Review of: Will Technology Really Change Education?
Stephen Babyak

Chapter 1

 I liked the way this short book was broken down.  A short informative chapter one that explains the structure of the rest of the book by having a question for each chapter that will be answered.  In other words, each chapter deals with a certain question about technology in the classroom that should be of interest for any new or veteran teacher.  The opening paragraph talked about statistics that I never knew existed; “In the 1997 address, the president outlined a 10-point plan for improving education that included wiring every school in the United States to the internet before the year 2000.”  Well, it is now 2000 and I wonder if that goal was achieved.

Chapter 2

 What do we know about the current use of technology in education?  “The use of technology by schoolchildren necessarily depends on the ability of teachers to integrate technology into their teaching.”  This quote got me thinking about the online class I have been taking and how long it has been a requirement for new teachers to take a technology course as part of their certification.  What about the teachers that have been teaching for many years?  How effective is the technology in their classrooms?  After reading this chapter it seems as if some schools are having trouble integrating technology into their classrooms.  It is hard to actually calculate the right percentage of schools that take advantage of technology; technology spans beyond computers and the Internet.

Chapter 3

 How does the current push for computer technologies compare with the histories of previous technologies in educational reform?  “Gone will be the classrooms of today, where students learn roughly the same material in roughly the same sequence.  Students will construct their own learning through electronic resources, and the role of traditional teacher will be obsolete.”  Quite a scary comment for a teacher in training to read.  This chapter goes on to talk about how some classrooms are equipped with such technology as film, but choose not to use it for various reasons.  One point this chapter made that I agreed with was about the changing of technology.  Computers seems to become faster, smaller, and able to hold more with every month that passes; it would hard and expensive to have the schools computer system up to date…if one waits to long then their system could become obsolete.

Chapter 4

 How can we use knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology?  Chapter 4 mainly dealt with integrating technology into educational activities.  In order to make this integration successful; one must encourage the use of technology in all educational settings or goals.  CaseNET is a program for teachers that enables them to take courses in technology.  These courses teach deal with three focus areas: interdisciplinary teaching and learning, standards of learning and assessment, and using technology to solve problems in school.

Chapter 5

 What role might technology play in the future of teacher education? This final chapter deals with a comment I made before on how technology changes so much and computers become obsolete.  Some comments in this chapter made me wonder how secure a job of teaching will be.  It is very possible that in the future all learning will take place through a machine.  Hopefully that will not happen as long as I teach.  “Real teachers know that content represents only an opportunity for learning; learning occurs when students engage the content.”

 Overall I feel this book has opened my eyes to technology in the classrooms and how it can be useful.  I like this book because it was short and to the point without  petty jargon filling up pointless pages.

Reviews by Mark Danaher

1. Using Technology in Education: An Introduction to Expectations and Reality

This first chapter reviews the history briefly about the introduction of technology over the last century.  It reminds us of the impacts the new technology have had in education.  The chapter then briefly outlines what the book will cover in terms of the questions and how each chapter will answer them.  This chapter is brief and gives a nice overview of the book.
 

2. Technology and Teacher Education: Current Use and Knowledge

This chapter covers the facts concerning increasing new technologies in the schools and the teachers that use them.  It is mentioned that teachers must be trained and feel competent in their technology use in order to integrate it into their curriculum.  The chapter looks at technology use in school and the lack of research or study around this issue making it difficult to determine.  The chapter goes on to review teacher education and its role in promoting the use of technology.  The role of teacher education is critical in increasing the use of technology.  A move in the education training would be to have technology training infused through the curriculum for better effectiveness.

3. Patterns of Change: The Historical Context of Educational Technologies

This chapter looks at past technologies and their implementation into the school setting.  The chapter questions whether the new technology will become victim of the same cycles of past emerging technologies.  The chapter looks at film, radio and television and their roles and expected roles within the school.  Again, training is brought up to keep the technologies in the forefront instead of entertainment and mindless programming. In looking at the computers compared to the high technologies of radio, film and television, they have fare better.  There are problems with computers being cost and constant hardware updates that may leave many behind in the technologies of the future.
 

4. Teaching With Technology: Expanding Models of Instruction

With most schools having new technology and skills being one of the prime objectives for student learning, teaching is differently changing.  This chapter looks at the new types of projects that students are being asked to develop through the use of technology.  The lessons of teachers are reaching outside of the traditional paper and pencil project to excellent technology based ideas.  Teacher education is being changed to infuse technology and deliver different methods of instruction and professional development.

5. Envisioning Future Uses of Educational Technology:  Currency in a Rapidly Changing World

This chapter looks at ways future technology will be used and how current companies are working towards that goal.  The use of technology is endless with the ideas of the electronic textbook and paperless classrooms.  The chapter looks at how schools will change and higher institutions will have top change in their delivery service of technology and training.  If technology is used effectively, many changes will occur and learning will continue to change and expand.
 

Jim Grasso's Review of Text

Chapter ONE
Using Technology in Education

This chapter is an overview of the book by chapter, starting with an introduction to the text.  It does not paint as rosy a picture as I had thought, but instead the chapter gave a pragmatic look at past promises and disappointments of previous “…promising role(s) of technology in education…”    It identified these technologies starting with the American textbook industry through film, radio and television.  It also noted how, interestingly Bill Clinton used more time during his inaugural address and State of the Union Address to discuss the role of education then any other president.

A brief descriptions for the chapters were more questioning then informative.  Chapter 2 questioned how fast and in what direction is the technology moving?  Answering that most of these questions have “vastly unsatisfactory answers”.

Chapter 3 compares present and past technologies, demonstrating the similarities and differences.  Some of the questions raised in the threaded discussions of Unit 5 concerning the role of the teacher will be answered in this chapter.

The fourth chapter consists of how technology will assist models of instruction to teacher education.  Chapter 5, answers the questions raised and how technology will influence educational practice.
 

CHAPTER TWO:
Technology and Teacher Education

This chapter is divided into two parts:
Technology Use in Schools and Technology and Teacher Education, which supports the initial opening belief of the chapter that teachers must be able to use the technology themselves and that they are able to integrate it into their classroom.

The authors state up front that, though there is political and public support for technology, there is no adequate research in the current use of technology in the classroom.   This rush to spend is substantiated with the passing Telecommunications Act of 1996 increased spending on educational technology by $10 billion dollars over 4 years.  While the executive director of the National Association of Elementary Principals publicly stated that there was not enough evidence to support the rush, and that it has already had an adverse affect by eliminating important program in order to pay for the technology.

The authors go on painting a dark picture with facts and figures to support their initial arguments.  Figures as high as 21 students per computer, only 45% of the computers in schools are in classrooms, 15% of teachers have received more 9 or more hours of training in this technology and finally only one in five teachers surveyed even use computers for teaching.

In Technology and Teacher Education, a report to the President the facts are even more sobering.  The report stated that teachers will need to master “…a variety of powerful tools, redesign their lesson plans around technology-enhanced resources, solve the logistical problems of how to teach a class full of students with a smaller number of computers, and take on a complex new role in the technologically transformed classroom”  (who has lunch duty today?).

The good news? There are people who recognize the problem, Copper and Bull (1997) suggests eight programs to overcome this problem from developing a vision of how technology fits, to the allowance of time before results are expected.   95% of those teacher preparatory programs reported having faculty and students using technology today.

The chapter concludes that we need to learn from past technologies to help us gain insight for future decisions.
 

Chapter Three:
Patterns of Change.

The chapter is a history lesson on past ”high” technologies used in the classroom, from films to the initial introduction of computers. Thomas Edison felt that “…film would completely revolutionaries education…”  It did not.  Radio and television were also supposed to revolutionalize the classroom-again it did not.

Why, you might ask? According to the authors it was due to…lack of skills of the teachers, cost and upkeep.  (Sounds familiar)

What was also stated was that quality and the medium themselves were contributing factors.  Obtain the films were not of benefit, needed to be previewed, the logistics of finding a place to view the film, trying to fit a 90 minute film into a 50 minute period, etc, etc, etc.

Television was met with a lackluster response by educators, and failed, according to the authors due to the lack of quality programming (MONEY) and the “teacher less approach”.   That is the teachers had to stop teaching while the program was on, and students inability to raise questions or have portions repeated.  This I am afraid is no excuse, I BELIEVE video recording devises have been around for over twenty years and audio certainly for fifty.  A more compelling argument was that teachers were dissatisfied with the quality of the programming.

The lower end of the spectrum, chalkboards and textbooks are labeled as “meeting the demands” of the teacher.  They are simple portable and adaptable-a logical step and supposedly cost saving is the Texas school system that is using laptops to save on the cost of text books…(Shots rang out from a Dallas floppy disk warehouse??)

Computers, today’s great hope, are given more confidence then the past “high” techs.  Despite the highest costing the authors consider them more capable of delivering the promised results.  Due to their very nature computer can change as the technology increases. The authors caution the reader not to assume today’s defaulters cannot be resolved. Due to their very nature computer can change as the technology increases.  They also point out that computers in pack our everyday lives, they are here, they work, and the skills are no longer a nice to have.
 

Chapter four:
Teaching With Technology

This chapter deals with both the theoretical and practical use of teaching with computers in the classroom.  It starts off with a quote from Kurt Lewis-There is noting so practical as a good theory, and ends with the premise of keeping an open mind, for innovation has always been the key.

Probably the best review for this chapter in how technology could be used is in Figure 4.1 Using Technology in Context: (can’t scan it)

The figure shows that new technology could be used to create new and adopt existing models of teaching, which in turn branches of into tasks or objects, sequence of activities, reactions to students, social system, and assessments.
 

Chapter five:
Envisioning Future Uses of Educational Technology.
I liked what Ray Farley had to say in the chapter.

As you enter the Classroom of the Future, you see and feel an energy and excitement that parallels the world around us.  Students have instantaneous access to limitless resources throughout the world.

Books have been replaced by CD-ROMs and laser discs.  The students will be directing their own learning as teachers facilitate.

Learning takes place 24 hours a day; students their own learning when and where they need to learn.  …the world will become the classroom.

Reality is set in place by authors in the last paragraph of this chapter and thus book.  They fault student-directed learning due to the lack of “human experience” and equate it to a band of children running around a library.  Learning, the authors state “…occurs when students engage the content,” and that “…the teacher will establish the value of the computer in the classroom.”

I quite frankly find that not only scary but dangerous.
 

Book Review by C. Larsen

 What may we expect from computers in the classroom? The use of computers is rapidly increasing both inside and outside of the classroom. There is great support for the use of computers and related technology in schools, and this support is reflected in spending. Yet we do not know what to expect. How will new technologies be incorporated into existing curricula? What will be the benefits and might there be any drawbacks? Will present technology reach its imagined potential in schools? How should time, money, and energy be used to investigate these questions? Chapter One of Will Technology Really Change Education? outlines these and related concerns which will be addressed in this text.

 Many of the questions we ask about the use of technology in schools have not as yet been the subject of research. Chapter Two relates benefits found by a presidential report on technology in all 50 states. Thus we are presented with anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of the use of technology by both teachers and students. Surveys conducted reflect both the hopes and concerns of those polled. Major points include access to technology (which many hope will serve to ‘break down society’s barriers’), which is as yet very inconsistent, and training of teachers. The latter is of major interest to the sponsor of this text, The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and is given due time.

