More cowbell!
Sitting in the district Strategic Planning Meetings these last few weeks, I have heard several calls for more technology in the classroom.
“Students need exposure to various technologies, not just spreadsheets and presentation software.”
“Students really need to learn how to operate within Mac and PC platforms.”
“Students should have the ability to use and manipulate smartboards.”
It seems that over several of these Monday night meetings, the theme was consistent: students need more exposure to technology. Schools need more technology. Teachers need more technology. When the group was asked to define the ideal technology standard for each classroom in the district, many teachers in the group instantly responded with 1:1 laptops, smartboards, iPods, etc. And, it seems that whenever the subject of 21st Century education surfaces, there is tendency to automatically prescribe “more cowbell!”
But more is not necessarily better. More does not necessarily translate into relevant 21st Century Skills. Maybe this is why Kelly W. Hines’ recent article in the Edurati Review (“It’s Not about the Technology”) raised a few eyebrows in EdTech circles. I am sure there were some EdTech geeks like myself who initially thought the title of her post was scandalous. It’s not about the technology…are you kidding, Ms. Hines? She argues that technology is only one component of education. 21st Century Skills go far deeper than technology. I would take this one step further, and claim that technology – the toys and the tools – sometimes detract from the learning process. 21st Century education does not call for a simple prescription of more cowbell. And, at the risk of being ostracized from the ITMC (Instructional Technology Mentorship Collaborative) community, I have to agree with Ms. Hines on this one.
Her argument is simple in its approach, and it is separated into four main ideas: “1) Teachers must be learners, 2) Learning and Teaching are not the same thing, 3) Technology is useless without good teaching, and 4) Be a 21st Century Teacher without the technology.” Perhaps this last idea is the most difficult to accept for younger teachers who see technology as an integral part of the teaching and learning experience. While technology does assist teaching, it does not guarantee learning. Learning requires much more than technology.
In a recent post on “Tech & Learning,” Ben Grey points out that there are “many districts who have been increasing the use of technology in the classroom steadily over the past ten years, yet their test scores remain static. This is a point Clayton Christensen establishes early in Disrupting Class. Decision makers are using this information as reason enough to curtail the pursuit of technology purchasing and implementation.” Yikes! If the scores are static, what seems to be the problem? Are the students learning?
Learning requires multiple literacies. But even this is problematic. Is it “informational literacy” or “digital literacy” that is most important for authentic learning? In his blog, Ben Grey argues that these new monikers are not new literacies; he claims they are simply skills. These 21st Century skills merely build upon traditional literacies that students need in order to be successful. Unfortunately, it gets even more complicated. Howard Rheingold argues that “attention literacy” becomes necessary when we introduce more cowbell…er, more technology into the classroom because technology can easily “mislead, mesmerize and distract those who haven’t learned - were never taught - how to exert some degree of mental control over our use of laptop, handheld, earbudded media.”
Is Ms. Hines correct in stating that it’s not about the technology? In many ways, I believe she is. Technology is a tool that is sharp on both ends. On one end, it facilities new learning and enhances current instructional methods. On the other end, it can complicate things to the point that it detracts from the learning process. Either way, it is simply a tool. The prescription for more tools and more cowbell is not the answer. The treatment calls for more focus on current teaching practices. Students need teachers as learners who can successfully integrate technology.
[note: Kelly Hines has since published a follow up article titled “Or Is It About the Technology?” dated May 11, 2009]
