COLLOQUY Responses
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COLLOQUY Responses
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 It is tempting enough to join in the currently fashionable trend of lashing back against the integration of technology into our schools. Skeptics point out legitimate concerns such as the need for teacher training, the dearth of research documenting technology's effectiveness, the absurd notion of computers as a panacea for all educational ailments. I believe that the fervor of this backlash itself is evidence of the profound significance of technology in education. Yet how can you discount the entire, massive database and worldwide communications tool called the Internet because it contains some useless, offensive or inaccurate content? Do you stop using all printed books to teach because some of them contain these qualities? How can you ignore the potential value of well-placed computers running age- and subject-appropriate software thoughtfully integrated into the curriculum by capable teachers and administrators? Do you only issue textbooks to the teachers and students who exhibit the best understanding and potential usage of them? How can you turn away from the opportunity for multimedia distance learning because the equipment can be costly? Do schools not acquire sufficient buses to transport their students? Effective, relevant education is already inextricably wed to technology. The printing press has been recast in silicon, and our texts are being translated to bits and bytes. These are some of the new pedagogical tools at our disposal, and we should be spending our energy as educators and educational technologists learning how to selectively and effectively utilize them rather than questioning and bemoaning their existence.
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