Technology -- Good or Evil?

Some of you may have read a recent article in the New York Times which was skeptical of the use of technology in schools. When the author, Matt Richtel, suggests that “…schools are being motivated by a blind faith in technology and an overemphasis on digital skills…at the expense of math, reading and writing fundamentals…,” he places the debate about technology squarely in the intersection of progressive vs. traditional education, student-centered vs. “sage on the stage” education, and individually-paced vs. cooperative learning education. He can only be correct when he states that “Technology advocates have it backward when they press to upgrade first and ask questions later.” The article goes on to talk about how difficult it is to separate the effects of technology from the effects of other educational aspects, making it difficult to determine whether technology actually improves education.

My background in educational research and statistics notwithstanding, or perhaps because of it, the effort to separate the effects of various aspects of the educational environment seems misplaced to me. A multi-dimensional lens, through which we can see how one aspect of a child’s schooling supports and enhances another, seems more appropriate. It’s not an issue of whether a good teacher or good technology is better; rather, it is an issue of how great technology in the hands of a wonderful teacher can provide an outstanding education. There is no doubt but that providing great teachers with great tools will allow them to do their jobs in ways that would not be possible without those tools.

Beginning with my first visit to Whiteman Primary, it was apparent to me that the teachers here are among the best in the country. Their knowledge of their subject areas, their passion and compassion for children, their openness to new ideas, their intellectually reflective practice … all of these place them heads and shoulders above the mass of educators included in educational research studies. Giving these outstanding teachers 21^st century tools with which to teach and inspire their students makes the LWPS experience even richer for our students. We’ve taken steps along this path with our dual-platform laptop program, online textbooks, use of Internet communication in Spanish, etc. We continue to be watching for technologies that can build upon the uniquely close relationships between faculty and students that are developed in our small classes, and we will continue to ask questions before we upgrade.

The conversation about technology will go on into the future, and LWPS will stay abreast of that debate. I’d love to hear your thoughts about how we, at Whiteman Primary, can bring the best that technology has to offer to our faculty and students.