Making a Difference
Caroline McCullen
Caroline McCullen is a teacher at Ligon Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina and an Educator-on-Loan for the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. Caroline was the recipient of Technology and Learning Magazine's 1996 National Teacher of the Year.
In Todd Oppenheimer's recent article, "The Computer Delusion," in the July, 1997 issue of Atlantic Monthly, the author questions funding for more technology in schools and finds no "good evidence that most uses of computers significantly improve teaching and learning." He finds no research that indicates technology has made a significant difference in the classroom. He further suggests that the dollars spent on technology in our schools have produced nothing significant in terms of student achievement. He implies that the time spent on computer-assisted instruction is wasted, since students could learn "all the computer skills they need to enter the job force in the course of one summer."
Interesting. As a classroom teacher who routinely uses technology, particularly in the instruction of middle school web-based writing and publishing, I find it hard to believe there is anyone who could fail to see the power of putting a student in front of a word processor. Do we really need research to show us the advantages of using computers to teach writing? This argument brings to mind similar fears and concerns that surround the introduction of any new tool or technique. Do we really need research to justify every tool and component used in the classroom? When does common sense prevail? Personally, I'd like to see the research on pencils. Where are the studies that prove pencils increase student learning? What about overhead projectors? I am not aware of any research that shows the use of overhead projection devices will increase student learning. Consider the OPEC machines that now allow many students to look for library books electronically. Why should we fund these expensive devices when an old-fashioned card catalog would accomplish the same task?
The fact is, there is a multitude of emerging research that clearly shows the direct relationship between improved student achievement and the use of technology. The network of National Regional Education Labs across the country are gathering the research and documenting it for the use of educators. These labs operate in collaboration with the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Of special interest is McREL's (Midcontinental Regional Educational Laboratory) link to current studies documenting the Impact of Technology in the classroom. One of the most interesting articles is "A Summary of Current Research and Evaluation Findings on Technology in Education" by John Cradler, of the Far West Laboratory. A hard copy of the recently published Software Publishers Association report on The Effectiveness of Technology in Schools, '90-'97 also cites hundreds of studies and reports which document the positive effect of technology on student learning.
Oppenheimer refers to existing research on the effectiveness of instructional technology as anecdotal and inconclusive. Yet he unintentionally highlights the real heart of the matter: It is essential that skillful teachers are present in the classroom showing students how to use the computers. Well-trained teachers are the key to the effectiveness of any technology in a classroom setting. Although we know children need pencils, we clearly need to have teachers in the classroom who can show the students how to use a pencil in order to get thoughts on paper. It is clear to most educators that pencils are worth the cost, and it is just as obvious that technology is worth the price.
What is becoming even more apparent is the need for effective technology training for teachers. Many of the first efforts at teacher training mistakenly focused on the skills, rather than meaningful content. Jamie McKenzie (1997) refers to the mistake of "skill fixation" in teacher training, which focused on computer skills outside the context of a real classroom. Teachers were taught how to use spreadsheets, databases, or html without a plan for how or where these skills might enhance their classroom practices. Of course teachers need to learn how to operate the machines and software, but more importantly, they need to learn effective methods for incorporating technology into their classroom setting.
When teachers use technology to enhance their teaching, the results can be powerful.
In MidLink Magazine, teacher editors from all over the world are making meaning for their students out of the vast resources on the World Wide Web.
Is there any doubt that these students have reached a new level of learning? As I watch the students in my own classroom at Ligon Middle School interact with their peers in distant lands, I do not need research to confirm that what we are doing involves higher order thinking skills, addresses a variety of learning styles and ability levels, and makes learning more meaningful. I see it in the eyes of my students. I see it when they stay after school or sneak in at lunch time to work on a project. I see it when they bring their parents in after school to see their work on the computer. I see it in their e-mail messages to me asking my advice on their tasks. I also see it in the eyes of visitors who come into my classroom expecting to see a teacher in a traditional role with desks in neat rows and quietly attentive students. What they find instead is a teeming, interactive group of students working together to complete authentic tasks. And as for me? They're lucky if they can find me! I'm usually sitting with groups of students working on a problem or crawling around under a table trying to plug in an annoying stray cable. People from the surrounding business community have assured me they can hardly wait to hire these students. I know my students will be ready for the challenges of the job market of the next century because we use the same tools used in the business world: well-equipped computers.
We operate out of an old building in an inner city magnet school. Because of a visionary principal, grant funds sought by Wake County Public Schools, support from NC State University, and some innovative teachers, we are fortunate to have connectivity, software, and talented instructors who take advantage of these resources. Instead of seeking more research to document the effectiveness of technology, I believe we need to be finding ways to make this type of environment a reality for every child in every school in America. Equitable access to technology, and to teachers who know how to use it, can make the difference for children in the rural areas and inner city schools where resources are scarce. Simply putting computers in schools and wiring them up is not the answer.
Linda Roberts, Director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, agrees that technology is not a "quick-fix" for what is wrong with today's schools. She points out that research exists which shows that student achievement improves when good teaching is combined with technology. In Roberts' interview on WWW4Teachers, Dr. Roberts encourages skeptics to look at student portfolios, rather than accepting the narrow view of standardized test scores. I believe this is a view that makes sense. Oppenheimer may have unintentionally made the best case of all for the value of a talented teacher who knows how to use technology within the context of a classroom. Of course the act of simply putting computers into classrooms cannot increase test scores! The only way to do that is to get at the heart of the matter and make teachers and teacher training the focal point of our best efforts to improve education for every student in America. There is no computer that can substitute for a well trained, technologically fluent, dedicated teacher.
References
McKenzie, Jamie. "Crossing the Great Divide: Adult Learning for Integrative and Innovative Use of Technologies With Students." (September 14, 1997). Available: http://fromnowon.org/fnosept95.html#Crossing