 Support for the integration of technology must include mentors who are more experienced, according to Apple Computer, 1995. This project identified a process of teacher behavior in their acquisition of skills and the application to their classroom, culminating in a phase called ‘invention’. This involves the creation of new and unique learning environments, and a shift to student-directed process. Again, teacher training provides the foundation for any such development, and access and training are essential to success.
 The last section of this chapter outlines the aspects shared by exemplary teacher education programs.  These include the following: a variety of related pre-service experience, professor modeling, emphasis on current research, development of different types of student teacher interactions, multimedia presentations, and inter-connection of the world of education via technology.

 The third chapter addresses the historical context of educational technologies. Film, radio, and television all offered promise, but while these proved commercially successful, they did not reach their expected potential (‘the teacherless approach’) nor are they currently widely used in schools. Part of this problem was a lack of quality educational programming. With the obvious parallel in computer technology, one must wonder whether a technology can be commercially successful, while also developing in a more educational mode. As technology develops, software and computers must be constantly updated, problems which are more easily overcome for the private consumer than for the school system. Further, teacher attitudes toward technology must be positive. If software is seen as low in quality, or as too inflexible to adapt to individual teacher styles and student needs, computer use in schools may take a route similar to that of educational television. The parallel is frightening. Television is all pervasive in our society, but does not play a prominent role in schools. Where it does, it is ‘a reward’ or a break for the teacher to catch up on paperwork. It has not been integrated into the curriculum. What will be the fate of computers in schools?

 Chapter Four connects theory with practice, providing models of current, innovative use of technology in classrooms. The section shows how computers/technology may be used both to adapt existing models of teaching, and to create unique new modes of teacher-student interaction. One of the more inspirational anecdotes involves connecting students with senior citizens via e-mail for the purpose of creating an oral history. The project enables students to learn new vocabulary, history, and geography, in a socially engaging way, without ever leaving the classroom. Particularly interesting is the use of technology to connect to a generation who grew up prior to its assimilation into our culture.

 This chapter also addresses pedagogical strategies for the education of teachers. The example provided is that of CaseNET, which are internet based courses, which depend on a live teacher and meeting face-to-face.  It is noted that one goal of integrating technology into teaching is making it transparent, a secondary instructional objective. So, for the majority of pre-service teachers, those who have one course, specifically in technology, this would mean a change. A program like CaseNET seeks to use technology as a resource, and an enhancement, not to replace personal interactions altogether, as some fantasize. By teaching teachers in this manner, CaseNET models how one might use his/her knowledge of effective teaching practices, and knowledge about the learners themselves, then using the resources technology offers to maximize the potential of the learner.

 Technology offers to digitize the word, but as yet we have no practical way to read the digitized word to the extent that we read print. In order to  comfortably read large amounts of text from an electronic source, most of us still print it out. The authors describe new technology being developed at MIT which may change this, enabling a ‘library of texts’ to be stored in a single volume, in a readable form. How will this transform education?  Some envision an end to public education, as traditional environmental settings cannot “compete” with the low cost and high access potentially available through the use of technology. Others find the human aspect, the social interaction between learners and teachers, to be fundamental to the experience.

 In this last chapter the focus shifts to the future of teacher education, as it has the potential to be shaped by technology while also being a prime determinant of the fate of technology in schools. History has shown that it is the most versatile of technologies which become part of life in schools, both transforming education, and being shaped by education. For example, the printed word has long been our primary source of learning. Great energy is spent teaching/learning to read because reading is a skill that is also essential beyond the classroom, to life in this society. It is becoming clear that interaction with computer technology may also become essential, perhaps changing the world as dramatically as did the advent of the printed word. This we have yet to see, and, as educators, we are not merely spectators, but one of the forces which will shape the form and use of future instructional technology.

  Reviews by Joy Helmold

Chapter 1:  Using Technology in Education:  An Introduction to
Expectations and Reality.

Advances in technologies should be changing the face of education.
There appear to be more monies directed to putting technology in the
classroom.  And some classrooms are receiving new technologies, yet
education has not really been affected by technology.  The authors seek
to answer four questions:

1.  What do we know about the current use of technology in education?
2. How does the current push for computer technologies compare with the
histories of pervious technologies in education reform?
3. How can we use knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology?
4. What role might technology play in the future of teacher education?

I agree that everyone feels technology is a must in today’s educational
process.  However, hardware and software is often unaffordable and
educators are not trained in including either in their teaching methods.
 
 
 

Chapter 2:  Technology and Teacher Education

“As in the use of other high technologies in the classroom, teachers
possess the key to the success of the use of current computer
technologies…but teachers must have adequate training and support to use
these technologies.” (p. 10)

This is the crucial point of the chapter for me.  Teachers currently in
the classroom, many of them older, are simply not trained in using
computers and in integrating their proper uses in the curriculum.  Once
teachers are in the classroom there is little time offered for
training.  Most teachers barely keep ahead of requirements for state
and/or local standards, much less add training time to a busy schedule.
It is imperative that pre-service teachers be computer literate and that
school systems provide on-going training to keep up with new
technologies.
 

Chapter 3:  Patterns of Change

The authors provide an excellent picture of why film, radio, and
television could have improved education but didn’t.  The cost and
inflexibility are major problems.  I did my student teaching for
elementary music in a large, overcrowded school system in Johnson City,
TN.  Music teachers physically visited the classroom once every three
weeks.  The other five bi-weekly lessons were televised.  Many classes
were missed because teachers simply forgot to turn on the TV or the
music program didn’t run because of technical problems.

Computers offer teachers much more flexibility than previous
technologies, however, the teachers must spend a huge amount of time
searching for appropriate materials, both software and on the internet.
As the “Cyberian” in my schools, I spend a great deal of time searching
for appropriate materials, most of that time outside my regular school
day.
 

Chapter Four:  Teaching With Technology

I think the most telling statement in this chapter is, “Educators need
to concentrate…on learning how to use technology in context, or matching
combinations of hardware and software to the needs and abilities of
learners.” (p. 35) I usually see completely different skills learned on
the computers than are being learned in the classroom.

I also believe that the learning community is made up of students – some
of those students being the teachers – but all are striving to learn.
Teachers must show students that they continue to be students even as
they teach.

The examples of technology practices were excellent.  The second example
is what I would like to see more of, i.e. students interacting with a
variety of people via the Internet to gain new experiences and then
expressing those experiences in written form.  The use of technology can
turn a simple “book” lesson into a truly functional learning activity.
 

Chapter Five:  Envisioning Future Uses of Educational Technology

As with other inventions that were sure to change the path of education,
technology is touted as the one to change education.  However, change
lies with those who teach and their use of technology is widely varied.
I can see the beauty in the electronic textbook, but an interest in
learning must be sparked before any textbook will be used.

I believe in a 24-hour classroom, or at least that we are all 24-hour
learners.  I feel it is my job as a librarian to teach the skills, which
give students the power to find information they need.  However, I feel
students need to interact with each other in a shared physical
environment, as the sharing of ideas is also a great learning tool.

Technology offers us many marvelous ways to interact with learning, but
it must be remembered that, “ultimately the teacher will establish the
value of the computer in learning.” (p. 59)

Reviews by Catherine Larson

Chapter I – Using Technology in Education An Introduction to Expectations and Reality

Throughout history technology has promised to change education. From Textbooks in the 1800’s to television in the 1900’s. Although some new technologies have effectively impacted education – textbooks, overhead projectors, chalkboards, others have fell short of their expectations – television, radio, and film.
Spending for technology in the schools is increasing at a tremendous rate. How much time should teachers spend to integrate this technology in their classroom? How is Technology being used? How does this new push compare to previous technologies in education reform? How can our knowledge of teaching guide our use of technology in education? What role might technology play in the future of teacher education? These are the questions that the book examines.

 Chapter II – Technology and Teacher Education Current Use and Knowledge

How do we prepare teachers to use technology? To answer this we need to know how is technology being used presently. Research of the present use has been inconclusive. In spite of this, those pushing technology insist that it will assist in the present goals of education. Technology is suppose to help in students acquiring higher-order thinking skills, basic skills, making available informational resources, a venue for students to take control of their own learning.

Technology can assist teachers by providing the means to monitor and asses their students, communicate, exchange ideas, consult with others and further expand their own knowledge. Public and political support for technology is generating billions of dollars toward increasing their availability to schools and students.
Data from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow project indicate that there are 5 phases of teacher behavior during the process of technology integration – entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation and invention. Teacher education needs to model technology use if teachers are expected to integrate it into their teaching. Incentives such as grants release time and graduate student support should be used to encourage reluctant faculty to adopt technology in their courses. Teacher preparation colleges must emphasize integration in their education courses.

Chapter III – Patterns of Change the Historical Context of Educational Technologies.

Thomas Edison predicted that film would replace textbooks. His vision never materialized. In 1997 President Clinton presented a ten-point plan to infuse technology into the nations schools. Lewis Perleman in his book Schools Out: A Radical New Formula for the Revitalization of America’s Educational System foresees a world where the computer replaces the classroom and the traditional teacher will not exist.
Film was introduced in 1895. It was suppose to have a major influence on education. This never materialized partly due to teacher’s unwillingness to change their methods of teaching. Also to blame were the filmmakers. Most films being produced were for the entertainment industry – not education. Also, the quality of the medium and the difficulty obtaining access to the necessary equipment hindered wide spread use of this technology.

Radio was supposed to be the “textbook of the air”. Radio and television both failed as educational tools in part due to the lack of educational programs and the “teacherless” approach. Teacher control and input is an important factor in utilizing technology in education. Low technologies (textbooks and chalkboards) have succeeded due to their ease of use and allowing teachers to maintain control of the educational process. For computers to succeed they must also be accessible, software must be of high quality and allow for the teacher to maintain control of the instruction.

Chapter IV - Teaching with Technology Expanding Models of Instruction

Learners vary in needs and abilities, the educational environment differ to meet the individual needs. No single environment fits the needs for everyone. Technology can be used to influence tasks or objectives. Tasks might include learning skills such as keyboarding or more complex like interacting with others in cyberspace. The technology can be used to support the educational process. Projects are available that utilize the web, electronic media, on-line reference and e-mail. Projects are shared through the web, allowing educators to network their ideas (http://www.ncate.org/projects/tech; http://casenet.edschool.virginia.edu).

Chapter V - Envisioning Future Uses of Educational Technology Currency in a Rapidly Changing World

What role will technology play in education? Will technology change how we teach or just be used as a resource? Educators must determine what skills will be needed of the the students we are teaching. What tasks will they need to do?

Will textbooks, which have withstood the test of time, be replaced by e-books? Economics plays a large role in the use of technology. One community is finding it less expensive to supply students with laptops rather than replacing textbooks regularly. Technology can allow for individualized learning and student-directed learning.

