The Great Debate about Effectiveness

[Linda Loder]

There is a great article in T.H.E. Journal today about the effectiveness of technology in education. You can find it here:


The Great Debate: Effectiveness of Technology in Education

This is one part of the article that struck me:

"According to Robert Kuhn (2000), an expert in brain research, few people understand the complexity of that change. Technology is creating new thinking that is "at once creative and innovative, volatile and turbulent" and "nothing less than a shift in worldview." The change in mental process has been brought about because "(1) information is freely available, and therefore interdisciplinary ideas and cross-cultural communication are widely accessible; (2) time is compressed, and therefore reflection is condensed and decision-making is compacted; (3) individuals are empowered, and therefore private choice and reach are strengthened and one person can have the presence of an institution" (p. 3).

How do we scale up what we do in schools in order for our students to really understand what is going on here in this new world? Being empowered without being information literate could be a dangerous thing - being empowered and being truly information literate could mean that anything is possible.

[Lisa L. Ouderkirk]

I certainly agree that technology empowers us as a group to give our students the opportunities to grow and be the best they can be. I am scared that with all the constant changes in technology, I won't be able to keep up, and I will be left in the dust. I did like the question put forward--what is our goal? My focus is that they perform well on the achievement and assessment tests, but is this important for their overall growth to be a successful adult? As a school, I don't think our focus is where it should be, but until NCLB is changed, the focus isn't going to change either....

[Kay Good]

I think that everyone feels they are going to be left in the dust, but then honestly, that is generally what happens to us anyway!
I believe that we can strengthen our lessons, encourage higher level thinking processes, and still meet the goals set for in NCLB. Even changing one lesson each nine weeks to incorporate a little more creativity with a little more technology, will help each and every student improve their abilities.
Keep up the good work!

[Kay Good]

Hey Gang! We are going to hear much more about this great debate! As I-Team leaders in our district we need to be well informed on this topic and be able to clearly state why we feel technology education is effective.

After just taking the LoTi Mentor Certification class last week, I can see a greater need for all teachers to be able to evaluate their lessons and assess whether their levels of technology integration are doing what they are intended for.

The following statement struck me as being critical to our attitude toward technology: "If technology has any chance to be effective, its use must be a regular, integral part of an instructional program and not viewed as an add-on." Recognizing that everything we do in the classroom works together to strengthen the lessons taught will enable us all to grow as teachers and raise the level of education we provide to our students.

For those of you who went through the Intel Training for the grant you have been exposed to the LoTi Levels of Technology Integration. Get out your old Bloom's taxonomy's and start evaluating your lessons. This is how to improve and PROVE that technology is effective.
K