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Promoting Technology-Rich, Anytime-Anywhere Education Programs in our Schools

I think it is safe to say that, if given the choice, most primary and secondary students today would come to school carrying their own laptop computers or tablets ready to connect to the campus wireless network so they could get about the business of thinking and learning. Visionary educational leaders today understand this and  genuinely would like to meet the needs and expectations of their students by implementing technology-rich, anytime-anywhere education programs in their schools. And to my experience, it seems that most, if not all, of the pieces are now in place to make this a reality for our children.

Current research from multiple disciplines shows that digital natives thrive in technology-rich learning environments and that 24/7, anytime-anywhere access to ICT increases Digital Natives’ achievement, has the power to advance digital equity, and can enhance teaching and learning in every subject. 

NCLB’s Enhancing Education Through Technology Act was put in place way back in 2001 expressly to provide assistance to States and localities with the implementation and support of a comprehensive system that effectively uses technology in schools to improve student academic achievement. 

And while there have always been inspired educators with dreams of these new possibilities for learning, these dreams could not until very recently be turned into practice because of a lack of suitable technology. Fortunately, technology tools are now available that are affordable, durable and portable enough to make it possible for teachers, administrators, staff, students and parents to all have access to ICT whenever and wherever they need it. 

Wireless environments can be established throughout the buildings where classes are conducted, giving educational leaders the capability to transform the entire school into one large “computer lab.” And on top of all that, case studies indicate that when carefully implemented, teachers and students really love this stuff.

Okay.

We know that many of the children who are attending our schools today have been clicking a mouse since they were very young children. These kids think and construct knowledge in ways that are greatly enhanced through the use of information and communication technologies. Indeed, to varying degrees, Digital Natives depend on ICT to think and learn. Almost any teacher will tell you that increasing numbers of Digital Natives attending our public schools are oftentimes bored and restless in class. And while it can certainly be argued that fidgety students have been attending class since the early days of the one room school house,  I believe it is of special interest today because the traditional, widely accepted system of education that is the norm was not designed to meet the educational needs of the 21rst century student. Things have changed. These kids need something different. And ironically, in many cases, the kids can’t wait to get back home to their computing devices so they can think again. 

Educational Leaders at all levels—from the schoolhouse to the Whitehouse—recognize the need for comprehensive educational systems and programs that effectively use the technology that has been proven to increase student academic achievement and advance digital equity. Technology tools are now cheap enough, durable enough and portable enough to be practical and appropriate for large-scale academic use. School principals, college deans, and district superintendents understand the need for immediate and deep reform and they want to make changes in their schools to better serve the Digital Natives.

So, given all of this, what I really want to know is… Where is the revolution?!

What can we all do to promote more technology-rich, anytime-anywhere education programs in our schools today? Is "Bring Your Own Device" part of the answer? Do we need more computer labs in schools or more Computers on Wheels? Do teachers need more technology support and professional development?

How can we empower administrators and teachers to adjust the structure of our schools to meet the educational needs of the students who are attending them today?

Ready or Not…The Cyborgs Are Here

Current research in learning science, neurobiology, and social psychology tells us that children who are attending our schools today think and learn in markedly different ways than students did even a decade ago. Each year our K-20 schools are being called upon to meet the educational needs of increasing numbers of students, sometimes referred to collectively as Digital Natives, who have grown up using devices such as laptops, MP3 players, and cell phones to gather and process the information that they use to construct their own understanding of the world. These people actually use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to think with. Because ICT has become so integral to their lives, it seems to me that it would not be a stretch to say that these young people truly are “Cyborgs.” So many of our students today require access to information and communication technologies in order to optimally think and learn. And while there are some shining exceptions, an outdated model of the traditionally structured school largely persists. 

Why is this? Why is it that we as a society continue to fund and support institutions that in many cases still largely encourage a single way of knowing for every student exacted through the one-way transmission of “the facts” from teacher to student? Thing is, this mode of teaching alone really doesn’t work very well for these kids, and we can do better. Teachers need more technology tools. Students need more technology tools. And every stakeholder in the system needs to be coached in how to utilize technology to increase learning incidences that would not be possible without technology tools in the classroom.

It is undeniable that the educational system in place today was designed a long time ago (with the very best of intentions) for a completely different kind of student with different needs born of another era. And even though it is getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that the Cyborgs are here, and in spite of the very best efforts of some enlightened district leaders, school administrators, teachers, and parents, the outdated structure that exists in many of our school systems is not changing fast enough to meet the unique educational needs of today’s students. These kids have been making their way through an antiquated school system for years now, and there are many, many more students with similar needs on the way, with no letup in sight. 

As I see it, the choice that we have as a society is not whether or not we need to make deep changes to our way of conducting schools, but rather we must decide how many more children we will allow to be lost before we recognize that it is absolutely imperative that we do so. Which begs the question, how can we most effectively and efficiently integrate technology into our schools on a grand scale?