Higher learning will be impacted by the availability of “distant learning” It may make “classroom based learning” an expensive luxury. This may threaten human interaction. “Technology has made our society less personal…it runs the risk of making our world worse instead of better”. We need to safeguard against technology dulling our senses. Educators must make informed decisions on how technology is used and what technology is used.

Technology is changing rapidly. Can society afford to keep up with this? Computers that were purchased 5 years ago are no longer powerful enough to run the current software. Can schools afford to put enough computers in the schools and maintain them? Will school systems spend the time and money needed to train and encourage teachers to integrate technology? These are questions that will determine the future of technology in education.

EDU 553 Text Reviews by Alice Badecker

Chapter 1- Using Technology in Education

This first chapter gives an overview of what the book will be addressing.  It gives a history of technology being introduced to education through media as the printed textbooks, chalkboard, and overhead projectors were used.  The text tells of some more advanced technologies as radio and television and how they have not been used to their potentials in the school systems.

The chapter introduces three main questions and issues that arise from these questions that will be addressed throughout the book.  Question 1 is: What do we know about the current use of technology in education? Question 2: How does the current push for computer technologies compare with the histories of previous technologies in educational reform? Question 3: How can we use knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology? The fourth question is posed as a look to the future and is addressed in the final chapter: What role might technology play in the future of teacher education?

This first chapter is written as a straightforward introduction to the book it gives slight insight to answering the above questions but allows a chapter to be dedicated to each question.

Chapter 2 –Technology and Teacher Education

In this chapter, discussion of how technology can be used in education takes place.  There are reports written with suggestions of improving education by using technology.  Things like greater attention to higher order of thinking basic skills are learned by doing, information is on hand and can be accessed when needed, and other issues.  These reports offer suggestions on how computers can help the teaching by being used for monitoring, guiding, and assessing progress of students, maintaining records, communication with parents, consultation with experts when needed, and teachers can further expand their own knowledge and professional capabilities.

These types of things suggest that we can improve test scores, reduce failure rates, lower absenteeism, fewer student withdrawals, increase graduations, and other positive outcomes if we add technology to education.

Of course, not every change can be all positive, some worries are that by putting funds into technology other areas such as the arts will loose financially.  The information found on the Internet is not all valid information so teachers would like a way that instructional material come from research and be presented by respectable groups.

In addition, proper training along with efficient hardware and software must be available to the educators.  To have a computer in a classroom will not suddenly cause learning.

As this chapter continued, discussion led to what kinds of technology is available to the education of teachers.  Colleges of education must prepare the students of the educational software, technologies, and pedagogic methods before the teachers enter the school systems only to be overwhelmed with teaching and move on to something else.

It seems the biggest downfall to teachers working with technology is a lack of time, little encouragement, and they are not comfortable with using the equipment.  These things have to be worked through if we as a society expect our teachers to incorporate computers in the classroom.  This is where I personally have to be consciously aware of the fact that some teachers have not had much experience with computers.  Entering the educational field mid-life, I have experience with computers, so this part does not scare me as much as someone who has never really used a computer that much.

Chapter 3 – Patterns of Change

Chapter 3 goes through media of film, radio, and television and how they were presented in a study following a pattern of first exhilaration scientific credibility disappointment teacher-bashing cycle. This tells of why the films where not used as often in the classrooms. Some reasons were high cost of equipment, lack of skills in operation of equipment, and the inability of finding the correct time for the films in a classroom. Teachers were bashed as being unwilling to change their instructional practices.  Again, realities of the classroom were not taken into consideration when the idea of introducing films came about.

Radio and television are discussed together because of similarities in the technology.  In 1932, radio was thought to be the textbook of the future.  Television’s problems in the classroom were things like teacher-proof curricula, the media could not be controlled, and questions could not asked without being interrupted.  This would seem to me, without reading anything else on the subject, a benefit of computers and Internet access.  The teacher can work with the student and they can stop, question, and find answers on the way to learning while using computers.

The key to being a useful tool to a teacher, technology must be flexible.  Computers are costly and educational institutions must budget for this.  Because of the dynamic computer industry schools have to be prepared for the updates to hardware and software.  Students now are expected to some day become computer literate.  This was not expected of the previous technologies of film and radio.

Chapter 4 – Teaching With Technology

In this chapter, models are discussed that are used for teaching.  Social = person’s direct relationships with other people, Personal models = how one individual constructs and organizes reality, often in terms of emotions, self-concept, self-image, and personal expression, Behavioral models = create efficient systems for sequencing learning activities and shape behavior by manipulating reinforcement, and Informational processing models help people handle stimuli from the environment, organize data, perceive problems, generate concepts and solutions to problems, and use verbal and non verbal symbols.

I enjoyed this reading, especially the fact that it gave true-life practices supporting these models.  I plan to check a few of the web sites to look at what they entail.

Chapter 5 – Future Uses of Technology

This chapter jumps right to the space age.  I wonder if my lifetime or my children’s we will experience “education specialist” and choose are own to be able to change them if we are not happy with them.  Some of these ideas of the parent or family members being the overseer of the learning process leave me wondering.  I look at this as, “that’s assuming they are interested enough to do that for the child.”  I can only guess time will tell.

My overall feeling is that teachers must make time to use the computers for education.  Even if we have only three or four computers in the classroom and say the class is studying clouds.  Why not even take a quick look at the weather channel web site or Britannica’s web site.  The children could see that there is information “out there” to see.  This is another one of those issues in teaching that may take a little time to spend doing things the first time but could prove beneficial in the long run.  Teachers not comfortable with the Internet could start by using sites that are reliable and stick with those for a while.  They should try to incorporate some use of computers daily, but this requires commitment of training, updates to software and hardware when needed.  This also needs the backing of the community since they are the ones to vote on the town school budgets.  It seems education all around the community is needed, maybe we could spread the word through e-mail!

Here are (4) reviews from the book.  Pete Blume

CH 1 USING TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
I agree with Clintons proclamation of "wanting to
build a bridge to the 21st century in which we expand
opportunity through education, where computers are as
much a part of the classroom as blackboards."
Technology is such a part of our society that it would
be a diservice to NOT teach this subject.  Computer
technology has allowed teachers to improve their field
of study, thus rewarding the student body with current
information.  As a physical education teacher, I still
have a great desire for hands on through skill
development.  However, learning new productivity tools
can make charts for statistics a good project.
Connecticut Fitness standards can be put into a neat
spreadsheet, with the knowledge of computers.

*CH 2 (TECHNOLOGY AND TEACHER EDUCATION)
The ability of the teacher to integrate technology for
our students is the primary concern.  What knowledge
do we have?  A constructivist might say we are
touching upon these elements:
     1. greater attention on problem solving skills
     2. skills are learned at a "real world" level
     3. information is readilly available
     4. topics are more in depth
     5. students have a more active role in learning

        information
Teacher uses for computers for student learning"
     1. monitor work
     2. develop portfolios
     3. communicate with students, parents, staff
     4. consult with experts and expand their
knowledge
The results are improved test scores, lower
absenteeism, fewer withdrawals.
Teachers need the adequate training in order to meet
the daily instructional needs for the classroom.  The
learning becomes a more student-centered learning
process.  Let the students see technology in action
and let them practice using the tools.  In all, we
need to succeed in modeling technology practices and
implement them in education.

CH 3 (PATTERNS OF CHANGE)

I disgree with the fact that the "traditional teachers
role" will be obsolete.  Computer-supplied education
will not solve all the problems.
The high technologies of film, radio, TV fit into a
cycle of exhilaration-to-teacher bashing.  We try new
and exciting ideas only to end up with criticism for
resisting change.
As for films, it was introduced to influence ethos in
the classroom.  Instructional use is sometimes very
time consuming and a teacher needs access to the film
and projector. The poor quality of the films did not
help.
Radio and television are two broadcast technologies
that seem to be available for educational technology.
Students are unable to ask questions during media
lessons and the teachers have no control over its
presentation.
"Low" technologies have placed teachers at the center
of instruction.  There is a control, good time
management with tools like chalkboards, overhead
projectors, textbooks so that they can shape
instruction.
The case of computers as a "high" technology can be
problematic.  Although, computer technology is in
nearly every business in our society we still need to
master technology skills in order to perform jobs.
Many colleges and work sites are requiring students to
be literate with a computer.  The teacher is able to
monitor the students progress.

CH 4 (TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY)
There is no best way to teach technology to teachers
and students.  Educators need to learn how to use
technology in context and meet the needs of the
learners.  There is no single approach to get a
desired outcome.  Teachers should not be ignorant of
what works.  If a good sense of values are practiced
in a professional manner then the learning will be
mastered.  When children grow up with computers they
can connect with technologies and develop new
approaches.

Reviews by Vicki Schmidt, Summer 2000

This book provided an interesting historical overview of technology in education, applications of technology in theory and practice, and predictions of what may lie ahead.  Each of these reviews was done after reading that chapter and before reading the next.  Some of the topics overlap a bit between chapters.   You may notice the influences of new perspectives provided in each succeeding chapter.

Chapter One

This chapter takes a quick look at the overriding question of the book and hones in on a quote by L. Cuban about a study on technology in education over the past one hundred years.  In short, he deduces that very little effective change has occurred in the way teachers educate children.
One of the things I noticed that successful technology have in common is that they are interactive.   Film, television and radio are noted as being disappointingly underutilized.  All of these lack interactive qualities.  While they have their place in education, they certainly can’t replace more hands on approaches.
Calculators are an example of a technology that has lasted.  It has changed but the basic calculator has not become obsolete despite the advancements.   I believe this is because the basic operations stayed the same.  It added onto what had already become common knowledge.  Computer technology has done this in many ways as well.
Computers, while interactive, take time to master and their capabilities change almost overnight.  There’s something comforting in a book that can merely be opened and information instantly appears.  Where as the computer requires more expertise to manipulate and its language can be intimidating, disconcerting to the novice.
This book goes on to discuss the past, present and future of technology and how we can use our knowledge of technology to guide teaching.

Chapter Two

Chapter two takes a look at how technology is currently used in the classroom and how to enhance it through teacher education.  I feel the most powerful thing in this chapter is the excerpt on p.11, from a report to President Clinton on the use of technology in education.  It states, “Over 200,000 new teachers enter the profession each year, and there is a 50 percent turnover in the teaching force approximately every 15 years.  While advances in underlying technologies, educational software, and pedagogic methods will result in an ongoing need for in-service training, colleges of education have a valuable opportunity to introduce future teachers to the use of educational technology before the demands of an actual teaching position begin to impinge on the time available for such training. “ (p. 53)
If technology is integrated with course work at the college level, every new teacher should go into the teaching profession more prepared than those before them.  This gives technology hope of succeeding.  I graduated from a teaching program in 1991.  I was much more prepared and excited about using computers in my classroom.  There’s a noticeable difference in what the more recent graduates are knowledgeable about compared to myself.  Now I watch my own daughter going through the program at the same college, having grown up with a computer at home and school in addition to her college course work.    Her abilities are far beyond mine.    Integrating technology into the teacher preparation programs is key to the success of technology in education.
The seasoned teacher with no computer experience must be taken into consideration for this success as well.  Realistically, these are the teachers with the “power” in decision making in many ways.  Teacher training is essential.   Teachers should be given many options.   Teachers should be offered leave time during school hours to get this training.  Some teachers would prefer to take a course in the summer, so they have more time without out the distraction of their daily teaching responsibilities.    The teachers need access to a computer during their ‘off’ time.  There also needs to be support ; financial and technical, for those who are learning.   This is extremely important.
The way technology is taught in teacher preparation programs and to seasoned professionals is the most important determinant of the success of technology in education.

