Technology as a Tool for Instruction
We're
all familiar with the extravagant promises of technology: It will make
our students smarter -- and it will do it faster and cheaper than ever before. Moreover, the promise suggests, this miracle will occur almost by osmosis. We need only place a computer in a room, stand back, and watch the magic take place. If only life were that simple and learning that easy!
our students smarter -- and it will do it faster and cheaper than ever before. Moreover, the promise suggests, this miracle will occur almost by osmosis. We need only place a computer in a room, stand back, and watch the magic take place. If only life were that simple and learning that easy!
Those of us who remember the 1980s, when
computers were first making their way into our classrooms, probably also
remember a great deal of bad software. As educators, we were unfamiliar with
the technology and uncertain about its possibilities. So we stepped back and
let software developers, hardware vendors, and other technicians define not
only what we could buy but also how those products would be used. In many ways,
the technology drove the educational process. And guess what? It didn't work
very well!
Now, we've entered an era in which
technology is no longer an intimidating novelty. Its use in business and
industry is both accepted and expected. And pressure abounds -- from the
federal government, from local school boards, and certainly from the popular
press -- for educators to get on board and see to it that students become
technologically skilled.
But is mere
technological skill enough?
Two points should be considered.
- TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL
- Technology is a tool that can change the nature of learning.
First and foremost, educators want students
to learn. It is certainly not enough to tell educators that they need to
use the boxes and wires that have invaded their schools simply because they are
expensive or because students need to know how to use the latest widget. If
it's clear that technological tools will help them achieve that goal, educators
will use those tools.
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