To our God
Thank you for the gift of technology
Help us to understand how to harness its power
Help us to discover the new possibilities
That is on offer to us all
Help us to see the future and how our lives will change
But guide us, in our use, so that we may be open-minded and responsible with our use.
Amen
I found this handwritten prayer in a folder containing all my assembly notes from when I was Head of Year in a C of E Girls Secondary School.
I think it dates back to the year 2000. Literally the turn of the century, a time when I was briefly both a Head of Year and Head of IT (as it was called then). I suspect I was thinking about both my roles and combined them into an assembly theme.
I can’t remember what the rest of the assembly was about. Maybe it linked to a creative project I did with my whole year group exploring the issue of self-identity. Perhaps I showed this video:
This unexpected find, 24 years (!) on seems to have aged rather well, or put another way, whatever issues were troubling me, my year group, and the wider society... unfortunately seem all too precedent today.
It is remarkable to think of recent events in 2024, the unrest over the summer, the role of social media, the clamour to ban mobile phones for younger children and the prevalence of online hate/abuse and bullying sadly seem to be very much causes of concern.
So have we learnt nothing in the quarter century? Is it all doom and gloom?
On reflection, and after nearly 20 years working across Primary, Secondary, SEND, PRU, and Hospital schools in both private and mainstream contexts. I would say the possibilities, opportunities and achievements have never been stronger.
As I reflect on LGfL, as an organisation, its strategic development, leadership and its impact on the education sector, I believe we have many reasons to be optimistic and grateful for the many, varied technology developments we can enjoy today. But only if it is used wisely, appropriately and with good intent; as my notes urged in a prayer format.
The Safeguarding service at LGfL offers comprehensive and highly specialist insights into how to work, play and enjoy an online life. Our Cybersecurity and connectivity have never been stronger, faster, and more comprehensive in its technological offer.
But it is the everyday teaching and learning strand that has filled the last two decades of my working life. I have seen the good, bad, indifferent, outstanding and unremarkable use of technology in all sorts of contexts and locations with a wide range of justifications. I have heard every excuse going about why some educators feel they can’t engage fully and why it's not right for them or their learners. Thankfully I have the counterbalance of seeing and working with inspirational educators the length and breadth of the country as part of the EdTech Hubs programme.
But in all my time rarely has anyone discussed technology within a spiritual context and that prayer has given me pause for thought.
It has been a fantastic privilege to work across so many schools and with so many fantastic colleagues. I have bore witness to achievements with staff and children who have regularly marvelled at the deep sense of commitment that many educators have too.
But have I seen/witnessed, experienced, seen developments, activities and actions that seem to transcend normal life?
Yes, I think I have and depending on your approach to life and faith, it can be viewed through a spiritual lens. I am not sure what I will be doing 24 years from now, and if I am still visiting as many schools as I am currently, then who knows what I will have witnessed, supported, and marvelled at.
Until then, whatever your faith, I wish you well in helping each next generation that we support, act with integrity, responsibility and kindness online; harnessing the power of technology to help solve our problems and make the world a better place. It’s a vision I hold onto which guides me through my work at LGfL and with those that I/we seek to serve.
Footnote:
The text of this blog was entered into Google Notebook LM platform which automatically generates audio conversations between two fictitious AI people.
It is a remarkable, emergent new technology, and it is interesting to see how the coding platform copes with the concepts of spirituality and EdTech. Some listeners may find the ‘Americanisms’ contained within grating but soon such open-access platforms will be able to work with your geolocation and adopt the linguistic conventions as appropriate.