The Chronicle of Higher Education: Colloquy

COLLOQUY

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Are educators too quick to embrace technology?

No. They are too slow.

I train teachers every day on my job and find that there is a growing gap between the "cable ready" age of children and the "rabbit-ear" age of the instructors. Teachers readily want technology to ease their job or life, i.e. computerized grading or a Microwave oven, but hesitate when trying to learn a program that encourages creativity with a computer like Hyperstudio.

The gap widens daily. If harnessed correctly, teachers and students could use the Web as an extension to their classroom. I'm sure that these critics also view cable television as garbage, poisoning the minds of the youth.

Technology and computing is very similar to viewing programs on a cable network. The choices you make on how you use it correlates with the quality of the output. Too many educators have a basic fear. The kids know more about the technology than they do. Okay...

Use that as an educational tool, an ally, not an adversary. Let the children help be facilitators in the process.

-- T. Underkoffler, Technology staff trainer (posted 1/15, 3 p.m., E.S.T.)
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