Myths and Realities about Technology in K-12 Education

Starting Assumptions

• Technology is changing our world

• Technology is changing what our students need to learn

• Technology can have significant impact on how we teach and how we learn

• The core of K-12 education remains unchanged: good teaching will always be the key

Technology can help teachers and students

• access information

• develop basic skills

• explore

• record

• organize

• analyze

• produce

• create

• communicate

• practice

• individualize

• collaborate

• and lots more!

The Challenge

• Putting these capabilities to effective use

Myth #1

• Putting computers into schools will directly improve learning; more computers will result in greater improvements.

Eyes on your own work

“Keep your eyes on your own screen.”

Reality #1

• There will be minimal educational return from technology investments unless technology is one component of a well-designed educational improvement plan.

Myth #2

• There are agreed-upon goals and "best practices" that define how computers should be used in K-12 classrooms.

Reality #2

• Educational goals and approaches must be clarified and plans for purchasing, using and evaluating the impact of technology must be developed to fit those goals and approaches.

Myth #3

• Once teachers learn the basics of using a computer they are ready to put the technology to effective use.

Reality #3

• For technology to be used fully in schools, significant changes are required in teaching practices, curriculum, and classroom organization.

• These changes takes place over years and require significant professional development and support for teachers.

Myth #4

• The typical district technology plan is sufficient for putting technology to effective use.

Reality #4

• To use technology effectively, we must fully integrate it into school improvement plans, professional development plans, special education plans, etc.

• Technology must be viewed as providing tools to help us meet central educational goals, not as defining a new, separate set of goals.

Myth #5

• Equity can be achieved by ensuring equal student-to-computer ratios

“Oh, we finished the basic subtraction. Now we’re designing a series of interrelated transformational geometric comparisons.”

Reality #5

• When considering issues of equity, we need to examine all the essential conditions for making technology into effective tools for teaching and learning, not just the number and type of hardware available.

Some more myths

• Putting technology in the classroom will improve the quality of teaching

• Technology and web-based learning saves time and money

• The impact of technology on student achievement can be isolated and shown to increase student test scores

• Gifted students benefit more from technology

• If you build it they will come