Chapter  Three
 

 Chapter three was both interesting and disconcerting.  It provides an overview of technological ‘advances’ over the last century.  It discusses which devices were deemed successful and attempts to explain why or why not.
 It’s interesting to see how technology has developed in education.  I never thought of a textbook or a blackboard as technology.  It was interesting that some felt television should be a more integral part of education.  I use it sometimes, but I can’t imagine using it very often because it isn’t interactive and there is a lack of quality programming.  I’m always on the lookout for interesting and useful programming along with software.  I’m glad someone is thinking about learning from the past.  (Gough, 1998, p. 642)
 The tone of this chapter was a little disturbing.  It almost seemed to put blame on the failures of past technologies in education on teachers.  It begins with the “cycle” by Cuban on p. 22.  As I went back and reread the chapter, I could see other causes were also presented.
 The first consideration by the teacher must be whether the technology will enhance a child’s learning.  I wonder if the person(s) envisioning the technology be used in education is in touch with the reality of the classroom and of children.  Finally do these visionaries have a plan as to how the technology will be used and have they shared it with the educator.    Unless this idea is shared and understood, it can’t be expected to succeed.  Then the questions of preparation time, skills necessary and the money to support the whole thing are available.
 One more issue that needs to be brought about this chapter is the quote by the chairman of the Texas School Board. (p.33)   He is discussing how inexpensive updating a laptop is compared to buying a whole new book when it has outdated information.  My question is, what happens in two or three years when the laptop needs replacing, because it can’t run software due to the increased size of programs etc. and advancing technology used?  This is a very real and expensive problem with computers in education.  It must be addressed.   I don’t mean to take the role of cynic.   I simply find it frustrating when this part is overlooked in a statement like that.  It’s a glaring reality in my classroom.  In fact it impedes the technological process.

Chapter Four

 This chapter began with a bit of a refresher in models of instruction.  It was a bit dry, but the title, “Teaching With Technology”, gave me hope that it would get a bit juicier.  I was not disappointed.
The section I especially enjoyed was the application of the learning theories.  It helped me visualize new ways to use technology in the classroom.  This is important to the success of the use of technology in the classroom.  I’d like to see more application to the elementary level.  I often wonder how I’m doing, what else I need to do, and how I can accomplish it.  I especially enjoyed the “Social” example.  I could see children from my class conducting those interviews and gaining a great deal from it.  It would be an incredible connection for both generations.  I would also like to see face to face meetings.  Nothing can replace that experience.  This is a powerful use of technology.
 The two examples of using technology to encourage “Person Growth” and “Information Processing” left me wondering how these schools were fortunate enough to be included in these types of studies.  The McGinn study used relatively poor schools.  The equipment and expertise to do this kind of work is expensive.  How did they get funding?
 The section on integrating technology into teacher preparation included some programs on distance type learning that sound interesting.  I know very little about this type of opportunity.  I look forward to checking out those web sites and learning more about them.
 This chapter opened up my mind a bit to think more creatively about how to infuse technology creatively within my own lessons, to take them a step beyond.  The last sentence was particularly exciting for me.  It read:  “Virtually speaking, the kid coming up fast behind us in the outside lane just might be the one who makes us rethink the whole enterprise.” (p. 48)   I’d like to be the one who sparks that interest and sends him off and running!

Chapter Five

 The final chapter poses the question in the title as it reviews the pertinent information from each of the first four chapters.  It looks at the incredible speed of new print and knowledge available.
It also explores some theories about the future of technology.
Probably the most provocative idea in the whole book is the mind numbing futuristic classroom of school Superintendent Ray Farley.     It was extremely foreign and unsettling as thoughts, questions, reactions instantly crowded my mind.  It was difficult to concentrate on the print and yet I anted to read more.  It was like a science fiction movie.  It was unsettling.  I was concerned about the hands on, one to one communications that makes learning human.  For someone who believes that the lack of front porches on the front of houses has created the demise of the charitable, kind, neighborly humanity that made my childhood safe and warm, this is an outrage and a gigantic blow to the education of my cherished little people.
It was a great relief when I got to the end of the chapter and read Clark’s words.  Realism re-entered the chapter.  Teachers interacted with children and not cold machines.  Things like cost and training and teachers with minds that are deemed capable of deciding what children needed reappeared.  I’m sure there was an obvious difference in my heart rate!  This book has in many ways opened my mind to the uses of technology.  It has made me more aware of its influence on our lives.  It’s also given me the impetus to search out new ways to apply technology with confidence.

Reviews by Sally Hamler

Chapter One outlined the content of the book with four
questions. The questions that will be covered are: What
do we know about the current use of technology in the
classroom, How does the current push for computer
technologies compare with the histories of previous
technolkogies in educational reform, How can we use
knowledge of teaching to guide the use of technology,
and What role might technology plan in the future of
teacher education? All four are important questions and
should be disccussed and explored in depth. Without a
doubt the use of the computer is going to play a major
role in education. My daughter who is seventeen remarked
that the girls she babysits for have more computers in
their first and fourth grade classroom than she did.
They are very comfortable with the technology and enjoy
the games, activities and learning experiences it
offers. My generation is a bit slow on the use and
mastery of the computer,based mostly on lack of doing
it. However, that will change as we learn and do.

Review of Chapter Two by Sally Hamler

 Computers, web sites, and cell phones play an active role in our lives today and all were not in common use fifteen years ago. In many classrooms today they still do not play an active in teaching. This is changing as more schools become wired for the internet and purchase more computers for the classroom. I found the statistics given in the reading to be interesting and a reflection of what I see first hand in my school district of Vernon. The elementary grades have more computers in the classroom and less in the computer labs and the high school is just the opposite. The goal in our district to have a computer in each classroom. Currently my room is wired but I have no computer for student use. Because of this my classroom assignments only make use of the computer as an outside assignment. The assignments have been to locate a web-site that features a major food company and evaluate it for selling points and content, and to use the computer to research articles and information about diets and nutrition. The software that I have for the classroom is not used and find this a missed opportunity. I hope sometime this school year that will change and I will have a computer that students can assess without leaving my room.
 Another passage in the chapter stated that a recent report given to President Clinton indicated that,” most teachers are left largely on their own as they struggle to integrate technology into their curricula’ (President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, 1997,pg 47). This is so true for many reasons, one schools have limited time to train teachers and the demands of teaching leave little room for instruction. My own experience as a teacher reflects this time restrain, I teach full-time and have been attending graduate classes for the last three years. This leaves little space for attending after school computer training or other workshops offered. I hope I can continue to take more classes and feel this class has given me a good overview of the what and how computer technology can enhance the classroom teaching. The idea of having students own more of their learning process is a goal of mine and the computer can help with this process.
 

Reviews by MARY LINEHAN

  I HAVE READ THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAPTERS. I FOUND
THESE CHAPTERS TO BE VERY INFORMATIVE AND INTERESTING.
   AS A TEACHER WHO PRESENTLY IS NOT USING COMPUTERS
IN THE CLASSROOM I FOUND THIS BOOK TO NOT ONLY BE
INFORMATIVE BUT ALSO TO BE A SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
  I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY BY
SCHOOLCHILDREN IS NECCESSARY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT
STUDENTS  WILL USE THE COMPUTER MORE EFFECTIVELY IF
THEIR TEACHER IS COMFORTABLE AND ENCOURAGING WITH THE
COMPUTER.
  IN THE SECTION TITLED TECHNOLOGY FOR SCHOOLS THE
BOOK STATES THAT RIGHT NOW THERE IS A LACK OF RESEARCH
ON THE CURRENT USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION. I WAS
SURPRISED BY THAT STATEMENT SINCE EDUCATORS HAVE BEEN
TRYING TO GET TECHNOLOGY INTO THE CLASSROOM FOR SOME
TIME NOW. THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A MAJOR SHIFT IN THE
ATTITUDES IN GENERAL TO BRING TECHNOLOGY INTO THE
CLASSROOM.
  SOME OF THE ELEMENTS  INCORPORATED IN THE SHIFT  THE
BOOK TALKED ABOUT I SAW AS TREMENDOUS BENEFITS. FOR
EXAMPLE, GREATER ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO ATTAINING
HIGHER-OREDER THINKING, BASIC SKILLS ARE OFTEN
LEARNED IN A COLLABORTIVE SETTING. INFORMATION
RESOURCES ARE MORE READILY AVAILABLE TO THE STUDENT.
ALLOWING HIM/HER TO GET MORE INDEPTH INFORMATION FOR A
PARITICULAR INTEREST.
  THE CHAPTER STATED THAT FEWER TOPICS MAY BE COVERED
WITH THE USE OF THE COMPUTER COMPARED TO THAT OF
TRADITIONAL CURRICULUM, BUT THESE TOPICS CAN BE
COVERED IN GREATER DEPTH BY THE STUDENT. I SEE THIS AS
A GREAT BENEFIT. AS A TEACHER I OFTEN THINK WE TRY TO
COVER TO MUCH GROUND AND ARE NOT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF
TIME TO REALLY DIVE INTO THE SUBJECT.
  IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ THE CONCERNS THAT
EDUCATORS HAVE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. I FOUND THAT I COULD
RELATE TO THESE CONCERNS.
  MY MAJOR CONCERN ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
IS TRAINING ON  THE PART OF THE TEACHERS THEMSELVES. I
STATED EARLIER THAT I BELIEVE IN ORDER FOR TECHNOLOGY
TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE CLASSROOM THE TEACHER MUST
DEMONSTRATE HER EXCITEMENT AND INTEREST IN USING THE
PROGRAMS AS WELL.
  IF STAFF IS NOT GIVEN THE PROPER TRAINING ,
ENCOURAGEMENT AND TIME TO GRASP THESE PROGRAMS THEY
WILL CHOOSE  NOT TO USE THEM AND THEREFORE PASS THIS
ON TO THEIR STUDENTS.
  THE CHAPTER DISCUSSED FOUR FACTORS TO ENCOURAGE THE
USE OF COMPUTERS BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
  I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE FOR EACH STAFF TO HAVE
THEIR OWN SET OF FACTORS WHY THEY THINK TECHNOLOGY
WOULD BENEFIT THEIR SCHOOL AND HOW DO THEY PLAN TO GO
ABOUT GETTING THE SUPPORT THEY NEED.
  I FIND IT ENCOURAGEING THAT OUR PRESIDENT SUPPORTS
THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM. I BELIEVE ONE
OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS IS MONEY AND HOW SOME OF THESE
SCHOOLS CAN GET FUNDS FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY.
  IN SUMMARY THIS CHAPTER LEFT ME WITH SEVERAL
QUESTION FOR THOUGHT. HOW WILL WE APPROACH THE
TRAINING OF TEACHERS THAT ARE PRESENTLY IN THE FIELD
THAT LACK THE KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTERS?  COLLEGES OF
EDUCATION NEED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR
PRESERVICE TEACHERS.WILL COMPUTERS BECOME A
REQUIREMENT TO BECOME CERTIFIED IN THAT STATE. I THINK
IT SHOULD BECOME PART OF THE REQUIRED PROGREAM. LASTLY
HOW CAN THE TRUE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY BE MEASURED IN
THE CLASSROOM IF IT IS NOT BEING USED CORRECTLY
TECHONOGY IS THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE AND EDUCATINg
NEEDS TO JUMP ON THIS BANDWAGON.

