You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
When this blog was conceived in the summer of 2010, it's purpose was fairly simple: fill a niche that needs filling. With that premise in mind, I've been blogging away on a variety of topics about innovation, accessibility, social media, video, and strategy. The narrative that I've constructed (something that started with my personal blog) is built upon a foundation of ideas, tool suggestions, and actively building structures that relate to Student Affairs and technology. It is rhetoric that focuses on the analogy of an empty building that is waiting to be populated. In that regard, I've been successful. However, the narrative of technology and Student Affairs is far more nuanced. Historically speaking, technology has always been part of the richness of discourse in Student Affairs. The "building" as it were, is not and has not been empty, it just hasn't been socialized into the core culture of the profession.
Kevin Guidry has consistently been a leading voice for an accurate narrative on technology and Student Affairs. Recently while reading Kevin's latest blog post on his ongoing research in Student Affairs technology history, (via RSS in Google Reader) I was struck by how historically speaking, technology and Student Affairs has been a consistent part of our discourse. Yet, we have seemingly built up a professional culture that doesn't know this particular aspect of our history. In 2008, Kevin wrote an essay that examined the pervasive myth that student affairs professionals are not "technologically savvy."
Technology has been a quiet thread that has been woven throughout almost every aspect of the Student Affairs profession. However, as I noted more than two years ago, technology needs to be more than a thread so that we can combine our current state of dichotomous narratives. Technology has been an ongoing part of our profession. We need to recognize where we've been (thanks Kevin!) and orient ourselves to the innovative possibilities that exist today.
So, what am I suggesting? Well, I think we need to consider adding "technology" to the list of professional competencies in Student Affairs. And, it would be great if Kevin could keep posting on his blog because we all need to know more about the history of Student Affairs and technology.
Do you tweet? Let's connect. Follow me on Twitter.
