A bad case of gizmo blues
Writing in The Washington Post, a teacher at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., says the school has been victimized by “technolust.” The teacher, Patrick Welsh, says the malady “manifests itself in an insatiable need to acquire the latest, fastest, most exotic computer gadgets, whether teachers and students need them or want them.” The new $98 million campus, which opened last fall, is derided as “Gizmo High” by some on the faculty, who say the latest gadgets might impress board members and administrators, but don’t add much to the learning process–and in some cases, inhibit it.
Do you think that schools have gone too far in pursuing technology, without buy-in from teachers, or evidence of its effectiveness? Or do you think teachers are too reluctant to change their methods so they can use new technologies effectively to improve student learning?
Leave a comment below.
February 12th, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Technology is a delivery system. Its best uses come only after the curriculum has been designed to use it effectively. Technology is not something to just be layered on top of an already existing curriculum.
February 12th, 2008 @ 11:31 am
My experience, especially as a security consultant, has been that schools go all out for any technology that is cutting edge without regard to real world applications. Often, administrators want to compare their school system to a business, but never figure what the ROI will be. I see many schools having systems that most businesses have elected not to use yet due to cost and the return they expect from that investment. Most of the overdoing is because of “experts” telling the administrators they need it without the administrators ever questioning if it going to improve the education process.