Technology and training were the buzz words of the day as a panel of thought leaders gathered at the Milken Institute Global Conference to discuss “Creating the Classroom of the 21st Century.” Intelligent investment in technology, whatever that might be, is only the first step in optimizing the classroom of the future. Panelists stressed that teaching teachers best practices on how to utilize technology is an equally vital, and sometimes forgotten, step in modernizing the classroom.
Ron Packard, chairman and founder of K12, highlighted a need to improve overall infrastructure ahead of launching high-tech education tools. “When we went into Philadelphia to put some technology into classrooms, they had less power going into some of their 100-year-old schools than most people having going into their house. If you plugged two computers in in two classrooms, you blew a fuse,” Packard said.
Robert Neu, superintendent of Federal Way Public Schools in Washington state, said the continuing eduction of teachers is a critical component of any system upgrade. “We need to design a system that is going to give our teachers data in real time, while the learning is occurring. Not afterward, because then it is just an autopsy.” Teachers would then be able to can make daily assessments and collaborate with peers to develop best practices.
Judy Elliott, chief academic officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, pointed out the role students can play in adopting technology. “We underestimate the power of just putting technology in a kid’s hand.” Elliott said teachers need to remain engaged with applications, or students will surpass their technological awareness. “We have students teaching teachers how to do applications,” Elliott said.
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Although it may be currently unfashionable to suggest that Apple and the iPad are not about to save the world, I suggest that Julie Elliot's statement "“We underestimate the power of just putting technology in a kid’s hand" needs to swap "underestimate" for "overestimate!" There is, as yet, no compelling evidence – other than the gushing optimism of those in the thrall of tablet technolust – that handing out technology to students is educationally sound. The notion that somehow "the kids of today" are innately more savvy than anyone else when it comes to technology is nothing more that wishful thinking by folks trying to abdicate teaching for instant technological solutions. Kids are simply better consumers of tech, but have little knowledge of what it is apart from what it does. Most kids know how to access Facebook and post pictures, but appear to be surprised when their weekend drinking photos turn out to be public! They can attached a picture of a naked girlfriend to an SMS message but are shocked to find other people can then distribute it freely. And they may be able to use a word processor but not a spell checker.
Substituting machines for teachers is a bad idea. Always has been. Handing out laptops, tablets, and whatever new – and cheap – options appear while cutting teaching staff may be kind on the budget but short-sighted from the educational perspective. Perhaps the ability to play "Angry Birds" is not a critical skill for teachers to teach, but no flashy, 3-D, multi-function iCalulator will teach you math any more than a word processor can teach you to write.
You are so right. Too often, districts overlook the necessity of incorporating professional development into their technology purchase. Without proper training, educators can become frustrated and disengaged from new technology solutions. However, when teachers a fully trained in the best practices and use of 21st century technology, our kids benefit the most.