Taking the Technology Journey at NCETC

Taking the Technology Journey at NCETC
David Warlick
Retrieved 28 November 2007
It's 2007, we should be using computers

Check out this interview with Charles Fadel of Cisco Systems talking about the importance of 21st Century Skills.

It’s the 20th NCETC, and they threw a wonderful reception last night with lots of food, a chamber orchestra, and lots of people — and the conference staff was obviously excited. I’ve attended every NCETC and I believe that I’ve presented at every one. The earliest state conferences I attended (more than 20 years ago) were run by a regional computer club called Micro 5. It was almost entirely about Apple IIes, and the rage was The Print Shop. There weren’t a lot of people using computers, and we didn’t seem to mind that we were a minority - a very special minority. After all, most schools didn’t have them, and the ones that did, usually had less than a half-dozen.

Today, there are still a lot of teachers who don’t use them and don’t want to. It’s the theme of this conference , so far as the conversations I’m having here. Three times already I’ve told people, I’ve had this conversation three, four, five times already today.

“We can’t even get teachers to fill out a simple web form for our information system. Teachers are telling us ‘We’ve taught well for 25 years without computers, we can do it another five.’ and ‘I do not have time to learn this stuff!’”

It’s true that a teacher can be a great teacher without using technology and it’s true that teachers have a tragic lack of professional time to develop and refine their skills and knowledge. ..And sadly, it is also true that a few teachers are not very good learners.

But I think it’s wrong to expect teachers to use technology. It’s like saying, “I expect you to use the chalk board!” But what if half of the teachers in your school said, “I can be a good teacher without using our textbooks or any other text-based resources. My students are going to learn without reading.” Now that would probably shock us, because deep down, regardless of the testing culture of U.S. schools, we understand that reading is a working skill, not just an academic skill. That students should be using this skill, not just learning it.

I think it’s the same with computers and networks. Using digital networked content is part of being literate, and it is a working skill. Teachers who aren’t using computers and the Internet in their classrooms with their students every day are depriving their children of the opportunity and the right to use basic literacies as working skills. You can be a good teacher an not use technology. But you’re not doing your job.

That said, we need to provide three things to teachers, if we are going to expect them to take the “technology journey.” We need to give them

A Road - digital networked content no more than an arm’s reach away,
A Destination - Something on the other side worth working for, and
No Choice