Technology for Technology’s sake
This is a new term that I only recently learned. However, it makes complete sense when I see some of the technology that is implemented in schools I have researched.
As part of my job, I am doing tons of research on technology for a 1:1 computer project in our school district. The conventional wisdom is that you go and buy a bunch of computers and give them to kids and they use them to learn. The reality, however, is that a lot more must go into it than just passing out computers.
For instance, if a school district puts a notebook computer in the hands of every child, and they use that piece of technology to take notes in class and write reports, it might seem like the project is complete and you can move on to the next thing. But what have you accomplished? My opinion is that you have spent $1,000 on something you could do for a couple of dollars worth of pencils and paper.
To elaborate on that, the technology should be a tool to create and discover. It should become a part of the education, where you learn how to use the tool appropriately and it should be relevant. It is not the universal fix, nor is it something that is a waste.
For example, researching a paper and typing a report is a start. Creating a network on a social networking site or using a discussion board is better. Collaborating with people from all variety of age and backgrounds is a real world experience. Learning to research and reason is a skill that will enable someone to succeed at anything.
The analysis supports that these programs can be wildly successful. It also show that they can be an enormous waste of money and time. It is important to understand that sometimes making these programs work involves doing something different. Sometimes that means people and processes must change. This, to me, represents the biggest obstacle in the process of implementing a program like this. Like most things, it comes down to people. I heard a saying recently, “money and technology are great, but people are better.”
I guess the point I am making is that whatever technology we implement must have a purpose beyond just being what everyone is doing. It is okay to do what everyone is doing, but we have to be doing it the right way and making a real difference in education. This will require people more than technology.
I am a tech person by nature, but I also realize that just using a computer is not the answer and a magical solution. It is much more than that and I am fortunate to have educators that understand this. It’s a big project that some have done right and many have done wrong.
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