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March 15, 2001
Overcoming the Textbook Mentality
By Jerry Crystal
The greatest barrier to using technology effectively in schools is something I call "textbook syndrome," which occurs when administrators and others deal with the needs of educational technology in the ways they have traditionally dealt with textbook issues. Following are the symptoms and how to combat them.
Purchasing Decisions
Traditionally, department heads perused sample textbooks from publishers, then ordered those they had an affinity for, without consulting others. When a new curriculum supervisor was appointed, or a flashier edition arrived, this unhelpful purchasing decision was repeated.
When this purchasing model is transferred to technology, the results can be disastrous. One or two people may make district-wide technology purchasing decisions based on little more than personal preference or a single "gee-whiz" software demonstration. Countering this tendency requires inclusion of all stakeholders in an open decision-making and purchasing process. Administrators need to work with teachers, support staff, and parents to determine how new technology fits into the instructional plan.
Technical Support
With textbooks, tech support is simple and inexpensive-it consists of rolls of Scotch tape to repair ripped pages and cloth tape to reattach covers. What many decision-makers tend to forget is that electronic technology, unlike textbooks, requires skilled support on an ongoing basis. If you look at the average corporation, they have a ratio of one skilled technician to every 100 computers. In school systems, that ratio is typically one to every 1,000 machines, which might explain the numerous horror stories of equipment sitting unused for months because no technician could get to problems as simple as a paper jam, corrupted file, or missing mouse ball. Hiring enough skilled technicians to support district technology initiatives is vital. In addition, costs can be defrayed by establishing maintenance and support contracts with local technology groups or business partners.
Ongoing training for district technicians is also imperative. Make it a priority to arrange for cost-effective training through local Microsoft Certified Professional training groups, state educational consortiums, online courses, or comp time arrangements. Every dollar spent on training is returned with a more efficiently run and maintained network.
Professional Development
The teacher shortage of the baby boom placed a vast number of inexperienced teachers in the classroom and established a tradition of "teacher-proof" textbooks with neatly packaged day-by-day assignments. Professional development consisted of one workshop by a company representative, a book of dittos, and a box of manipulatives. School districts allocated no money for staff development because none was needed.
This same attitude has been applied to out-of-the-box technology. Recent research shows that "canned" educational software does little to improve a student's thinking or technology skills, and it requires little interaction. The best results are obtained by creating open-ended, performance-based lessons where students use standard word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. When the lessons are carried out properly, students and teachers collaborate, unique products are produced, technology skills are mastered, and real learning takes place.
To create these technologically infused lessons, teachers need hands-on professional development. One approach that has worked in my school is using technology dollars to purchase teacher laptops, which gives teachers the flexibility to train during prep periods and then practice what they've learned at home.
A Final Thought
On his 80th birthday, Thomas Edison was asked, "What inventions does the world need most today?" His answer: "The world doesn't need more just now until general intelligence has increased so that we can...operate what we have." The same can be said for using technology in schools.
We must conquer our textbook syndrome and increase our "general intelligence" about supporting technology-and the people who use it-in appropriate ways.
Jerry Crystal is director of technology integration at Carmen Arace Middle School, a total laptop school, in Bloomfield, Conn.
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