Rationale

Chris L. Reyes-Bryson


Introduction:


Is there a hotter topic in education today than the onslaught of technology? Probably not. The fact is that somewhere at the heart of all of that smoke lies a very real fire. That fire is the need to educate present and future generations for lives in the age of information. It is an issue with both immediate and long-lasting ramifications, and knowing that, the decisions we make now must be made with tremendous care.

Define Technological Usage:

Technology, loosely defined, is the knowledge a people have that is useful in creating tools to assist them. Broad definition, I know, and preceeding the word "technology" with the word "educational" really doesn't narrow the focus of the definition much. Educational technology, then, is simply the knowledge we can put to use in developing tools to help share knowledge between people. Examples? Well, anything from the berry die and stick brushes used in cave painting right up to all of the computer horsepower contained on the internet. The usage part of the term means just what it says; that the technology, that magical knowledge, is being put to use. Why is offering such a simple definition important? Because those of us having grown-up during the latter half of this century are so accustomed to technology being a result of the miracles of modern science that we may fail to see that, in its own way, the first sheet of papyrus was every bit as stunning a piece of technology as the latest computer hardware.

For the purpose of our discussion here, we will limit the infinite range of educational technologies to merely the computer technology currently available to educators.

Reasons for Using Technology:

Why implement technology/computers at all? Are there any real reasons why we should be pushing so hard to force such a major shift on our educational system? Some say the reasons are there. Others see technology as simply the next false messiah spouting hollow promises to fix our educational woes. The truth is, there are no absolute answers. Sure, there is research being done, and there are lessons to be learned from educators willing to share their own personal experiences. Even the government has an angle on the topic! But, as is so often the case, the more you learn, the more you realize how little you really know. So you get a green light to put computers into a classroom, what next? How do you handle the planning process for putting together an educational technology facility? How do you choose the best software to turn all of those stupid but expensive tabletop boxes into educational allies? What do you expect will be the outcome in terms of student learning and growth? Once you actually sit students in front of computers, how will you deal with the issues of decency and censorship on the internet (if your classroom/lab provides such access)? Then comes the need for ongoing support for both the equipment and for those using it as a teaching tool. What does technology have to offer both the educator and the student that make it worth so much work? Is it really a panacea for what ails our educational system? Are we ready to put to effective use what technology has to offer? Is it a super tool, or just a super toy? Here are what I see as some of the reasons for implementing technology in education:

Real World Examples:

Everyday there are more bits of information washing in from educators on how the battle is going out on the front lines. The general concensus seems to be that all of the time, talent and energy needed to implement technology in education is paying off. As information goes, the data filtering back ranges from serious and scholarly to annecdotal. Programs are being created and, in general, students are learning and growing. Sounds too good to be true? Well it is, sort of.

Keeping in mind that all of this educational technology stuff is really a Johnny-come-lately to the classroom, one has to look with caution at the overwhelmingly positive results coming from educators. First, the educators who are trying to move their classrooms into the next century are a brave, talented and visionary lot. These are the people who aren't affraid of stepping down from the lecturn and who can look at a lab full of mismatched, donated hardware and software and say, "What else was I planning to do with my weekends and holidays anyway?" These folks are so comfortable with technology that I would bet most of them even program their own VCRs. My point is, these educators have the "right stuff" to wring success out of even the most ill-fated implementation adventure.

Secondly, the educators publishing the results of their early forays are possibly less interested in publishing their failures than their successes. Hey, do you make as great a point of telling those around you when you have gained a few pounds as when you have lost a few pounds? This isn't chicanery, it is just putting into practice the old adage of not saying anything at all unless you can say something nice. The problem is however, that in order to really be able to gauge the success of implementing technology in education, you must, to borrow from another old adage, take the bitter with the better.

Perhaps the only way to have this research be of any use is to simply have you do your own. The following links are just a fragment of the information dealing with this topic on the internet. My goal is not to provide an exhaustive resource (even a perfectly complete set of links would be out-dated in less than one day). I would simply like to offer a bit of evidence as well as whet your appetite to launch your own research.

A Few Examples

Expected Outcomes:

If we are indeed pinning some of our hopes for the future of education on the power of the technological revolution, shouldn't we have some idea of what exactly those hopes are? What are we expecting from educational technology? When can we smile at our new found friend and say in our finest teacher-eze, "I am so proud of you. You have really lived up to your potential?" It seems only fair that we should have some rather high expectations for such a seemingly limitless technology. After all, this is not switching from blackboards to whiteboards, this is a change that will utterly reshape education as we know it.

One of the best listings of expected outcomes that I came across can be found at the URL: http://www.itp.berkeley.edu/ITP/PlanningForTechInEdu.htm. Their list is as follows: What I like best about this list is that it emphasizes the notion that we are not interested in technology for technology's sake. This time, the technological change is for and about people. When we see outcomes like these from any implementation of technology in education, we will be able to rest assured that we are doing something right.