Two articles caught my eye recently. One in the Detroit Free Press and one in the New York Times both highlight the use of technology in schools. The articles get at the promise and the perils of technology. In Arizona, a district that has spent millions on technology admits that its test scores show little improvement. In Michigan, a district opts to use technology because it believes that it is a "game changer."
There is no doubt that technology has become almost ubiquitous. Walk around any high school and you will see students with phones, ipods, and earbuds. Yet, does technology help students learn?
Technology is a tool. But is technology like other tools? Does technology depend on teachers for it to be effective or can students use it to change how and what they learn?
The New York Times article quotes Bryan Goodwin who says, "Good teachers can make good use of computers while bad teachers won't."
It appears that technology has the potential to be a game changer but the real game changer in education has been and probably always will be teachers.
