The "Digital Decade" article talks highly of the technology being used
today as opposed to 10 years ago. It states how nearly all schools can
access the Internet
and the percentage of instructional computers with high-speed access is
somewhere around 95 percent. Video recorders and digital cameras are
being used to further students' creativity level in the classroom. It
also states how blogs andpodcasts are being
used. The only thing
which was disturbing in "Digital Decade," which seemed to be proved by
the next article "Outside Interests," was this:
In its annual
survey of the states for Technology Counts, the Editorial Projects in
Education Research Center now finds that, unlike 10 years ago, most
states have technology standards for students and educators, for
example. But few states test to see if those standards are being met,
so the degree to which schools are reaching them is unknown.
So,
it is said that all this technology is being used in many parts of the
U.S., but an accurate estimate is untraceable and unknown. Randy
Herrera makes some very interesting
statements about the technology use in his classrooms. He feels as
though his technology use at home outweighs the usage at school. His
technology use starts right when he wakes up for school by the use of
his alarm clock and then text messages from friends on the bus ride to
school. He gets to school and this is all taken away/ unavailable:
"In
English, for instance, there is a computer in the classroom, but he
says students are not allowed to use it. To do research, his class of
29 troops upstairs to the media center to share 15 computers."
"When
I step in school, I feel like I’m not me anymore. I have to jump into
this whole old-fashioned thing where everything is restricted."
"[...]technology 'facilitates me doing what I do best and shows my creativity, who I am'"
Some schools are limiting students' creativity and are diminishing
the drive that kids could have if technology were used in the
classroom. Why is this even happening? Because it shouldn't be. We want
students to want to learn. If that means bringing in technology, then so be it.
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2 comments:
Hi Willis, yes, the insights in this report dovetail nicely with a number of other readings we are doing. Do make those connections.
How are you developing new perspectives based on what you are reading?
The reluctancy to usher in anything new is a real pain. Its sad how we are being presented with facts that back up that idea.
With so many people looking at technology from so many different standpoints, you'ld think that indivual states would test to see if their own standards are being met.
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