AS STATED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON " WE MUST BRING THE
POWER OF THE INFORMATIION AGE INTO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
" "WE MUST BUILD THE SECOND GENERATION OF THE INTERNET
SO OUR LEADING UNIVERSITIES AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES
CAN COMMUNICATE AT SPEEDS 1000 TIMES FASTER THAN
TODAY."
  WE ARE AT A TIME IN OUR HISTORY WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS
FINDING ITS PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM. PRIOR TO THIS TIME
MANY HIGH TECH MEDIUMS, UNSUCCESSFULLY, TRIED TO FIT
INTO A CLASSROOMS' DAILY  LIFE .
  IN CHAPTER THREE OF WILL TECHNOLOGY REALLY CHANGE
EDUCATION? KENT AND McNERGNEY DICUSS THE HISTORY
TECHNOLOGY HAS FACED TRYING TO FIND ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE
IN THE CLASSROOM.
   THESE AUTHORS START WITH THE FILM MEDIUM. AS
EXPLAINED BY KENT AND McNERGNEY FILM BECAME A LOST
MEDIUM TO SCHOOLS FOR SEVERAL REASONS.  FILM WAS SEEN
HIGH TECHNOLOGY, TEACHERS WERE HAVING PROBLEMS FITTING
THIS TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR DAILY SCHEDULE. THERE WAS A
LARGE PROBLEM WITH TIME CONSTRAINTS.  IN ORDER FOR
FILM TO BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WERE
REQUIRED TO PREVIEW THE FILM. THIS MEANT THAT TEACHERS
HAD TO FIND TIME AT SCHOOL, SINCE THAT WAS WHERE ALL
THE EQUIPMENT WAS, TO PRE-VIEW A 90 MINUTE FILM SEE IF
IN FACT IT FIT INTO THEIR CURRICULUM, AND THEN FIND A
WAY TO SCHEDULE THIS FILM IN 40 OR 50 MINUTE PERIODS.
THIS DID NOT MAKE TEACHING ANY EASIER, THEREFORE IT
WAS NOT LIKED BY MANY OF THE TEACHERS.
  ANOTHER DOWNFALL FOR FILM WAS THE FACT THAT IT
NEEDED TO BE SHOWN IN A DARKENED ROOM. MANY TEACHERS
FELT THIS WAS A SITUATION IN, WHICH A LOT OF
DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS WOULD OCCUR.
  PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST PROBLEMS FOR FILM WERE
THE FILMS THEMSELVES, TEACHERS FELT THEY WERER OF LWO
QUALITY, LACKED CONNECTION TO THEIR CURRICULUM AND DID
NOT VIEW FILM AS A HELPFUL TOOL. DUE TO THERSE
PROBLEMS FILM NEVER REALLY MADE IT INTO THE CLASSROOM
AS IT WAS PREDICTED TO.
  RADIO AND TELEVISION WERE ANOTHER TWO MEDIUMS THAT
WERE PREDIDCTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN EDUCATION BUT
NEVER MADE IT THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR. SIMILAR REASONS
FOR FAILURE WERE FACED BY TELEVISION. PROGRAMING WAS
POOR, TEACHERS DID NOT VIEW THIS AS QUALITY, AND IT
WAS VERY PASSIVE. THE LACK OF STUDENT INTERACTION WAS
A LARGE PROBLEM FOR ALL THREE OF THESE TYPES OF
TECHNOLogY.
  THERE HAS BEEN SUCCESS IN TECHNOLOGY FOR THE
CLASSROOM. THOSE TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL ARE
THOSE TOOLS, TEACHERS FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, CAN
EASILY BLEND INTO THEIR CURRICULUM, AND ARE FLEXIBE TO
TEACHERS DAILY DEMANDS.
   KENT AND McNERGNEY TELL US THAT "LOW TECHNOLOGIES
ALLOW TEACHERS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER THE
INSTRUCTIOAL PROCESS, AND TEACHERS DO NOT VIEW THESE
TECHNOLOGIES AS MITIGATING THEIR OWN MANAGEMENT OF THE
CLASSROOM." IN OTHER WORDS TEACHERS FEEL SAFE AND IN
CONTROL WHEN USING TEXTBOOKS, OVERHAED PROJECTORS,
CHALKBOARDS ETC..
  COMPUTERS FACE THEIR OWN SET OF PROBLEMS. FUNDS FOE
THE SOFTWARE AND THE HARDWARE ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST
PROBLEMS IT FACES. COMPUTERS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING
UPGRADED AND CHANGED, THIS CAN BECOME A VERY
EXPENSIVEE ENDEAVOR FOR A SCHOOL. COMPUTERS OTHER
GREATEST CHALLENGE IS TEACHER TRAINGING. MANY TEACHERS
WERE NOT TRAINED IN THEIR PRE-SERVICE YEARS ARE NOW
TRYING TO CATCH UP THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND AFTERSCHOOL
PROGRAMS.
  THE GREATEST ADVANTAGE COMPUTERS HAVE OVER ALL THE
OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IS THAT
COMPUTER ARE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE. IN ORDER FOR OUR
STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS WORLD THEY MUST
BECOME COMPUTER LITERATE.
COMPUTERS CAN EASILY FIT INTO ANY CURRICULUM, LESSON
PLAN, OR PROJECT A CLASS HAS GOING. COMPUTERS CAN
PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH VAST AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION
FASTER AND PROVIDE A LARGER RESOURCE BASE. COMPUTERS
ARE FINDING A PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM.

  CHAPTER FOUR DEALS WITH TEACHING TECHNOLOYG IN THE
CLASSROOM OR BETTER SAID HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY
EFFECTIVELY IN A CLASS SETTING. PRIOR TO THIS CLASS I
CAN SAY I REALLY NEVER KNEW ALL THE POSSIBILITIES
THERE WERE AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS THROUGH THE COMPUTER.
  AS PREVIOUSLY STATED IN EARLIER CHAPTERS ONE OF THE
LARGEST HURDLES TO OVERCOME WITH COMPUTERS IS USING
THEM CORRECTLY. IN THIS CHAPTER THE AUTHORS TALK ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF MATCHING THE CORRECT SOFTWARE TO THE
CORRECT STUDENT.
  "EDUCATORS NEED TO CONCENTRATE INSTEAD ON LEARNING
HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN CONTEXT,OR MATCHING
COMBINATIONS OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO THE NEEDS AND
ABILITIES OF LEARNERS AND TO THE OBJECTIVE OF
INSTRUCTION."
  TEACHERS SHOULD DEMONSTRATE TO THEIR STUDENTS
SEVERAL DIFFERENT TEACHING MODELS AND BE ABLE TO APPLY
THE CORRECT MODEL WHEN APPROPRIATE.EVERY ONE LEARNS
DIFFERENTLY, AT A DIFFERENT PACE , AND USES AND NEEDS
DIFFERENT STYLE. NO ONE WAY OF TEACHING CAN MEET
EVERYONES NEED EVERYTIME.
  "TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO HELP REDEFINE AND ENRICH
EXISTING MODELS OF TEACHING BY ALTERING CRITICAL
ATTRIBUTES OF SUCH MODELS AND BY CREATING ENTIRELY NEW
APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING." TECHNOLOGY IS
BEING VIEWED AS AN AVENUE TEACHERS CAN TAKE TO REACH
MANY STUDENTS WITH MANY STYLES WITH LITTLE TIME
RESTRAINTS.
  SEVERAL EXAMPLES WERE GIVEN AND EXPLAINED IN THIS
CHAPTER HOW TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO USE
TECHNOLOGY.TEACHERS INCORPORATED TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD
ON WRITING PROJECTS, INCREASE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
USING ON LINE DEBATING, LINKING SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS
,AND E-MAIL TO ASK  QUESTIONS AND RECORD
CONVERSATIONS. THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES WERE
TECHNOLOGY IS BEING USED SUCCESSFULLY IN A CLASSROOM
SETTING AND MEETING DIFFERENT NEEDS.
  TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE AND ENRICH AN
EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. IT CAN LEAD TO NEW APPROACHS
TO LEARNING AND TEACHING.TECHNOLOGY CAN ALLOW STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS REACH ACROSS THE STATES AND CONNECT TO
PLACES THEY NEVER PREVIOUSLY IMAGINED. TECHNOLOGY HAS
FOUND ITS PLACE IN SOCIETY, IT THEREFORE NEEDS TO BE
WELCOMED INTO OUR CLASSROOMS WITH OPEN ARMS.

CHAPTER FIVE IN "WILL TECHNOLOGY REALLY CHANGE
EDUCATOIN" DEALT WITH THE ISSUE OF TECHONOLOGY IN THE
FUTURE.
   I DO BELIEVE WE WILL BE SEEING MORE AND MORE
TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM. SOME OF THAT TECHNOLOGY
WILL BE VERY USEFUL AND HOPEFULLY WELCOMED.
  THE AUTHORS MAKE A GOOD POINT WHEN THEY SAY THAT"AS
HUMAN KNOWLEDGE CONITIUES A PATTERN OF INCREASING
SPECIALIZATION , TECHNOLOGY MAY BE THE ONLY RESOURCE
FOR MANAGING THE RAPID GROWTH OF INFORMATION."
  THE CLASSROOMS OF TOMORROW WILL DIFFER GREATLY FROM
THOSE OF TODAY. WHEN I THINK OF WHAT THOSE CLASSROOMS
MAY LOOK LIKE I ENVISION A COMPUTER FOR EACH STUDENT,
SEVERAL PRINTERS AND SCREENS FOR PRESENTATIONS.  I DO
NOT AGREE WITH SOME OF THE COMPUTER VISIONARY'S THAT
SEE TEACHERS AS OBSELET. ONE I FEEL THIS WOULD BE A
GREAT DISERVICE TO EDUCATION AS A WHOLE. TEACHERS
BRING MORE THAN  INFORMATION INTO A CLASSROOM. THERE
IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR HUMAN CONTACT. AS THE CHAPTER
SPOKE ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK
THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
   "THE BEST WAY TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST THE "DULLING OF
OUR SENSES" IS TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVELY.
TEACHERS, AND TEACHR EDUCATORS, ARE THE INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE MOST CAPABLE OF SORTING OUT EDUCATIONAL FORCES
AT WORK UB SCHOOLS."THE INSTRUCTIONAL USE OF
TECHNOLOGY IS M OST LIKELY TO SUCCEED IF TEACHERS CAN
ADAPT AND HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME"
  TEACHERS ARE STILL RESPONSIBle FOR HOW A COMPUTER
WILL BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM. TEACHERS N EED TO LOOK
BEYOND SOME OF THIS TALK OF REPLACEMENT AND SEE THAT
COMPUTERS DO HAVE A PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM AND ARE NOT
A REPLACEMENT THEMSELVES.
TEACHERS WILL DECIDE HOW VALUABLE THE COMPUTER IS IN
THE CLASSROOM AND THEY WILL HAVE THE FINAL SAY IN THE END.

