After reading “The Surprising Thing About Schools with Lots of Technology,” posted by the LA Times, I had to sit down, take a deep breath, and count back from 100. Andreas Schleicher, the education director for OECD, is quoted as saying, “Students who use computers very frequently in school don’t outperform students who use them moderately,” citing the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test results as proof. I have to admit my first reaction was to be angry. As an advocate for technology integration in every classroom, I couldn’t help but take it personally. But the truth is, maybe I'm not that surprised.
Education is evolving. In the past five years, educational technology has shifted from focus on the technology to focus on the student. Technology isn’t here to solve our problems or increase our test scores. It shouldn’t replace pencil and paper with annotated worksheets and math flashcards. In fact, that mindset will only drive current educational technology into the ground, buried next to ICN classrooms and laser discs.
It’s simple. Educational technology is a tool. It improves our collaboration, our problem solving, our communication. It’s a tool that empowers a student voice that is terrified or unable to speak in front of his peers. It’s a tool to investigate an answer to a burning question a student desires to find. It’s a tool to create music, art, stories--things that inspire students to challenge their talents or try new, intriguing things. Technology provides a global platform to share these talents, creations, and ideas. Changing the world one student voice at a time.
Afterall, technology is about an experience. Not raising a test score. If we allow technology to be a tool and stop asking it to improve our test scores, it will be a beautiful thing.
If you are looking for ways to better integrate technology into your classroom instruction, contact your GWAEA technology consultant to get the conversation started.
-Mindy Cairney, Technology Consultant
@TeamCairney
For more posts like this, please subscribe to our blog! You can also connect with us on social media if you Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or add us to your circles on Google+.
Education is evolving. In the past five years, educational technology has shifted from focus on the technology to focus on the student. Technology isn’t here to solve our problems or increase our test scores. It shouldn’t replace pencil and paper with annotated worksheets and math flashcards. In fact, that mindset will only drive current educational technology into the ground, buried next to ICN classrooms and laser discs.
It’s simple. Educational technology is a tool. It improves our collaboration, our problem solving, our communication. It’s a tool that empowers a student voice that is terrified or unable to speak in front of his peers. It’s a tool to investigate an answer to a burning question a student desires to find. It’s a tool to create music, art, stories--things that inspire students to challenge their talents or try new, intriguing things. Technology provides a global platform to share these talents, creations, and ideas. Changing the world one student voice at a time.
Afterall, technology is about an experience. Not raising a test score. If we allow technology to be a tool and stop asking it to improve our test scores, it will be a beautiful thing.
If you are looking for ways to better integrate technology into your classroom instruction, contact your GWAEA technology consultant to get the conversation started.
-Mindy Cairney, Technology Consultant
@TeamCairney
For more posts like this, please subscribe to our blog! You can also connect with us on social media if you Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or add us to your circles on Google+.
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