Technology: Temple, Tutor or Tool?
by Gary Andersen, KanCRN Co-Director
Recently I visited a school in the Kaufman Independent School District near the Dallas-Fort Worth area to observe a technology-based system for learning. The school I visited was a large pre-K and primary school with over 500 students. As I entered the plain metal building I found myself looking at a large open room with a half a dozen learning centers scattered throughout. The learning centers were expensive, beam covered structures with built in cabinets, drawers and tables and adorned in catchy, bright, primary colors so often found in elementary schools. Each center contained a specific set of items related to the purpose of the center. One was a small kitchen, one held science /math kits and tubs, one contained animal cages and aquariums and several contained a small set of technology items, usually one or two computers a printer, a scanner or a photocopier. I talked with the lab facilitator (a delightful female teacher) and watched as she showed two kindergarten girls how to send a piece of clipart to the printer. It was then that it struck me….. this was a technology temple! The students were brought in to this beautiful structure and interacted with the technology in a very limited ways through the guidance of the teacher. The analogy was complete… the temple, the god, the awe, and the priestess.
In thinking about the ways technology is viewed in schools I have come to the conclusion that there are three paradigms of technology in education, technology as temple, technology as tutor and technology as tool. While all three of these viewpoints have their merits and drawbacks, I maintain that technology as tool is the most complete approach to utilizing technology in the classroom.
The first paradigm, technology as temple focuses upon students learning the skills of using technology without the rich context provided by meaningful tasks. The technology is usually scarce but held in high regard. In this paradigm it is important for students to learn how to use technology because they will need to have these skills someday when they enter the workplace. Students move through checklists of accomplished skills like a catechism. They memorize the steps in using software and hardware but often miss out on the reasons for applying them. There is a movement nationwide among certain circles to establish the standards for what technology skills our students should have at each grade level. This in itself is not bad but neither is it complete. Students do need to know how to keyboard, use word-processors, use databases, use spreadsheets and use scanners but they also need to have real experiences and real reasons for using them as well.
The second paradigm is technology as tutor. Technology as tutor seeks to use the computer as the teacher. Providing information, entertainment, cues, feedback, reward and praise software can provide drill and practice for students learning basic skills. Often times the software presents the information in a game format in which the student is rewarded for answering correctly with the opportunity to play a game. Learning math facts or reading words are integrated with "fun" challenges on the computer. Integrated learning systems (ILS) are the ultimate expression of this paradigm. The ILS also keeps track of the students progress and adjusts what is presented to them as they move through an upward spiral of lessons. One of the drawbacks to this approach is the teacher is usually less involved. The computer is seen as the teacher while the teacher becomes a class manager. Many times schools schedule teachers to be on planning periods while their students are in the ILS lab. These factors lead to low connections between what goes on in the lab and what goes on in the regular classroom.
The final paradigm is technology as tool. Technology as tool is an approach by which students learn to use technology as they need it for meaningful tasks imbedded in the curriculum. In this paradigm students learn to use word processing or presentation software such as PowerPoint when they need to create communications in writing or orally. Students learn how to use a spreadsheet when they need to graph science data or understand the behavior of math equations. They might learn to use the scanner when they need to place a scanned image in their research paper. This approach can be referred to as "just in time" learning. It can be a powerful instructional strategy because it provides an authentic incentive for students to learn. It also requires more of the teacher. It requires the teacher to understand how and when technology needs to be applied to various curriculum experiences. It requires a deeper level of commitment to professional development on the part of the teacher. It requires the teacher to stay involved in the instruction of the students. It also may challenge the teacher to change methods of instruction. Applying technology as a tool where it doesn't really help, or is redundant or unnecessary soon becomes obvious to everyone. Many instructional experiences for students such as project-based learning are taxing on the teacher who is not familiar with their implementation in the classroom.
While the most demanding on teachers, technology as tool is ultimately the most effective of the paradigms. It is the closest approach to the kind of work students will experience when they leave school for employment. It provides the connections and mental hooks required of a constructivist approach to teaching. It requires the active involvement of both teachers and students. It can, however, provide a powerful natural context for learning that will remain.