Review of this book by Cindy Stitz-Galvan

    The point being made in chapter one is the wide contrast between what
should be done and what is being done to support learning through technology.
 The promise from President Clinton 'that included wiring every school in the
U.S. to the Internet before the year 2000' is enough to make me chuckle at
the meaning behind such a promise.  In the minds of educators who support the
technological possibilities, this statement meant at least
five-computers/software/internet access per classroom and ongoing supported
seminars for the educators themselves.  At the smallest end of this promise,
the one that seems to be kept, is the reality of one computer per school,
with almost no or little connection to the student.  The range of not only
possibilities but also probabilities of being an open access to student
learning have been shortened by empty promises, for most schools and
students, once again.

    In chapter two the focus is on the type of technology in schools and how
teachers attitudes towards technology, really is the heart of where and how
and if technology will be an effective tool for learning.  The first point
made here is the lack of research on technology in education, but is not this
a familiar complaint when it comes to education.  The positive notes on
technology are that the public is supportive and the current trend of
constructivist teaching also is supported by the use of computers and
technology in the classroom.  The problems that set technology apart in
different schools are the amount, the usage, and the location of computers
for the students, which play a large role in the learning outcomes of all
students.  Chapter two also tries to narrow in on the attitudes of the
educators in regards to technology.  The point being made is that educators
need to be educated and fluent in different applications and uses to model
how important this technology is for the student.  If a classroom has the
computers, the software, and the access, but the educator has not been
trained or is uncomfortable integrating technology in the classroom, the
students will not benefit.

    Chapter three touches base on how other forms of technology, which
promised to improve learning, have fallen by the wayside such as film, radio
and television.  If new technology is used as a form of entertainment, to
amuse students for a given time instead of integrated with objectives and
direct instructional use, it will also fail in the classroom.  There must be
a connection to learning, a purpose, and a way to integrate and expand
learning for the students for technology to be effective.  Students need to
see computers as a part of their lives, not just a 15-minute game to play
with no progress in skills.  Three points were made here to increase the
success rate of computer technology in education.  These points are money for
resources, upkeep and maintenance of computers, and training educators to use
computers daily as well as allowing educators to have a voice in the types of
software that will enhance their lessons and learning. One opinion was voiced
at the end of this chapter, that because computer technology has the power to
replace low technology of textbooks, this new technology just might survive
and hold a permanent place in education.

    Chapter four gives various examples of how and when to use technology to
enhance learning in education.  It also stresses the fact that these are only
examples, and different approaches for different situations and learning
styles can be made by educators once they understand just how technology can
enhance learning.  The use of technology can be to create new models of
teaching or to adopt into existing models of teaching depending on each
educators and student's objectives, activities, assessment, social needs and
reactions to learning.  Finally, the chapter concludes about how computer
technology can connect students and teachers to new ideas, customs, people,
and resources for learning.

    Chapter five argues that 'good ideas, not necessarily new technological
developments, guide the way.'(p. 50) One of the problems posed is that
technology is said to be ever changing, education will not really ever catch
up.  One response is that education and educators need to get a feel or
comfort for the use of technology.  When technology becomes continuously
integrated as part of the classroom, students will realize and learn the
basic content and be able to expand their knowledge in any direction they
choose.

Review completed by Ellen Pratt

Chapter One asks some grreat questions.  Increased technololgy is
supposed to be the universal "fix" for ailing schools.  I believe that
every classroom should have AT LEAST one good computer but also that
teacher training be a priority.

I have found that computers make my work much quicker and more efficient.
 Many teachers do not utilize this tool, however.  The studies that I
have read on the effectiveness of technology in classrooms always leads
back to the same two problems:  that there have not been enough studies
for a prolonged amount of time and that lack of teacher training is the
greatest inhibitor of computer use in schools.

I think that the push for computers in classrooms is probably of greater
importance than other technological devices (eg. overhead projector)
because most jobs require at least some basic knowledge of computers.
The business world wants young workers trained in these skills as they
graduate from high school or college.  Again, I feel that even if every
classroom had ten computers, many of them would sit idle because teachers
do not have the prerequisite knowledge to utelize them in their
classrooms.

I will need to read Chapter Four before I can comment on it.

As far as the last question is concerned, I think that technology will
play an important role in teacher education.  More and more courses are
being taught online.  Down the line, I wouldn't be surprised if
professional development sessions were also held online, at the teacher's
convenience.  Universities will need to put more emphasis on
technological training for new teachers to keep up with the changing
times.  I don't agree that "future technologies will cause the demise of
schools as we know them."  I think that computers and other technological
devices can be used to enhance the classroom environment and lessons.
 

REVIEW OF TEXTBOOK by HEATHER MACTAGGART

CHAPTER 1:
    Introduction that raises questions about why classroom instructions has
not become any more efficient even though there have been many advances
technologically and how education can be improved.

CHAPTER 2:
    Looks at how computers are used in schools today.  Discusses how
technology can support constructivist approaches to teaching and learning and
how it improves things such as drop out rate and job placement. Lists what
it takes to make technology successful in schools.
    The education that teachers get in technology effects how their attitude
about technology in the classroom.  If a teacher is not trained or
comfortable with computers, they will not be able to teach computers well.
It is necessary for teacher educators to include technology in order to give
teachers the skills and knowledge they need.
    Long-term research needs to be conducted to determine how computers are
effecting education and what can be done to improve things.

CHAPTER 3:
    This chapter investigates why low technologies have effected education to
a far greater extent than high technologies.  For example, films were
unsuccessful because teachers could not seem to find the right fit between
lessons and films.  ITV didn't work because teachers were dissatisfied with
the quality of programing.
    The problem seems to be that "reformers did not match the innovations [of
high technologies) to teachers' views of daily classroom realities."
    Low technologies are much simpler to use and can be easily adapted to a
changing environment.  Teachers do not feel that they lose control of the
teaching by using low technologies.
    How do computers fare when compared with other high technologies?  They
are more flexible.  Computers allow teachers to integrate the Internet with
lessons they have already created.  They are more mainstream. People must
learn how to use computers in order to get a job.  And they are interactive
rather than passive.  Therefore, computers appear to be doing better than
their high technology counterparts, but it is still to be seen.

CHAPTER 4:
    Instead of limiting computers by looking at them as a certain way of
teaching, computers need to be adapted to all the different ways of teaching
and learning.  Technology should not be seen as changing education so much as
it enhances education.
    More effort needs to be put into coming up with technology for teachers
to use. Also, rather than having the technology be the skill one is trying to
teach, teach problems solving using technology as a tool to solve problems.

CHAPTER 5:
    Technologies either fail or get replaced by something newer and better.
There fore teachers need to be prepared for constant change in technology.
Teachers need to figure out the skills and knowledge that their students will
need in the future and try to prepare them for it.
    Technology is being used to allow for individualized and independent
learning on the part of students.  Some think technology will eventually
cause not only books to disappear, but schools and teachers as well.

Book Review: "Will Technology Really Change Education?" by Meranda Ferris

    Chapter 1: This Chapter basically previews the topics that the rest of
the Chapters will cover.  It introduces the primary question of whether or
not technology will have a positive or negative effect on education.  In
this case, the book concentrates on the usage of computers and the internet.
  Will this technology create a breakthrough in education or will it falter
like other technological advances such as radios and television.
    Chapter 2: This Chapter deals with the question, "What do we know about
the current use of technology in education"?  Although people believe that
computers will ultimately be beneficial, at this time teachers are not
adequately trained. However, if teachers do become properly trained then
computers can be used in a variety of different ways to improve education in
the classroom.  But again, if a huge amount of money is going to be invested
for computers, then educators and teachers must be able to incorporate them
while making sure students don't misuse the information found on the
internet.
    Chapter 3: This Chapter explores the question, "How does the current
push for computer technologies compare with the histories of previous
technologies in educational reform"? As with computers, there has been
previous technological advancements that have had people dreaming about the
benefits that they would bring to education.  However, unlike the television
and the radio, computers would allow teachers a greater variation in
teaching techniques.  Although it is costly computers with access to the
internet provide teachers and students with continuously new valuable data.
On the other hand, computers will also benefit the teachers just as low
technologies have.  They will provide the teacher with programs that can be
used for organization, statistical analysis and communication. The
combination of low and high technological qualities will allow computers to
expand the educational possibilities.
    Chapter 4: This chapter concentrates on the question, "How can we use
knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology"? This question is
asked because if we use computers for education, then teachers have to
realize that there is no perfect way to incorporate them into their lessons.
Since every teacher and student is different, a teacher must be able to
develop new and adopt old teaching techniques. They must bring together
social, personal, behavioral, and information-processing models to properly
benefit each student. Also, in order for teachers to be able to practice the
above techniques they must receive support from hardware and software
creators. The rest of the chapter demonstrates different programs and
learning projects such as CaseNET.  These programs will help enhance the
benefits of computers for educational purposes.
    Chapter 5: The fifth and final chapter looks to the future of computer
technology. Since computers continually change overnight, it requires that
teachers be adequately trained in order for them to prepare students for the
future. The thought of even eliminating the printed word, or textbook has
been talked about. This is due the fact that computers are able to store an
enormous amount of information. This will provide teachers and students with
the opportunity to easily possess a world of information.  This will even
extend learning out of the classroom. However, despite these benefits, we
have to be aware of the costs, the negative benefits and especially that
teachers will ultimately "establish the value of the computer in learning"
(Kent 59).

Review of Chapters 1-4 by Cyndi Wells

Chapter One:
The book opens by referring to President Clinton's State of the Union
Address in 1997, which states that every school will be networked by the
year 2000.  Kent and McNergney are demonstrating the importance of
technology in education, and how it is the forerunner of education.

They then go on to ask 4 important questions:
1.) What do we know about the current use of technology in schools?
2.) How does this current push compare with historical trends?
3.) How to use the knowledge of teaching to guide technology?
4.) What will be the future role of technology in teaching?

The next chapters attempt to answer these questions.

Chapter Two:
This chapter addresses the use of technolgy in schools and how well
equipped teachers are with using it.

The authors explain that teachers need to have pre service training in
technology. and technology needs to support each teacher's approach in
teaching in order for it to be successful.  They explain that teachers go
through individual stages of entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation and
invention in regards to their use of technolgy in the classroom.  The
authors point out that more tecnology needs to be incorporated in student
teaching programs.  And technology should be present in all courses and
taught through modeling.  This will give a teacher a better concept of how
to use technolgy in a history class and not just a keyboarding class.

