Then: Burned Books…Now: WiFi Plazas

With the quick pace at which new technologies and information are developed, it is easy to forget the educational technologies of the past. While not frequently discussed in current discussions of educational technology, the development of a system of written language is perhaps the most important educational technology that a culture can develop. This development has been used as a measure for cultural advancement. And the skills that stem from the development of this technology, such as reading, are still used as a measure of a country’s potential. In the present, the literacy skills that have provided the foundation for education for hundreds of years are still needed for educational success, but students must also be adept in the new literacies as well. Clearly, issues of equality are implicated in this standard–both in the past as well as the present: Communities that did not have access to traditional literacy resources or do not have access to new literacy resources results in students who did not have access to these resources and thus were not as able to become proficient in them either. However, the history of a place complicates this seemingly simple causal equation.

Statue of Diego de Landa in the Yucatan

My recent trip to the Yucatan could not have more clearly exemplified this point. A brief, and in no way complete, history: The Yucatan Peninsula was the center of the Mayan world. Maya society, at its height, was complex and modern. The Mayans had developed written systems and had used this writing to record the history, traditions, rules, and beliefs of the culture in books. When the Spanish came, they destroyed much of the Mayan culture–wrecking religious symbols, co-opting cities and infrastructures, and enslaving people. In perhaps one of the most egregious acts, a priest, named Diego de Landa, burned almost all of the books that had recorded the rich history and traditions of the Maya people. However, the relationship the people of the Yucatan have with Landa is complicated because after commanding the burning of the books, Landa recorded what he remembered from these texts and published his own book entitled “Relacion de las cosas de Yucatan.” The history of educational technology in the Yucatan is thus one where language and the power of written text had been contested and limited to those who took and maintained political power.

However, while this may be (some of) the history of the Yucatan, the present day reveals a community in which learning and access to information for all people is valued and encouraged:

Students in rural parts of the state, where teaching staff are limited, attend “Telesecundarias” where they are taught some of their courses using distance learning techniques.

Telesecundaria 146 in the outskirts of Izamal, Yucatan

The central plaza in the capital city of Merida provides free wireless access and people readily gather during all parts of the day to access this service.

Accessing the WiFi in the central plaza in Merida

And, at the bus station, which provides many people with their primary means for longer distance transportation, the bus company provides wireless access and free charging for electronic devices.

Enjoy the free wireless internet access!

While comparisons may be made between the educational technologies of the past and those of the present, one thing I take away from the comparison in the Yucatan is that the new technologies allow for the dispersal of information in a way that will prevent the written history of a culture to be as easily destroyed as it was in the 1500s. Technology has always been used for educational purposes…this is not new. But, as our world changes, it is exciting to see how communities make use of technology to provide access to education and information for their people.