|
Why Wire?
Assessing
the Value of Education Technology
Fair Use Guidelines
for Educational Multimedia
In education, success depends upon bringing ready-to-learn
students, coming from supportive families and community environments,
together with caring and talented teachers. But even under
those ideal circumstances it helps to have good tools.
Among the most powerful education tools now available are
networked computers. Networks can be used for communication,
bringing together learners from across the globe-for collaborative
problem-solving, resource-sharing, and mutual understanding.
Networks provide access to a global electronic library of
information not otherwise within reach, as well as access
to experts in every field. Networks allow students to publish
their own work for public viewing. And networks are the vehicle
for innovative curriculum.
Technology and Education Reform
Research shows that the use of information technology in
education motivates students who have grown up in a Nintendo
culture resulting in lower absenteeism, improved grades, and
reduced dropout rates. A U.S. Congressional Office of Technology
Assessment study found that the vast majority of teachers
felt that computers allowed them to expect more from their
students, to spend more time with individual learners providing
tailored instruction, to present more complex material to
the class, and to provide more opportunities for individually-paced
advancement. As a result of this kind of impact, education
technology is a catalyst for the fundamental restructuring
of teaching and learning that is the goal of national education
reform efforts.
The Internet breaks through the barriers of space and time,
allowing students to use the world as their classroom. It
expands the learning environment to include the home, and
facilitates coordination with the world of work and citizenship
into which students will graduate. Computer skills are increasingly
necessary for employment in all levels of business. And participation
in online events is an increasingly important way for Americans
to be involved in the democratic process.
Unfortunately, despite its high-tech economy, Massachusetts
is far behind other states in education technology infrastructure
development. A federal GAO survey indicates that Massachusetts
is 45th in modem lines installed and 48th in networked classrooms.
State government annually spends only $6 per student for technology.
Texas allots $30 per student. Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia
each have appropriated tens of millions of dollars over the
next two years. Iowa plans to connect over 200 schools to
their state-wide fiber optic network. In 1996, Ohio will achieve
its goal of providing one computer for every five students.
Fortunately, Massachusetts is currently considering passage
of an Education Technology Bond Bill. Networked computers
aren't a silver bullet that will cure all problems. But they
can be an important part of the solution. Massachusetts has
started; it's time to push forward.
|