The authors also point out that different school districts have
discrepencies in technology based on children's age and the individual
state.

The authors explain that for technolgy to work in schools there needs to be
the following in place:
 diffusion of grant money and support staff
 National and state standards
 training during teacher preparation
 funding

Chapter Three:
This chapter looks more at the history of technology, and begins by stating
that the traditional classroom will be obsolete.

The authors point out that this technology needs to be different than the
incorporation of past technologies (film, TV, radio) in that it should not
be regarded as busy work for students while teachers complete assignments.
 

The authors demonstrate the problems with past technologies such as film,
radio and TV as not being readily used, being costly,  and not made for
educational purposes, but more for entertainment. They point out that
teachers need to be the driving force behing the development of programs if
they are to be successful in education.  For example, low technologies
(chalkboard, textbooks) are used widely by teachers because they arein
teacher's control, portable, accessible and require no scheduling demands.
Computer technology needs to offer many of the same benefits for it to
work.

The authors then discuss some of the pros and cons of computers.
 - programs are obsolete quickly
 - costly
 + learning tool for teachers
 + supplement to lesson plans (stock quotes, government documents)
 + preparation for the real world
 + has a variety of uses.

They go further to address the problem of cost by giving an example of a
Texas community which replaced textbooks with lap top computers.  If we are
arguing that computer software becomes obsolete , we most compare it to
textbooks.

Chapter Four:

Addresses the question of how integrating technology is done.

The authors show that the method used is not going to be the same for
everyone, but is based on the context in which it is used.  They provide a
good example through their technolgy chart (page 37) which demonstrates
using technology to create new or modify existing teaching models through
use of tasks or objectives, sequence of activities, reactions to students,
social system and assessment.

They argue again that support systems are cnetral to the success of
technology infusion.  They also talk about KIE which connects teachers,
students and the community through the Internet.  This can also allow
teachers to practice their lessons and methods of teaching through a
simulated classroom.

They further discuss integrating technology into teacher education through
CaseNet, an Internet based course that works to solve educational problems,
link people via video, provide professional development and staff training
workshops and offer team work environment for teachers.

Overall, the strongest points the authors make during these chapters are
the need for making teachers part of the technology planning, providing
support staff and addressing the needs of individual teaching methods,
adapating to them as needed.

Review submitted by Roy Wentworth

Chapter 1

With the declaration of President Clinton to get a computer in every classroom, the support for the use of computers in the classroom is increasing. The hope is that this new technology will not follow suit with other past failures like the high expectations that were had of radio, television and film. These past failures all are utilized but as much as expected when this technology first broke. There is hope now for the new wave of technology because there is movement in its utilization in many school systems and teacher preparation programs. Many questions remain to be answered as to how this current push for computers in the classroom will compare with other technologies in our past. What do we know about the current use of technology in the classroom? How can we use our knowledge of teaching as a guide? What role will technology play in teacher education?

Chapter 3

  This chapter’s introduction gives the impression that if teachers were to use all the technology available they would become obsolete. There are too many reasons to dispute this to list them all. My own opinion is that we as teachers could learn to guide and direct our students through the waves of technology and provide them with the opportunities to compete for jobs in their future.
   The author described how Film, TV, and Radio were seen as ineffective. The author does admit that the computer is more flexible and highly accessible to which I agree. The fact remains though unless school systems commit to frequent up-grades and continue training of their staff, this advantage will become as useless as the radio, etc has become to teaching.
   The concern now with all this information being at your finger tips is how to verify what is truth and what is not with regards to internet information.

Review by Claudia Caponera

In the first chapter of the book, Todd W Kent and Robert F McNergney , outline the four questions, which the remainder of their book will address.  First they ask what we know about the current use of technology in education.  We know it is growing, but how fast and in what direction?  The next question, which is explored in Chapter 3,  compares the current push of computer technology in education with that of technologies in the past.  In this time of such great technological advances we must use our existing knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology.  Chapter 4 will give a basic framework of exploring technology.  Finally the fourth question looks towards the future.  What role will technology play the future of teacher education?

The use of computers in the classroom really depends on the teacher.  If a teacher is comfortable with computers they are more likely to incorporate them into their lessons.   A teachers understanding of computers is crucial so current technology can be incorporated into today’s classroom.  Chapter 2 also explores examples of how to integrate technology in the classroom.  This chapter illustrates the positive effect computers and modern technology can have in the classrooms.

“Patterns of Change” describes teachers fair of computers.  Teachers are scared of the change this technology may have on their jobs and roles in society.  This chapter also looks at past technological advances and their effect on education.  The past advances
failed to show the potential for effectiveness computers do today.  Computers may have some negative characteristics, however this chapter outlines why computers are more effective then previous technologies.

Chapter 4 insists on the need for technological integration in the classroom, however, acknowledges the fact that there is no single way to accomplish this.  The chapter also gives examples and ideas of how a teacher can go about incorporating computers.

Kent and McNerhney finish the book by reminding us that although computers are a wonderful aid in education, we must remember are only an aid.  Teachers and the environment they offer are nessasary for a well-rounded education, computers merely help the teachers do their jobs.

A review by Kimberly Homans

To begin with the book's cover tries to show some of the different
technology that is used in the classroom.

  Chapter One: " Using Technology in Education, An Introduction &
Reality"
         Within chapter one we get an overview of what is to be
discussed in chapters two through fives.  WE also are given a small
taste of the expectations and the potential of technology.  A brief
introduction to some of the early technology that waas presented in the
classroom was given.  Some technology in the classroom is the classic
text-book, radio, television, overhead projectors, video & films, and of
course the computer.  All of these technologies are briefly mentioned or
at least implied in chapter one.

Chapter Two: "Technology and Teacher Education: Current Use and
Knowledge"
        Chapter two argues the controversy of teachers vs. technology.
How and what should be used as well as how much.  We also discuss some
of the short and long range benefits as well as disadvantages of
technology in the classroom.

Chapter Three: "Patterns of Change: The Historical Context of
Educational Technologies"
      Chapter three gives us a look at how technology was presented to
the world of education.  It tells of the predicted success of radio,
television & films were to have in the educational site.  We also see
why technology failed to make a dramatic initial impact on education.
Also some predictions are made for computers in this chapter.

Chapter Four: "Teaching With Technology: Expanding Models of
Instruction"

     In chapter four we begin to take into account the differences
people have as they approach the use of technology in the classroom.  We
discuss the differences in personalities, prior educaation, prior
experiences with technology & peoples' attitudes towards change.  It
also argues the benefits of technology on education, both positive and
negative aspects.

Chapter Five: "Envsioning Future Uses of Educatioal Technology: Currency
ina Rapidly Changing World"

     Chapter five gives us a look at the future of the classroom. Where
will education go? The authors suggest that students will become more
independent and begin to dictate the level and speed of their own
education. Kent and McNergney also suggest a classroom without walls.
Students learning anytime and anywhere they desire.

An Over-All Review:

      I felt "Will Technology Really Change Education?" was an extremely
informatioal book on the history as well as the successes & failures of
the different levels of technology. There was one thing that turned me
off a bit and that was the frequent spelling errors through out the
book. It seems to me if you talk about higher levels of technology you
might want to use some of it to check grammer and spelling errors before
releasing the book to the public. I am not the greatest at spelling but
the errors in this book got to be a bit too much.

Will Education Really Change Education? reviewed by Katie Pitts

Chapter One:
In 1997, President Clinton made it clear in his State of the Union address that by the year 2000 he wanted to see that every school in the country would be wired for computer access. To have this goal, every teacher and student would be affected. If every school were to be wired it would mean that there would need to be teachers who could teach students how to use the computer systems. While many people know the very basics of computers, there are still many more who do not have the knowledge to broaden their ability. This may be a disappointing thought however we should look at this positively as the author does. The author makes the comparison to the technological idea of textbooks that was introduced in the 1800's. Everyone who has access to books in school most likely can not think of education without books. Books were probably looked down on when they were introduced as computers often are. We can possibly dream of a school in years to come that teaches through the use of computer as often as they are given textbooks.

Chapter Two:
In this chapter the author reminds us that teachers are being offered chances to learn how to use computers so that they are able to integrate them into their teaching. I feel that the most important point made in this chapter is that 'the student assumes a central role as the active architect of his or her own knowledge and skills, rather than passively absorbing information proffered by the teacher.' This statement reminds us that while students are learning to use computers they are gaining skills that will last a lifetime. If computers are common it will dissolve the endless hours of daydreaming by bored students. Students, as well as teachers have the empowerment to learn as much as they choose while traveling through computers.

Chapter Three:
In this chapter we are told of the technologies in the past. We are told of film strips, radio and television.Film strips were introduced and were expected to create wonders however, it never quite worked out that way. Television, although being the hype when first introduced, was not quite an educational master mind due to the 'poor programming and teacherless approach.' Chapter three brings us to the true reminder that not all students have access to computers at all times. Because of this we must wonder if some students will naturally take a back seat in learning.

Chapter Four:
We are informed of educational tools that can help teachers introduce learning through computers. We are given ideas and examples as how to do this. The electronic textbook is a tool in which a student can learn by venturing through different links. There are many programs that students create that help other students along the way. Electric Soup is an example of this. It is a site in which students enter their work to be put on the site. In this chapter teachers are reminded that they, themselves, would be greatly benefited by learning computer systems. The author makes a truthful remark when saying that the kid learning amy be the kid to pass the teacher on the outside lane. We can see the truth in this when we imagine all the times that children have informed us how to use the computer, vcr, video camera, etc.

Chapter Five:
A wonderful point is made by Perelman is the question of what is better; a jet plane or the SS United States. If you need to get to a far off destination the jet plane would be the choice, however if you wanted to take it slower but enjoy the ride you would want to choose the ship. This is a comparison to computer based learning (on-line universities) and the enjoyment of learning through social interactions. Through social interaction you would enjoy classroom fun, plays, etc., etc. However if you chose computer based learning you might miss out on some of the enjoyments in a filled classroom. It all depends on what each person desires.  While computers are wonderful creations I  feel that is a teacher who has a majority of control over a students learning. While many students might prefer a computer, I prefer a teacher. Coming from a string of teachers in my family I can not imagine a classroom without the personal knowledge of a teacher.
 

BOOK REVIEW
BY MEGAN MACTAGGART

Chapter One:

    This chapter discusses the high expectations that computers will change
the classroom as we know it.  Everyone has heard these promises before with
the introduction of television, radio, and film.  However these had failed to
produce the results that everyone expected.  So chapter one informs the
reader that technology could possibly change education, or it could flop like
the inventions of the past.

Chapter Two:

    The second chapter addresses the current use of computers and how this is
directly dependent on the teacher's ability to integrate technology into
their teaching.  A presidential report states several benefits of using
technology in the classroom including: improvement of students problem
solving skills, better access to many informational resources, and the
ability to explore topics in greater depth, etc.  It also mentions how it can
be helpful to the teacher as well by allowing the teacher to monitor, guide,
and assess the progress of students.  These claims put a lot of pressure onto
teachers to gain additional knowledge about how to use technology to
accomplish such goals.  This means that teacher certification programs must
now demonstrate the uses of technology in order for teachers to gain these
abilities.

