Quality not Quantity

Unfortunately, in many classrooms today, there is technology present that goes unused or vastly underused. In my district, which shall remain unnamed, teachers have five classroom computers for student use. Many teachers have decided to move those computers out of the classroom because they are "taking up too much space." There are new technologies purchased for the building that sit unused in the library or labs. Word processing is not the only way to use a computer!

To improve technology applications in the classroom, I think there are three basic areas that need to be addressed:

1) Help teachers get past inhibitions. Technology can be scary, especially for teachers who only feel technologically savvy every time they manage to turn on the computer in the morning. There are so many different kinds of technology available, every teacher should be able to find something useful for the classroom. There are various software programs on the computers in the computer lab, student response systems, streaming video, handhelds, and many more. To help get over the fear and intimidation, teachers should be trained, have plenty of practice time, gain an understanding that simply trying something new could be a learning experience for students - even if it doesn't work properly, and have support on campus. At my campus, we have a technology teacher who actually goes into teacher's classrooms to help instruct with various forms of technology. This is a huge asset to reluctant teachers.

2) Focus on quality, not quantity. Sometimes, there is so much new technology coming at a teacher, it is hard to grab hold of something and really feel comfortable with it. It seems every month there are in-services for new and exciting things to do with computers, the internet, and other technological wonders. Unfortunately, some teachers just watch it all whiz by without every feeling ownership of anything, and they never use any of it. If teachers were trained in small groups, or asked to demo a pilot program, the teachers might actually use some of the various forms of technology.

For example, I was asked to demo a class set of AlphaSmart Danas. Four teachers were part of the pilot group, but only two of us ever used them. A total of about 10 teachers in the building have been trained on the Danas, but the Dana cart has left my classroom a total of 4 times - in an entire year. They get moderate amounts of use in my room, and I now feel responsible for them. I have great plans for further implementation next year, but can honestly say that if I was not trained as part of the small pilot group but rather as part of a school-wide in-service, the Danas probably would have not made it into my classroom at all.

3) Let students take the reins. Students are often fearless when it comes to technology. If you allow the students to brainstorm about methods of discovery or even to "play" with some of the new technology, they can make suggestions and brainstorm ideas. The same concept applies with open response projects. If you allow a child to choose an appropriate technology, chances are they will learn something from it.

Savage Inequalities

In his book, Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol takes a rather repetitive, but effective approach to discussing the inequalities between urban and neighboring suburban school districts. He makes the claim, with a great deal of factual support, that urban schools throughout the country are no better off than they were before the desegregation decision by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Many of the inner-city schools are segregated heavily by race and deliberately under-funded by the city or state.

Kozol displays comparisons between neighboring school districts that show this huge gap in spending and available financing. In districts within major cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, New York, New Jersey, and San Antonio, there are huge differences in schools that are often separated by only a few miles. Urban schools, despite the residents taxing themselves at a much higher rate, are forced to endure shoddy buildings, serious supply shortages, inadequate teachers, and often dangerous conditions such as flooding, mold, and raw sewage. Despite repeated attempts to gain more financing and assistance from the state or surrounding areas, the urban districts continue to be cut off and shunned by the state leaders and suburban neighbors. Kozol further claims that this is racially motivated and that suburbanites do not want the inner-city students to be able to compete with their own children.

Kozol, J. (1991). Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools. New York: HarperPerennial.