Lecture 17: “Technology in the Classroom”
Since the invention of the computer technology has slowly grown in importance to American education. With the advancements involved with personal computers comes a huge opportunity for the educational institutions of America. There are few, if any, areas of society that are not affected to some extent by technology. An American youth now can't even work in a fast food chain without being exposed to computer technologies. With this being the case it becomes increasingly important to increase the amount of technology available to our school age children, as well as utilize the technology that is available to its fullest potential.
This, of course, begs the question: What is technology? According to Webster's New World Dictionary, technology is 1) the science or study of the practical or industrial arts, applied sciences, etc, and 2) applied science. This is an extremely important point because it shows that technology encompasses areas more diverse than computers. If technology can be seen as the application of the sciences on our everyday life, then we can begin to see technology all around us. At one time the main instrument for writing was the feather pen dipped in ink. Through the application of the sciences the pencil was invented, and further along came the ballpoint pen. This is eye opening, because it means that at one time the pencil was cutting edge technology. That is something that very few people can imagine. Few people see the pencil as technology.
This pencil analogy also serves to prove another important point. Eventually cutting edge technology becomes an everyday utensil. Fifteen years ago very few people had VCRs or Microwaves. Now it is difficult to find anyone who doesn't have one, the other or both. This is mostly due to the fact that the price of these devices has decreased dramatically from when they were introduced, but it also is caused by the usefulness of these devices. A similar process is beginning to happen to home computers and the Internet. The price of computers and the Internet is beginning to drop into a reasonable range for truly mass appeal .
Now that we have a grasp of what technology is, it is possible for us to look at what technology is needed in the schools. Even though it is not commonly thought of as a technology, it is important to realize that almost everything with which students interact on a daily basis is technology. Everything from paper to paperclips, scissors to staplers, books to desks. These items can be seen as the technology of a school, and although many people feel that they are the basic items of the classroom (which they are), they are also in short supply in many areas. School budgets allow for a limited amount of these items, and if they are used up before the end of the year it is difficult to get more. Just think how difficult it would be to teach a class with no paper.
For the purposes of this discussion we will restrict ourselves to discussing those items that are considered "high tech." This includes items like computers, printers, networking equipment, Internet access, scanners, software, etc?
To start out with, let's discuss the average school. What would you imagine the average school has in the way of technology? Many people will say computers, the Internet, graphing calculators, etc., and although these are all correct, they do not encompass the reality of the average school. The average school will have: one computer lab (composed almost entirely of slow 486 machines), internet access at one main point (such as the library) on two or three computers, televisions (possibly in every room, but not likely), a VCR for each TV, overhead projectors (few if any new models), graphing calculators (enough for approximately two classrooms), tape recorders (for use in the foreign languages), and a few other miscellaneous items. Compare this to the school from which you graduated. Would you consider your school an average school? If not, what would it take to make it average, and more importantly, is that good enough?
Compared to the schools of ten years ago, the average school is greatly advanced. However, it is nowhere close to what is needed. For schools to maintain their ability to educate the children of tomorrow it is necessary to have the best equipment, and use it effectively.
Once the school environment has the computer technology and software in place, there is another set of questions that must be answered. These questions all have to do with the staffing measures that must be implemented to make the technology effective. Who will be trained to use the technology? How will they be trained? How will they utilize it in the classroom? How will technical problems be dealt with? The normal answer to these questions is to have one person in the school as a computer expert, who is in turn tasked with training the teachers in their use, and maintaining the computers for the school. It is important to note that often this person is simply a teacher who knew about computers from outside work, and was unofficially dubbed the "computer person" for the school. This situation calls for an extremely demanding position being dealt with by a full-time teacher, not necessarily with an increase in pay or resources accorded the position. This is not an appropriate system of rewards for a full-time teacher. It would be more appropriate for there to be put into place a system of differentiated staffing, which would allow an interested teacher the position in exchange for lower teaching loads, or the hiring of a professional into the position. Either way, the task should not simply be designated as an add-on to the current load of the person holding that position. Training could then be handled in a more methodical way. If there is one person in charge of the technology of a school, who in turn has the time and resources to set up proper training sessions, the training will be more effective. The current practice of using in-service time for the technology training is not effective, and the school would be better served to complete this training in alternative ways.
