Does Technology Make Us Smarter?
This is the question I will be inquiring throughout my exploration of Distributive Cognition.
To begin, it is important to create a base and foundation for this exploration.
To do so, we first need to explain what distributive cognition is.
This theory was created by Edwin Hutchins in 1995. One of the conclusions he drew was that the individual student isn’t the best unit of analysis. Meaning, “the cognitive process extends beyond one individual” (Kilgore).
According to Learning-Theories.com, Distributed cognition “is a branch of cognitive science that proposes cognition and knowledge are not confined to an individual; rather, it is distributed across objects, individuals, artifacts, and tools in the environment.”
So, distributive cognition, from my view point is the connection of the student, the technology, tools, etc. all are being utilized to form cognition function. It is the use of shared resources that helps us learn.
Salomon and Perkins discusses our initial question in depth in their article Do Technologies Make Us Smarter? Intellectual Amplification With, Of and Through Technology. They make valid points throughout this article, beginning by first comparing technology to literacy. We have seen the affect literacy has had on our brains and our cognitive abilities. It is said that literacy impacts our minds by teaching us the idea of abstract thought (72). So what does technology do? How does technology help?
To be clear, Salomon and Perkins define what type of technology we will be assessing throughout this exploration. Technology and technological advancements can range between a number of different things. From pencils to telescopes, from health and medical advancements to telephones.
It is important to recognize the scope of technology we will be exploring and this technology would be the things that “directly facilitate or even carry out of cognitive work” (73). These are things such as calculators, statistical packages and word processors (73).
Through observations of lessons conducted in my first grade classroom, I hope to be able to find the answer to this question and analyze what technology is effective as well as what makes the technology effective in the first place. I’d like to find the technology that can impact our cognition in a positive way and implement these practices into my future classroom.
These observations will determine the effects of technology in the classroom as well as the effects with technology in the classroom.
Effects with technology in the classroom do make us smarter in term of helping us perform better (75).
Effects of technology would be what is happening to us and our brains after a long period of time using it (76).
Now that there is an explanation of what will be looked at through the study of these lesson plans conducted at my field placement and how it will be examined through the distributive cognition lens, my following posts will examine these lessons and the technology used throughout.

David L, “Distributed Cognition (DCog),” in Learning Theories, February 25, 2007

Nathan Kilgore, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/distributed-cognition-definition-theory.html.