Couverture du livre
In this essay, published in 2012 by « Mille et une nuits », the two authors take the statements from three thinkers of the school issue on the role of digital technology at school : Denis Kambouchner, Philippe Meirieu et Bernard Stiegler.
The little book concentrate arguments and analyses that are raised in the education world, in France, but also across all societies since new screens and digital technology are widespread throughout the world.
Today, it is impossible for school to overlook social changes brought about by digital development, in terms of both accessing knowledge and writing and expressing. While some thinker have an idillic vision of direct horizontal acess to knowledge, the book warn of the dangers of an utilitarian view of school. We should not be satisfied to replace classic teachings by new technical skills. On the contrary, the growing influence of marketing in the dissemination of knowledge makes education more necessary than ever. For instance, to counteract, the practice of « copy-paste », Denis Kambouchner encourages the teachers to give original and demanding exercices : inventive teaching is the best antidote to standardization of working and thinking methods ». Similarly Philippe Meirieu recalls that Internet interest in knowledge dissemination depends on the questions that are asked, and the ability to select and appropriate the answer : « Internet is not for learning, it is for learning that… ».
Denis Kambouchner, Philippe Meirieu and Bernard Stiegler on the fundamentals to be saved in the digital age : concentration abilities, encounter with high level creations and development of rationality should enable students to develop critical and sensible use of digital technology.
For more information about the book and the writers :
http://www.amazon.fr/Lécole-numérique-société-qui-vient/dp/275550644X
http://skhole.fr/entretien-kambouchner-meirieu-stiegler-partie-1-écriture-et-numérique
Denis Kambouchner teaches philosophy at Paris I University. He has a wide range of publication on education, and notably « a school versus an other school » (PUF 2001) that offered a critical view on Philippe Meirieu’s positions on education. The book has involved, since then many fruitful and friendly discussions between them that are continued in the book.
Philippe Meirieu was a teacher of education sciences in Lyon 2 Universtity, and wrote many books and papers on education. He was also the initiator of reforms in French school system, in the 1990’s. Since september 2006, he has been in charge of the education television channel : Cap Canal. Recently he occupied the position of vice President of Rhône-Alpes Region, in charge of continued learning in working life.
Bernard Stiegler is a philosopher, and manages the Institute for Reseach and Innovation (IRI) at Georges-Pompidou Centre. He is also the president of Ars Industrialis association. For many years, he has been interested in education and school and published « Caring about youth and generations » (Flammarion, 2008).
