Article Response 3

by Gabe K. Asper, gabeasper@hotmail.com, 11/14/07

Article Title: Tools for the Mind by Mary Burns

This is an interesting article to me because I believe that it is true that the United States education system is not implementing technology correctly. We actually have a lot of technology resources in this country, but there is no funding for teacher training that tells teachers how to use technology in their classrooms. There is also no funding for technology positions in schools. Teachers have had to learn the material on their own, and have not been compensated for the time that they put in to things like implementing technology programs, education technology plans, and specialized classes dealing with using technology.

These are some questions that I thought of while reading this article:
-If a teacher says that they can teach technology, how can we tell that the students are learning it?
-What are the measures as a system that we have on that?
-How do you measure something that is evolving daily?
-How do you create clear assessment with technology?
-Who decides (for our countries system) what kind of technology and technology instruction we will use? The President? Corporations advertising their products? Administrators?

5 Good Points:
1. The author believes that there has been a change in our educational system. In the early 90's there was a value for computers, as if they were the answer. These days, the system has become more wary of their potential, and enthusiasm for technology has dimmed.

2. Teacher training has been focused on teaching technology skills, like how to use software, rather than how to teach kids using technology.

3. Classrooms use "show-and-tell applications” like PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, and Front Page, instead of using things like spreadsheets and databases. Programs like In-Design, iMovie, Garageband, Microsoft Excel and Internet communication tools like e-mail and networks are not used as frequently because they are more complicated and teachers don't know how to show their students proper academic use of such programs.

4. Technology is deeper than PowerPoint.

5. "A good deal of student internet use is intellectually passive"


The article explores the present use of technology in our schools. What are the problems with our technology reality in schools around the country? The thing that I like about the article is that instead of just naming problems, the author also hints at some solutions. I like the idea that "professional development should model technology use that is matched to a learning outcome". In my experience as a teacher there has never been any technology training professional development, let alone training that might provide a teacher with a good idea for a technology based lesson! It is such a recent field that we don't have experts to turn to and ask how to use technology. There are only a handful of people who can actually use technology so well that they can teach it, and even fewer who understand how to teach their knowledge to others.

What it all boils down to? Teachers need supports! Give us the computers and software enough for all of our students, and give us training in how to comport technological knowledge to young minds.