Uneven Transition to Technology-based Education

July 10, 2008 -- A unique pilot school in Boston is taking the textbooks out of the educational everyday and replacing them with laptops, animated math software, and online class work. Children at differing levels work side by side as software helps teachers track individual progress and assign appropriate new material. Parents communicate with teachers by instant message and blog postings.

The publicly-funded school is representative of a wave of changes slowly taking over the traditional book-based educational model in the U.S. Driven by the high cost and temporality of textbooks, as well as the needs of today’s plugged-in generation, schools are turning more frequently to computers and the internet to increase engagement and communication at all levels. Boosted by public funds for charter schools and the burgeoning popularity of homeschooling, online-only “virtual” schools and classes for the K-12 set are growing as well. Enrollment has doubled in the last few years.

According to Cisco’s "Education Attitudes 2007," the majority of Americans believe technology is an important factor in connecting schools to their communities as well as in leveling the playing field by providing equal access to educational content. They were less certain, however, that the changes sweeping the education community are taking the right approach.

Perhaps, this is because educators themselves say they don't feel adequately prepared to integrate instructional software into their classrooms and are not receiving the support needed to fully impact student achievement. A joint study by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers reveals that despite access to technology, many teachers shy away from using it in the classroom due to a lack of training and technical support, as well as outdated hardware and software.

Nicole Barone Callahan