So I was exposed to the “flip side of the coin” last weekend. I came across an article that discusses the “Unfulfilled Expectations of Educational Technology”. It discussed how Thomas Edison, in 1922, predicted that the “Motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system, and in a few years it will supplant largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks”. William Alexander in 1945 said, “The time may come when the portable radio receiver will be as common in the classroom as the blackboard”. B.F. skinner stated, “Because education will be more efficient, it will probably cost less than it does now”.
This article states that because none of these predictions have been proven to be true, yet, that none of the technologies listed above have fulfilled their expectations. The article also states that only a “small band of teachers used these technologies willingly, consistently, and with enthusiasm.”
I can see their point, yet I also think that the data they are using to oppose technologies presence in today’s classrooms is skewed. First of all, the article is from 1996. If I can think of all of the technological advances since 1996, the list would be hundreds of pages long. Second, I think educators surveyed were not of the “Y” or “Net Generation”. I think it would be interesting to see this study recreated with classroom teachers today, and see how the use of technology and the predictions of its use have changed.
Article excerpt:
Technology and the Future of Schooling
The Ninety-Fifth Yearbook of the NSSE
1996
Interesting article. I wish I had the full APA reference – author, etc. Sounds like many of the histories and critiques out there.
They’ve got a point. We need to be critical about technology, and make sure it’s being used to real benefit. Especially sincne it takes such a big investment – $ as well as time.
I agree… If it was written in 1996, it is pretty much out of touch. I mean, the MP3 technology was just invented in that era. Technologies to increase learning outcomes, especially the use of multimedia, and movies etc. I guess it depends on how the teacher is using them. Sometimes it is not the resource, but rather the instructor that makes the difference. Nice article review.
It does cost a large amount of money to invest technologies into classrooms. From computers to software, it seems we need to focus on something cheaper but also effective. Does technology work? Yes, but will it work effectively and be worth of the money? It is hard to tell right away. Technologies are moving forward fast nowadays. We, as educators, need to see the trend and run ahead and use it wisely. By the time we are good at a certain technology, something new might just come out and everything starts again.
I work with someone who feels the same as Thomas Edison and William Alexander in the article. He is ready to completely get rid of all reference materials in the classrooms. He believes that there is no reason to teach students library skills. I know that there are many resources that are online now that haven’t been in the past, but I feel that it is still important to teach students how to find information in books. Technology is coming, but it’s not going to completely revolutionize education tomorrow. It takes time and money. Sometimes technology spoon feeds students so much, they don’t know how to find good information.
I like the comment by B.F. skinner, “Because education will be more efficient, it will probably cost less than it does now”. We wish!!
Another Naysayer also said “it(technology) should be cheaper than the one it replaces”. There is definately some truth to this. Why do TV cost so much more than it used to, yet not last as long.
I agree that everything has changed since 1996. Just watch “Saved by the Bell.” Can you believe the size of Zach’s phone? But, really you could talk for hours on just how commucation with parents has changed since 1996. Email and being able to look at students grades.
Hmmm…interesting article. Reiser might agree, but I think that the use of new technologies set them apart from ones in the past. The materials mentioned were a ‘one way street’ with information comming towards a person. Now we have a ‘information superhighway’ with ideas going many different directions.
Hey Katie~ I read the same thing that Thomas Edison apredicted that textbooks would not be needed in classrooms anymore. What amazes me is that textbooks aren’t truely needed anymore because we could put all the information online etc., but that we aren’t doing it. The technology is available to us now, but we are just so far behind. I agree with Kim that it takes a lot of time to catch up with our resources.
I also agree that a lot of teachers aren’t using the technologies willingly; some teachers get too set in their ways. I see this at my school with the new building, we have lots of new educational tools and many teachers are reluctant to use it. It is really sad.
We also have a lot of teachers who are reluctant to use the tools the are provided. They are very set in their ways…Fortunately, they are becoming the minority…..gosh I hope that doesn’t sound too harsh
I am reading article after article that talks about teachers who are from the old school who are reluctnat to use the new techonolgies. Either because they don’t think it is worth it or they don’t have enough training to use it appropriatly. Maybe we are scared that we won’t be needed any longer. Yeah, could you see middle school kids in a room by themselves learnign via internet? I don’t think so