Costs
As with any technology there are costs involved. To effectively wire and populate a school with teaching and learning technology, a substantial initial investment will be required. It is not as simple as buying computers to place into classrooms. Many school buildings are so old that the electrical wiring cannot handle the electrical load of numerous computers. Rewiring buildings, networking the computers through cable systems or installing wireless, purchasing the hardware and software, installing the technology into the school, and training the users on how to properly utilize the technology cost money. After the initial investment, there are yearly up-keep costs. Maintenance, upgrades, and service all add to the cost over time. These, however, are small costs in comparison with the initial outlay of funds.
Is this initial investment viable and worth it? This becomes a factor when it is clearly seen how quickly computer technology becomes outdated and outmoded. What the answer to this question comes down to is where the school's priorities lie. Is it more important to save or invest that money in alternative programs, or is it more important to prepare the students to become technologically literate. Both of these are worthwhile goals, and both have their supporters. It is my belief that both of these objectives can be met. It is important to realize that technology is not only worthwhile, but it is viable as well.
Pablo Picasso has been quoted as saying, "Computers are useless, they can only give you answers." This is an extremely interesting quote because it gets to the real heart of the problem of technology. Many people look to technology to solve the problems of communication, information, and numerous other areas. However, the technology will not solve these problems, it only makes it easier for you as the user to solve the problems you are interested in solving. In fact, if you are unfamiliar with the technology, this process can be more difficult. However, once you become familiar with the processes that are involved with the technology, it can greatly enhance your abilities to perform certain functions. This fact holds valuable lessons for the school environment. If you are able to perform a task more quickly and better through technology, such as writing a paper, then you have increased your efficiency, and given yourself time to broaden your learning further. This in turn allows greater access to learning. The important thing to remember is that the technology is not an end in and of itself. It is simply a tool that can be used or misused. Training is the key to the equation. If you are trained to use the technology properly, then you are ahead of the curve. If you are not trained to use the technology, then it doesn't matter how advanced that technology is, you are still behind the curve. This means that it is becoming increasingly important to utilize the available technology in the classroom environment.
How?
How do we do this? There are many ways to involve technology in the curriculum of the schools. For the purposes of this discussion,
I will talk about integrating the Internet into the curriculum through a group of activities that can be done by a class. I will begin by
discussing the basic language of the Internet, HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML).
HTML
According to the new Virginia Standards of Learning, all eighth grade students will be able to create web pages. Since HTML is the
basic language used to create any web page, this would indicate the importance that the state puts on the ability to use it effectively.
HTML is simply a method of inserting tags (especially coded words located within "<" and ">") throughout the body of a text to
format the web page.
Topical web searches
Utilizes the World Wide Web and the Internet to research any number of topics and activities.
Useful for both teachers and students
Treasure hunts
Allow teachers to narrowly define what the student will be researching.
Gives students definition in many skills
Virtual field trips
Similar in design to Treasure hunts, but these are more narrowly focused still.
Designed as group activities
Great for Study Guides
Image searching/creation
Activity designed to give students artistic reign over images.
Greater capabilities with computers than are normally seen in art classes. Less messy too.
Vacation planning
Interdisciplinary unit designed to create a fictional trip to any given destination.
Allows use of varying degrees of technology
Written interaction
Allows real time and asynchronous communications between people at a distance using chat room and ICQ technology
Closing Thoughts
Two types of people dominate technology: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they
do not understand.
-- Anonymous
If automobiles had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles
per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.
-- Robert Cringely
The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against whacking them around a little.
-- Porterfield