For 20 years, I have been a computer teacher in the New York Public Schools. Practically every student, say 99 out of 100, identifies with technology: it’s motivating, engaging, and often provides ready assistance to his or her learning. So what, if anything, is the problem? That depends.
Let me provide a historical contrast. Two centuries ago in the one room schoolhouse, students used a small slate and chalk for learning. Last century, teachers used a large, black, or green, board and chalk for teaching and learning. This century, many classes are starting to use a Smart Board, which not only provides a space like a chalk board for displaying class work, but also connects to the Internet, which opens up an incredible array of learning resources to enrich the classroom environment. The Smart Board has mark up tools to make it much easier to put emphasis to hammer home a teachable moment. The Smart Board is a great advance, yet there are related issues. The technology is expensive, takes up precious classroom space and sometimes breaks (for example, the projector light goes out). Furthermore, teachers need professional development on how not only to use it, but also to implement it effectively in the classroom learning environment.
The technology world can become complicated, but over the years I have tried to follow the healthy reminder: KISS, especially for the school setting. So I will share some tips how to maintain a straightforward attitude toward technology in the K-12 learning environment.
There are usually two options for technology teaching: either teach with technology or teach about technology. The first is using technology as a tool to better learn subjects such as science, social studies, math, etc. The second is learning the skills needed for mastering the hardware and the software, along with the accompany attitudes, such as net-etiquette, or netiquette. Both approaches are legitimate, although typically the curriculum prefers technology as a tool to improve learning in other subject areas. This is reflected in National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), which displays the standards associated with technology in education.
I try to keep abreast of the technology trends and new directions, from different perspectives. Tech & Learning, for example, reports the results of a survey of administrators of Key Technology Trends in 2007. Edutopia, a magazine put out by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, published an article in 2007, The Sky’s the Limit: Kids ’ Top Tools for the Classroom that identifies the best gadgets, software and web sites that students wish were in schools.
Lastly, I never forget that technology can go either way: help with productivity, or lead toward distraction and mindlessness. Given a preference, the students usually opt for computers games, communication tools and popular culture web sites. The utilization of technology in the school environment is largely similar to the adult work force: for the most part positive, but not always.