August 2005 — Editorial
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Reinventing the Technology ‘Wheel’
- It concentrated most of a district’s computing resources in a computer lab at a single school level. This lack of access to those resources at all levels made it virtually impossible for kids or teachers to get excited about technology, or use it to teach and learn differently.
- Hiring a computer teacher for computers absolved all other teachers from the opportunity and responsibility of using technology in their teaching and learning environments.
Two decades later, many schools are maintaining the computer lab model, often at the expense of using technology in other classrooms. In these schools, technology is still the hood ornament on the conventional classroom, instead of the driveshaft of the teaching and learning process.
Unforeseen problem. What started these musings was reading two stories for this month. In the first, Una Daly writes about “The Hidden Costs of Wireless Computer Labs”(page 13). She notes, “While space savings and an improved student-to-computer ratio was realized throughout our district, security and maintenance issues surfaced that were not always factored into the purchase decision.” Indeed, looking at all aspects of consequences—especially maintenance and security—is critically important for a successful implementation of any technology. In the second article, “Doing More With Less” (page 34), Pam Haney points out: “We must not only guarantee connectivity, but also restrict illicit use of the Internet, which can put us in a catch-22 situation in our middle and high schools. These students are often very computer-savvy, but are still in the process of developing an ethical awareness. Ultimately, we’re responsible for keeping them out of mischief, but the better they’re taught—which is the district’s fundamental goal—the harder our job becomes.”
I don't know that anyone envisioned this problem when we started using the Internet in schools. Interestingly, a true unintended consequence of the ever-broadening security problem has been the expansion of the technology security industry. And this industry will most likely continue to grow as, unfortunately, the outlaws and evild'ers persist in their efforts to create and disseminate viruses, spam, and other plagues.
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