RE: Technology in Education

I am in full agreement with some of the sentiments already expressed here that technology is a tool rather than an end. It is a much more versatile tool than a typewriter or a slide rule, but this versatility brings both blessings and dangers.

I would like to suggest the following classification.

1. A reasonable complement of technologies should be available to every teacher in every classroom. It should include things like a  PC (desktop or laptop), projection attachment, internet access, and possibly a printer, plus relevant software to allow for:
- administrative tasks (grades, database for student records, email)
- parental communication (email, web homework, etc.)
- instruction (access to CDs that are part of publisher offerings, specialized software like "Geometer's Sketchpad", access to resources like art and music, etc.)
- reasonably extensive training

In this category all technology is geared to assist the teacher in his tasks, and for whole class instruction.

2. Technology for students in specialized classroom setting. This includes things like keyboarding or web classes, specialized hardware and software for science or foreign language labs, programming classes, etc. Such setting should provide for 1:1 to 3:1 student/equipment ratio. Clearly the opportunity for this use of technology increases with the grade.

3. Technology in the "public space". Here I refer to the school library or other less-controlled settings (tutoring space, homework space, pre/after school space). I think they should be equipped with a liberal number of internet-connected machines to allow for homework, projects, independent research, and just plain curiosity-driven surfing.

4. Technology for the students in the regular classroom. Truly, I see no real need for that, except for few machines under special situations, typically at the early primary grades. At this age it is reasonable to have a subgroup of students independently working on stand-alone computers in very early grades -be it for spelling practice or math practice. But this boils down to 3-4 extra computers in grades 1 and 2 classrooms.

But I have seen no software yet that provides any real value for a student sitting in a regular classroom as an individual learning tool, over extended period of time. Not even one!

If one looks at items 1-4, it becomes immediately apparent that a ratio of 10 students/computer overall is more than plenty. Yet various initiatives, possibly pushed by eager parents or interested tech companies, are talking about much lower ratios, of down to 1:1. I think that would be an enormous drain on resources that brings no academic or psychological value to students. Instead if tends to hide their poor organizational, spelling and grammatical skills and poor handwriting, while elevating looks (i.e. "PowerPoint smarts") over content. And it also distracts and detracts from learning - I know I would be playing star trek with my friends over the wireless LAN instead of listening to the teacher…

So until we can be shown a list of specific advantages, well supported by real research, that we expect our student to gain from individual access to technology, I think we should better sit back and wait. Just as an example, I recently attended a talk about "SimCalc" which suggests that it can be a replacement for a large part of traditional middle school math curriculum. It's a nice piece of software of limited value. But as a replacement for a "large part of the curriculum"? What a joke!

Incidentally, it will also resolve the mythical "digital divide" issue and access equity. It will clearly communicate to all that we are not aware, nor do we expect, any academic benefits from individual technology use.