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October 15, 2002
The Politics of Education
By Susan McLester, Editor in Chief
Last August, an article entitled, "Is Our Children Learning?" appeared in the business and technology magazine Red Herring. The premise of the piece, which was written by Julie Landry, is summarized in the article's teaser, "Each year more than $5 billion is spent on computers in the classroom. But it's the tech companies that benefit." The article was brought to my attention by several people; though I considered responding to it in the September edition of this column, I decided not to. Why? Because it contained no news, no thought-provoking arguments, and basically, not even a carefully considered point of view. The only reason I acknowledge it now is that it seems--incredibly--to have sustained somewhat of a buzz. But then, that's what it was designed to do. You need only look at the exaggerated, sensational language (start with the title) and the host of random, managed conclusions (start with the teaser). Beyond that, there's no evidence of "the in-depth analysis and reporting" and the "insider perspective" that Red Herring promises of its journalism. For instance, Landry brings us the following: Standardized tests may not adequately measure learning. Affluence and well-prepared teachers correlate to higher student achievement. Technology companies are trying (she opts for "angling") to make sure their products support the new federal emphases. Technology training for teachers is important. OK, thanks. And this just in: chocolate cake is fattening.
In researching this month's cover story, "Supporting the Reading First Classroom," I spoke with a number of educators, reading experts, authors, and curriculum developers. As with any story, I was looking for guidance, for answers. Ironically, I may have come away with more questions than answers when probing them for their thoughts on the issues and challenges we're facing at this time of change. However, there was one question that elicited the same answer from everyone I spoke with: Can technology bring a student from emergent to competent in reading? As a body they answered yes, with the right intervention from a well-trained teacher.
So to visit the Red Herring article one last time before closing the case, I want to cite Landry's claim that "after hundreds of exhaustive studies, there remains no conclusive proof that technology in the classroom actually helps to teach students." I must say I strongly agree with half of that. I'm not sure where she found "hundreds of exhaustive studies," but her doubts about technology teaching students make more sense. As we all know, and as the reading experts have just confirmed once more, technology doesn't teach students, teachers do.
In addition to our continued coverage of reading, this month you'll find an updated version of what's proven one of the most popular articles we've run in the past couple of years, Hall Davidson's "The Educators' Guide to Copyright and Fair Use." We hope you'll find the quiz a useful tool for professional development sessions on information literacy, and the chart a good at-a-glance reminder to post in the media center, computer lab, or teachers lounge.
Read other articles from the October Issue
Send a letter to the Editor in response to this article.
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