Technology Article #6 (Module 3)

The article "Technology in Schools: Some Say It Doesn't Compute!" focused on research that makes a stong case against the way technology is being used in schools. Some students complained that because the technology available to them was so slow that it was wasting their time to just sit and wait on connections. Another student discussed his concern with his school district making the decision to spend limited funds on computers instead of textbooks that would be used every day by every student. This is a decision that many schools are currently facing. The article also brought to light health concerns that could face students using technology, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, emissions from older machines, and the sedentary lifestyle that comes from sitting behind a machine.

One good point that the article made was that students try to substitute the Internet for a library, when they don't realize or understand that much of the material on the Internet is incorrect or biased.

I am a strong advocate of technology in schools, but I do understand the concerns mentioned in this article. I think the most important key is how the technology is implemented and used by students and teachers. I don't want to see student's get short changed in core areas such as math or reading because teachers are spending instructional time teaching a software program or technology that will be extinct by the time they graduate from high school!