Is Technology the Answer to our Education Problems?

From Robert Kennedy (Private Schools),

Q. Is Technology the Answer to our Education Problems?
We have spent billions on educational technology. What do we have to show for all the spending? Were our expectations realistic? Have teachers transformed their teaching with technology? The reality is that technology has improved communications and access to information. That's a good thing. The downside is that we are not teaching our students how to use technology to make a living in a highly competitive global arena.

A. Not exactly! For two main reasons.
1. Education Is Not Like Business
Put computers in every classroom and we will revolutionize teaching! That was the mantra of mid-90's in educational circles across the land. Many experts sincerely believed that computers would somehow be a panacaea for the legion of problems in our classrooms. They reasoned that the gains in productivity which technology had enabled in the business world could be replicated in the classroom. Well, I think that they were dead wrong. Why? Because you can't compare business and teaching. They just aren't the same. Read The Alliance For Childhood's report Tech Tonic: Towards A New Literacy Of Technology which raises many questions about the technology industry and the effects passive learning is having on our kids.
2. Opposition To Technology
Many administrators and teachers saw computers as some new-fangled invention that had to be resisted at all costs. It posed a threat to the comfortable status quo which many teachers equate with successful teaching. Let's face it, if you have been teaching from the same lesson plans for years and they get good results, why should you change them? While most educators have embraced technology and have incorporated it into their every day activities, there are still pockets of resistance.

Computers Are Here To Stay!
Yet computers have become a fixture in our schools. Were they a quick fix to the problems with which our educational system has been bedeviled for decades? No. On the other hand legislation such as eRate and No Child Left Behind has broadened the implementation of technology in even the most remote areas. And that has to be a good thing.

So what has technology actually accomplished in education? Three things.
1. It Has Enriched Teaching
Computers stimulate young minds by making learning fun. The Internet allows students to explore whole new worlds in real time. There hardly a subject which can't benefit from the resources available on the Internet. Gifted, creative teachers stimulate young minds. They light the fire and capture the imagination. Always have and always will! Technology is just one more tool, albeit a most useful one, in the serious teacher's portfolio.
2. It Has Facilitated Remediation
Computers are terrific at remediation. Tedious drills like times tables and the endless lists which are a cornerstone of any language's grammar all can be rehearsed ad nauseam on the tireless, patient computer. We all know that practice makes perfect.
3. It Has Improved Communications
You've Got Mail! The killer app has to be email! Email benefits students and faculty like by permitting almost instantaneous exchange of ideas and information. It's easy to use and ubiquitous! Most private schools offer an Intranet or local network which keeps the school community informed of everything from homework to PTA meetings. Technology makes it easy to stay connected. The latest technological marvel - blogging - journalizes class and club activites in an energizing, contemporaneous way.

Get help!
Integrating technology into your school's program is a complex business. Don't try to do it alone. Learn from other's mistakes and successes. Above all, hire a consultant for the major projects. They are just too complex and time-consuming for any one school staffer or committee to undertake.

Conclusion
Gifted, skilled, experienced teachers who are passionate about their subject still determine educational outcomes. That will never change. Technology merely enhances their ability to inspire and stimulate young minds.