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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Letter of the Day
Using the new tools
The Associated Press Archives A nine-year-old in Los Angeles does a math drill on a computer. (CP)
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Re: Laptops versus pen and paper (Sept. 24). I've been teaching high school for 26 years and have seen a plethora of technological advances and regressions. I've read, heard and seen the application of many false analogies, correct and incorrect assumptions, and blanket statements with respect to how technology can help educators and students.
A knife is a great technology that we've had thousands of years to perfect. Some use it very well, others are ineffective with it, and for others, it is even dangerous. Technology education is no different.
The problem with measuring the success of technology in education is that much of the evidence is anecdotal, not empirical. Everybody wants to back up their idea. It is nearly impossible to set up control groups to see who does better with and who does better without.
Also, vested interests are at stake. Who is going to admit their $1-million technology plan is a bust?
Lloyd Axworthy says, "If you aren't on Twitter, you're not teaching." This is a typical blanket statement. I think Twitter is a great professional development tool. I also know there are many great teachers who think tweeting is for the birds.
We also assume that because students are young, they can do everything digital. I know students who could text their way out of a North Korean prison. This same student could also have a lot of difficulty finding North Korea on a map, even with Google around the digital corner.
We are in a state of transition between the old factory-style educational system and a new fluid one. Today's student has a different learning DNA. A teacher is no longer the key distributor of knowledge. We need to face these realities and applaud those who take a risk with new technologies.
What we also need is sage direction, training and a commitment to finding the best ways to teach and not use technology as a panacea for all the problems. Technology will of course shape the future of education and the student, as it has always done. What is important to remember is that a sharp knife used intelligently will always make the best cut.
PAUL DOYLE
Winnipeg
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 28, 2012 A13
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