Curricular Reform - Conclusion

Technology can encourage fundamentally different forms of interactions among students and between students and teachers. Technology can facilitate student-centered, collaborative learning. Technology can help to engage students in higher-order cognitive tasks. And technology can inspire teachers to question assumptions about what they are doing and how they are doing it.

What is needed so that the possibilities provided by technology can become realities in real classrooms, with real teachers and real kids? We believe that the following principles are paramount.

Technology used as tools, rather than as curriculum- deliverers, is key.

Students and teachers must have access to technology as the need occurs, not on the basis of some schedule.

Teachers need to start small, so that technology becomes part of what they do everyday. By seeing the utility of information technologies, teachers may take the time to learn how to use them effectively.

Reform must be locally motivated and driven. Goals for change and the role of technology in that need to be articulated.

Change in teachers comes first. The rest follows from that.

In conclusion, interactive technology is neat, but, ultimately, it's interactive classrooms that will bring about real changes.