The cell phone you used 3 years ago was probably twice as thick and 1/10th as powerful as the one you use today. In fact, if the trailers for the sequel to “Wall Street” show Gordon Gecko’s huge cell phone from 1987! But with all the advancements in faster, smaller, and more powerful technology, K-12 classrooms remain virtually technology-free.
I wrote about this 3 years ago. My children are older. But the amount and type of technology they use in school has barely changed. It seems like there are countless ways that technology could enhance their education – many of the technologies I read about in my role as Editor-in-Chief of eLearn Magazine. Is it that they are too costly or unproven or that change is slowest in established institutions like public schools? —Lisa Gualtieri
I recently had the opportunity to visit a high school that had smartboards throughout and learned the K12 had plasma touch screen smartboards in every class. The price was much more reasonable than I expected and a teacher gave me a demo – showing how they incorporate everything from lesson plans, presentations, games and quizzes with remote controls to morning video announcements by the students broadcast to every classroom. This was a private catholic school but I found it very impressive – much higher tech than our corporate conference rooms – and we are a global leader in medical technology. Maybe sometimes it just takes someone to champion the cause and demonstrate the benefits and ROI.
In our district, our computers are generally 7-10 years old, many of the most useful Web sites are blocked because of legal issues and possible misuse by students (no access to things like student e-mail, Google Docs or blogging software online, and certainly no social media allowed…I can’t even edit my class Web site at school), and we don’t allow the usage of any personal electronics (Smartphones and laptops are out and could even cause a discipline issue for the student). In most cases, with the exception of the age of the present technology, legal issues have prevented a lot of meaningful technology from entering the K-12 classroom, at least where I am.
Janet’s right – school’s primary function is just as much socialisation and baby-sitting as it is education.
And Clark’s right – many teachers lack the skills or sufficient understanding to separate the tool from what the tool actually does.
But just as powerful is the sense among many of our most impassioned educators that technology is like TV, and it rots the brain.
Educators, often self-servingly, see education as an ideal. It reminds me of Ray Bradbury’s idea of science fiction:
I’m not writing to predict the future, but to prevent it.