Technology and teaching are moving to work hand in hand. Recently I was at a conference where I saw a presentation on the development of a new teaching and learning paradigm by Mark Treadwell. Mark Treadwell has been one of a few revolutionary thinkers behind the development of the New Zealand curriculum. His work will prove very interesting and enlightenning for those interested. His book can be found at http://www.schoolv2.net/

I so miss the rich oral tradition. Children have their heads buried in books so much of the time. True dialogue is almost dead. Writing just does not show the nuances and emotion of the spoken word.

Should books, pencil and paper be required? Humanity survived just fine for thousands of years without them. Let's finish this discussion before we leap into the pluses and minuses of technology.

I am probably in a very unique situation. Most of my children have no contact with computers outside school. There is almost no access to the internet. I had only one child in my class last year with a home e-mail address. In a situation like this, it would be ridiculous to require students to complete assignments on the computer.

At school we have access to many wonderful pieces of technology, such as ActivBoards, school pads, etc. However, a student's access to a computer is actually less than it was 10 years ago. We are down to 2 computers and 1 teacher laptop at most in each classroom. Many classrooms only have 1 computer and 1 teacher laptop. Students are taken to the computer lab for 35 minutes once a week, but that isn't enough time to get much accomplished. Schools need to have a great deal more technology available, before students are required to complete assignments using technology.

Technology is just another tool as are pencils, books, etc. Students need to learn all tools to communicate in the world. We teach them music, art, languages for similar reasons. Students need to be completely well rounded and know how to function in the world. We cannot keep our students from using technology because we don't want to use technology.

Amen, sister! I'm enrolled in three technology-based classes this summer - MediaBlender: Project-Based Learning with Multimedia, Movie Maker: Digital Video in the Classroom, and Photoshop Elements: Digital Imaging in the Classroom - in order to create some lessons that bring the teaching of reading and writing into this century. My only concern: lack of computers in the school and lack of computers at home for the vast majority. What a drag. It could be so exciting and one can easily predict student interest and involvement. Sure wish the business world would understand the situation of limited budgets in the schools and lend a hand. We're teaching their future employees. A friend's husband works at a large insurance company in the area. He scratched his Blackberry, reported it to the company, and Sha-Zam! New Blackberry! If only ...

d
8th grade Language Arts teacher - Madison, Wisconsin

There is no doubt that we are amidst the age of technology and it seems that students in the First World are more adept at it than adults. But what if the classroom or school doesn't have access to technology? I think there should be a balance.

Technology should not be the center of education but a tool that can enhance learning. As a teacher, I have used technology for certain topics. But it was not a necessity for my students. What I wanted them to do was communicate -- and not just through email or power point. They used their words and their creativity.

Yes teachers should require the use of technology. It is part of the standards in my state and many others. Technoogy while a tool is also a valuable resource that most students will use to a greater degree in the future.

As someone who has spoken with hundreds of teachers and parents about these matters and as the mother of two daughters, one of whom was in a school that required individual laptops for each child starting in 5th grade, to be used in school and out, I have a bird's eye view of some of the essential facts around media and technology use.

One of them is: personal storytelling is an antidote to the story being told by the popular culture. Allowing the child access to the family and community's oral tradition and the time and space to sense who they are, what their story is, is the best preparation for them to effectively use the amazing tool that technology surely is.

Mary

Mary L. Rothschild, Director
Healthy Media Choices
www.healthymediachoices.org
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
Host: "How Are the Children?"
WVEW-LP 107.7 FM
streaming at www.wvew.org
Tuesday at 1 pm

What I see as an educator is that given the opportunity through adequate resources, innovative instruction and appropriate support for development of self-efficacy, there is not a need to mandate technology use for students or teachers. Technology is an interesting and welcome component of the instructional mix.

Teachers have complex and competing priorities with increasing restrictions and requirements that stifle their ability to implement innovations. Lack of choice in designing instruction is increasing in the current climate, mandating is the method of implementation that is most often the default. Unfortunately mandates are not always supported by resources and again teachers are put into the difficult position of meeting unrealistic requirements while attempting to create innovative learning environments comprised of multiple modes of instruction. Not surprisingly, teachers resist and become jaded when additional mandates, however well-intentioned, are implemented.

Moving from mandated to motivated is the challenge for supporting expanded technology implementation in the classroom.

During my tenure as an elementary teacher, I intergated technology into the curriculum. I also mentored teachers in my campus and was a previous Technology Coordinator in our district. During the school years, 1994-2005, my students not only posted their work on the web, but also did presentations using the skills they had acquired in technology (such as Hyper-Studio, Web Pages, PowerPt, using the internet)for the Socorro ISD, the University of TX in El Paso and at the International Technology Conference in San Francisco, CA. These students are now attending school at various Universities, and continue using their technology skills/knowlege they learned while in my classroom in the 3rd/4th/5th grade. I am a firm believer in schools requiring students to use technology and teachers at all grade levels integrating technology into the curriculum.
(See Edutopia Fall 1999 magazine) and UTEP NOVA Magazine UTEP GRADs:Preparing)

Gloria Contreras-Holguin
Assistant Principal
Bill Sybert School
Soccorro ISD
El Paso, Texas 79936