The Future of TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING - teachers need to learn more about teaching computer skills

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), March, 1999 by Lawrence L. Smith

"The use of computer technology and the growing access to educational resources through the Internet are requiring educators to rethink how they teach and to help students to prepare for life and to work in the coming decades."

Since the first Apple computers began to appear in schools in the mid 1980s, American educators have been under increasing pressure to learn how to teach about and teach with new technological tools. Over the past 15 years, the typical workplace has been transformed by computer technology. In most offices, almost every employee, from receptionist to CEO, works with a computer. In manufacturing and industrial jobs, new tools of the trade rely increasingly on computer technology. To keep ahead of global competition, the workforce--even those entering work directly from high school--must possess technological literacy and proficiency.

The pervasive use of computer technology means that elementary and secondary schools and colleges must do better in preparing students to use emerging technologies. The task is daunting. Those first-generation Apples and PCs often sat collecting dust in classroom corners, largely because teachers had little time or resources to learn more about them, even if they had the inclination. Today, however, schools and teacher education programs are having to devote time and resources to assist teachers in learning the technology skills they need in order to prepare students for life in the information age.

At Ball State University, we have been developing programs that enable college faculty and local schoolteachers to work together toward what author John Goodlad calls "simultaneous renewal." Our experiences can help point the way for other communities striving to meet the technological challenge.

While many educators are willing to respond to the call of corporate and government leaders to improve their use of educational technology, they must not ignore the reality that they all are coming to terms with a new way of life and work. In education, especially, the advent of the computing age has brought with it a radical disruption of the pedagogical foundations of teachers' work. The use of computer technology and the growing access to educational resources through the Internet are requiring educators to rethink how they teach and to help students to prepare for life and work in the coming decades. Educators are beginning to make progress, but there still are many obstacles to be overcome before America's schools effectively can prepare the majority of students for the technological world of the 21st century.

Most primary and secondary schools still do not have adequate hardware and software to make the widespread use of technology in education feasible. Although computer-to-student ratios have fallen a long way from 125:1 in 1983-84, they are far from the 4:1 ratio considered optimal by many experts. Equipment and software needs have been addressed in a variety of ways, including through the generosity of corporations and private foundations. (This is one of the primary philanthropic activities of Bill Gates and Microsoft, Inc.) Nevertheless, reliance on one-time allocations or purchases made possible by outside benefactors will not enable schools to keep up with the pace of technological change.

Until school boards and administrators begin to budget adequately for technology equipment and ongoing staff development, educators will be losing the battle. Most schools, including colleges and universities, do not have budget models yet that take into account equipment depreciation and the need for equipment and software upgrades that have become routine in most business environments. School boards should be seeking the aid of local corporate leaders to help their administrators learn the ropes of budgeting for technology needs.

Once resources are allocated properly, administrators will face challenges in two areas: making good investment decisions about equipment and providing effective staff training in the use of technology in the classroom. On the question of equipment, the pace of technological change brings some good news. Entry-level machines are packing more power for fewer dollars. In addition, schools that have not invested yet in wiring for local area networks may be able to forgo such expenditure in favor of using new Internet-based networking capabilities. Making these decisions, however, will require administrators to be sufficiently aware of groundbreaking technologies to discern which equipment and services will meet the needs of their teachers and students.

Beyond money and equipment problems looms the most formidable challenge in better educating students--teacher preparation. It is clear that teachers must be educated more thoroughly about technology, the impact throughout society, and about how it can be used in teaching. The mental image of the teenage computer hacker changing his economics grade in the computer records while his teacher's most reliable tools remain chalk, blackboards, and mimeographed handouts is not too far removed from reality. Most teachers are not adequately prepared yet to make use of exciting new educational technologies because neither their teacher education programs nor their schools have provided sufficient time or incentives for them to learn.