantages to this practice and educators should consider the framework outlined in Section

II. Teachers in Baltimore County Public Schools should make plans to address the deficits

created by socioeconomic status, consider ways in which to provide technology education and

make every effort to continue to address other forms of social-emotional learning that does not

rely on technology.

While access to technology tools at such a young age can provide the much needed

exposure and practice for all students, thus addressing the divide created by socioeconomic

status, educators need to be aware of what other types of education are being sacrificed. Postman
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asserts “...we need to discuss...what they will lose, and what we will lose, if they enter a world in

which computer technology is their chief source of motivation, authority, and, apparently,

psychological sustenance.” (Postman, 1995). The “Faustian Bargain” being made with the

provision of 1:1 technology at such a young age involves providing the much needed practice

with and exposure to technology while neglecting crucial life skills such as social cohesion,

responsibility and functioning in a group setting. The use of these 1:1 devices also requires

educators in Baltimore County to consider what types of activities students are participating in

when online. If students are using this technology without proper technology education they will

collect large amounts of information without the ability to discern or wade through it. By

neglecting to teach students how to effectively utilize the technology provided, the technology is

essentially using the students instead of being used. Students being to rely on the technology as a

source for all questions and answers rather than a tool to address questions they themselves have

developed. Postman urges educators to ensure they are “...making technology itself an object of

inquiry…”. (Postman, 1995).

On the other hand, regular exposure to technology in school can address the concerns

associated with equity. Postman discusses the disparity between students that possess and

students that do not. He asserts that technology will always create two sets of students: those that

excel and those that lag behind. This problem is addressed through Baltimore County’s

technology plan that provides equal access. While Postman asserts that “It would be quite

astonishing if computer technology equalized all learning opportunities, irrespective of economic

differences.” (Postman, 1995), this school district is making an attempt by ensuring all students
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in grade 1-5, and in many cases K-5, have access to the same technology tools and the same

amount of time practicing on said tool.

It is, however, important to keep in mind the practice and exposure students are gaining

in their homes. Teachers in Baltimore County are encouraged to have their students log-on at

home and use a variety of programs the district has obtained licenses for. It stands to reason that

students with home internet and computer access will likely have more chances to engage with

these programs and this fact must be considered by teachers.

With the access to devices in Baltimore County there has been a push for a second

technological advance: assessing student performance online. The county provided curriculum is

requiring teacher utilize online assessments in multiple subject areas including math and reading.

When considering the framework for technology, it is crucial that educators in this district keep

several points asserted by Postman in mind. First, educators need to consider the biases

associated with the technology and the ways in which students are coming to school at an

advantage or disadvantage. Students will access to technology at home and who have been

exposed to the assessments will likely perform to a higher level. Before administering these

assessments, Baltimore County Educators must evaluate the level of exposure and comfortability

every student in their charge possesses and provide ways in which to address any deficits. In this

way, educators are no exacerbating the already prevalent disparity between students due to

socioeconomic status and are meeting the needs of a wider range of students.

Another issue that arises with the implementation of online assessments is the application

of the knowledge gained as opposed to the regurgitation of information. Many of the assessment

tasks are related to application and require higher level thinking skills. If students are not taught
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to carefully work through all of the information they are exposed to, they will lack the skills

required to be successful on such assessment tasks. Much of higher level thinking skills comes

from learning from others and from engaging in rich, content specific conversation. The use of

technology can hinder these interactions. Postman argues “...like the printing press before it, the

computer has a powerful bias toward amplifying personal autonomy and individual

problem-solving.”. (Postman, 1995). For this reason, educators need to find a balance between

technology and face-to-face social interaction. Students will learn and grow more when provided

opportunities to socially interact and engage in academic discourse with their peers. It should

also be noted that these skills take time to develop an educators at all levels in Baltimore COunty

should be aware and should facilitate face-to-face learning opportunities in conjunction with

technology based lessons and assessments. The text states “We have ample evidence that it takes

many years of teaching these values in school before they are accepted and internalized.”

(Postman, 1995).

Overall, the push to place a computer in the hand of all Baltimore County students lends

itself to Postman’s argument that “All technological change is a Faustian bargain. For every

advantage a new technology offers, there is always a corresponding disadvantage.” (Postman,

1995). This plan may address the disparity between students of different socioeconomic statuses

and their exposure and access to technology but may place students at a disadvantage in other

areas. The uses of technology in place of social interaction and academic discourse are crucial to

the success of students and need to be considered as educators utilize technology in the

classroom. Educators must also be mindful of teaching students how to interact with technology

while maintaining the ability to be inquisitive and discerning. Postman makes a powerful
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argument: technology can be impactful and harmful and must be treated with the utmost care

especially when it comes to the young students of today.

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References

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2017). Faust. In ​Encyclopaedia Britannica.​ Retrieved

from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Faust-literary-character.

Hargittai, E., & Jennrich, K. (2016). The online participation divide. ​The Communication Crisis

in America, And How to Fix It,1​ 99-213. doi:10.1057/978-1-349-94925-0_13

Karay, Y., Schauber, S. K., Stosch, C., & Schuttpelz-Brauns, K. (2015). Computer versus

paper—does it make any difference in test performance? ​Teaching and Learning in

Medicine: An International Journal,27​(1), 57-62. doi:10.1080/10401334.2014.979175

Postman, N. (1995). ​The end of education: Redefining the value of school​. New York: Vintage.

Zhao, Emmeline. (2012). Online Standardized Tests are new, but are they revolutionary?

Huffpost.​ Retrived from

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/online-standardized-tests_n_1954569.html
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