Chapter Three:

    The third chapter addresses why the technologies of the past have failed
to produce the desired results.  There are many similarities between the
technology of today and those of the past, and there are some differences as
well.  In the past the failure of new technology to change the classroom was
blamed on teachers inability to integrate them properly.  However this
chapter points out that it was the reformers who were to blame for they
failed to match their innovations with the realities of daily classrooms.
Class times were conflicting with the time needed to use such technology;
teachers were largely unhappy with the content of such technology, the
teacher had no control over the presentation (e.g., students were unable to
raise questions, or have something repeated), and finally the technologies of
the past were passive meaning students simply watched and/or listened.
Today's technology is s much more flexible allowing for students and teachers
to interact (e.g., email), and by allowing the teacher to preview the content
of new programs because of the many places this can be done at.
 

Chapter Four:

    This chapter looks at the many ways technology can be integrated into the
classroom.  Technology can be used to encourage personal growth by allowing a
students work to be viewed through the computer.  (This is a much more
significant reward than bringing your schoolwork home to your parents.)
Technology can be used to support information processing.  There are several
programs available that allow the student to address a real-life problem.
With these programs the student uses debate, critique, and design to
supplement for laboratories.  With the integration of these new technologies
will change the way teachers teach and students learn.

Chapter Five:

    The last chapter gets to the real question of whether or not technology
really will change the future.  Some feel that it will take over so much that
human interaction will be almost eliminated completely.  These people feel
that education should turn into more of an individualized learning
environment which eliminates the need for public education.  Others feel that
eliminating public education is not the answer because teaching and learning
are based on human interactions.  The business world needs individuals who
are capable of working, learning, and producing in a social environment.
Therefore public education would be a good way of preparing individuals for
this experience.  Furthermore students do not learn simply by having the
technology to access information.  That would be like handing a textbook to a
student and expecting them to be responsible for the knowledge within that
text simply because they have the access to it.  Teaching involves not only
access to information but engaging in the contents of the information.
Therefore the teacher will once again be the one who establishes what role
technology will play in education.

Reviews by Anne Paris

Chapter One
Using Technology in Educaton: An Introduction to Expectations and Reality

 Chapter one contains a brief discussion of society’s current push toward
more and more technology in the classroom and what part teachers and teacher
educators will play in that technology’s integration into the classroom.
 Comparisons between computer technology and  previous technological
introductions, such as; textbooks, film, radio, television, and overhead
projectors, are considered.
 Four questions are posed to teacher educators;
  1.  What is currently known about the uses, applications and value of technology in the classroom?
  2.  How do historical technologies compare with the demand for computer technology?
  3.  How will this new technology be used by teachers?
  4.  What will be the role of technology in the future with respect to schools and teacher education?

Chapter 2
Technology and Teacher Education: Current Use and Knowledge

 Chapter 2 discusses the lack of knowledge of how technology is actually
currently being used in classrooms.  The importance of preservice teacher education to
build confidence and knowledge of  new technologies is noted as well as the
importance of the confidence and capabilities of the teacher education faculty and their use
of technology in their own classrooms.  Preservice teachers should not be taught about the
technology only in a specific class, but need to see the technology used throughout the
teacher education curriculum.
 A presidential report is cited as promoting technology in K-12 education
from the constructivist perspective, and argues that technology could help schools in
minority and low-income population areas in a variety of ways such as improve test
scores, reduce failure rates, and lower absenteeism, etc.

Chapter 3
Patterns of Change: The Historical Context of Educational Technologies

 High technologies (film, radio,and television) and low technologies
(chalkboards and textbooks) are compared with computers with regard to their introduction
and application in the classroom.  Historically, non-teachers have been the
biggest promoters of technology.  Teachers have often used the currently popular technology
more as a means of meeting what society and/or school administrations expected of them
rather than what they really thought was appropriate for the lessons at hand.
Chalkboards and textbooks that allow flexibility and control are the technologies more
popular with teachers.  Without preservice or inservice education, teachers are ill
equipped to integrate computers into the classroom other than to provide word processing, research
or entertainment software.  Teachers consider the more sophisticated uses of
computer technology a threat to their presence and control in the classroom; the
inference being that their role would be reduced to facilitator.

Chapter 4
Teaching with Technology: Expanding Models of Instruction

 The practical approach to integrating technology into the classroom is
discussed at length in Chapter 4, with many examples of interactive websites currently
available that offer simulated classrooms to help preteachers and teachers experience and
enhance real life classroom scenarios. Also cited are examples of lesson plans currently
in use to encourage worldwide electronic communication for both students and teachers.

Chapter 5
Envisioning Future Uses of Educational Technology: Currency in a Rapidly
Changing World

 Will computers forever change the face of conventional education?  Past
technologies have made that prediction and then failed to live up to the
claim.  Chapter 5 discusses certain areas that have already made dramatic changes with
classroom technology. In one area of California the classroom has been eliminated
altogether, allowing students complete control over much of what and when they learn;
electronically communicating with what California calls education specialists.
 Teachers will always present the human experience in the classroom and no
amount of technology will undermine their value.
 

Reviews by Annice Rockwell

Chapter One of this book speaks of how important integration of
technology is to education.  It oulines the questions that the book will
cover and stresses what the current push for classroom computers means
for teachers.

    Chapter Two, entitled Technology and Teacher Education, suggests
that the use of technology by students is directly dependent on the
teacher's ability to integrate technology into the classroom.  It goes
on to outline some of the uses of computers by teachers.  It can be used
to monitor, maintain records, prepare materials, and exchange
information.  It further describes some factors that will encourage the
use of computers by both teachers and students.

    Chapter Three, Patterns of Change, reflects back on history to
support our need to continue to integrate new technology into
education.  Federal funding for education takes into consideration the
cost of schools' connections to the Internet and other expenses.  The
use of film, radio and television are explained and the chapter is
concluded by a discussion on and a comparison to computers.  It is noted
that since computers pervade nearly every business and professional
sector of our economy, as educators,  we must be able to teach
technology successfully and incorporate it into various aspects of our
curriculum.

    Chapter 4, Teaching with Technology, offers some models for teaching
with computers.  It also emphasizes the importance of technical support
to the overall success of the class.  Many different examples are
outlined in this chapter.  The chapter is concluded by saying that
computers should be used to enrich an existing curriculum, it should not
replace it.  This, I believe, is an important and key distinction.

    Chapter 5, Future Uses of Educational Technology, suggests that
students who have seen technology modeled successfully in a classroom
setting are more likely to approach the same technology favorably when
they encounter it in the future.  This chapter goes on to say that
computers will continue to change the face of education in the future.
Teachers need to be aware of the changes and need to approach these
changes with their students needs in mind.  The end of the book was
somewhat scary to me.  Perelman's prediction that computers will replace
the classroom altogether was frightening.  I do not believe that
computers can successfully replace the interaction that one takes part
in when one is part of a class.  I believe that personal interaction
with a teacher can sometimes lead to a special mentor relationship that
can change a child.  Children need role models and they need interaction
with their peers.  Even at the college level this is true.  Personally,
I have learned something special from every teacher I have ever had and
I will take that experience with me when I begin to teach.  Had I simply
learned lessons on the computer, I would not have had that particular
insight.  So, I hope that Perelman is wrong in his prediction. I believe
that computers offer students access to a whole world of information and
offers teachers a whole realm of possibilities for enhancing the
classroom environment.  However, I believe that computers should be used
as a supplement for learning, not a replacement.  I look forward to
learning more about computers and new software for Language Arts.  I
believe that my learning will be an ongoing process so that I can offer
the best to my students as they continue to learn.

Annice Rockwell
AnniceS@msn.com

Reviews by Jamie Taylor

Chapter 1: Using Technology in the Classroom, An Intro.

The first chapter of the book is basically what it
says it is, an introduction.  It is only a few pages
long and begins by showing how technology has evolved
in education.  It also states that changes in
technology in the classroom will continue and is
inevitable.  Finally, the chapter outlines the
sequence of the book and tells the reader what four
questions will be discussed throughout the book.

Chapter 2: Technology and Teacher Education, Current Use and Knowledge.

Chapter two, a much longer chapter, deals with the
issue of what do we really know about technology in
the classroom.  The book points out that educators
have very little information/statistics that shows the
effects of technology in schools.  It does say
however, that there is some evidence that improvements
in technology helps those with low level incomes.
Another focus of the chapter was the importance of
teacher training.  According to the book, the impact
of technology in the classroom depends mostly on the
ability of the teacher.  It is the teachers
responsibility to infuse technology in to the
lesson/curriculum.  Not only does the educator have to
include technology in their classes, but they must be
able to use that technology efficiently.  If they are
unable to do so, the technology is wasted.
 

Reviews written by Lisa Gankofskie

Chapter 1   Using Technology in Education

This chapter is mainly an introduction to the rest of the book.  It breaks down the four chapters into what question each one answers.  The chapter presents the idea that although schools are spending millions on educational technology is it really going to be used.  On this note the authors bring up past waves of technology reform in education that got high profile attention yet never caught on very well.  Examples given were film, television, and radio.
Chapter one goes on to explain how the rest of the book revolves around what this wave of technology reform in education means to teachers as well as students and whether there is a possibility that this wave of technology could be a big flop like others in the past.
 

Chapter 2  Technology and Teacher Education

 Chapter two looks at the current use of technology in schools and whether or not colleges are training future teachers in how to integrate technology into their teaching.  The chapter points out that teachers’ integration of technology into their teaching is what gets schoolchildren to use and start understanding technology.  In order for the teachers to integrate technology into their lesson plans they have to first understand it themselves.  To best prepare teachers in this area the chapter looks at how technology is currently being used in schools.
 Due to their being a lack of research done in the area of technology in education a report called “Technology Counts” was published by Education Week.  It reported on the use of technology in schools in all 50 states.  This chapter takes a lot of its information and quotes from this report.  For example the authors make reference to a public opinion survey done for Education Week.  The pole shows an overwhelming amount of public and political support for technology use in the classroom, which in turn generates financial support.  With all this support and spending on technology for schools it is obvious that people would want to see it used. Therefore the pressure is put on teachers.  This leads into how Teacher Education is covering technology.
 The authors mention the number of states that have technology requirements in their teacher education course work.  They also look at to what extent technology is a part of teacher training in those states that do have technology requirements.  Both the numbers and percentages are low showing a low level of training.  The chapter brings up the fact that most students training to be teachers today complete their technology requirement with one class.  Many experts cited in this chapter believe that a single class just isn’t going to do the job.
 

Chapter 3   Patterns of Change

This chapter starts out with a comparison of Thomas Edison and President Bill Clinton in the way they promoted certain educational technology.  In his time Thomas Edison promoted the instructional use of film and predicted it would someday take the place of the textbook.  Its obvious today that it never did but at the time he had felt very strongly about its future.  Almost as strongly as Bill Clinton does today about computer technology.
 What’s to say that computer technology will be popular in the education field where film, radio, and television were not.  The purpose of this chapter is to prove to the reader that computers will be successful.  They look at why high technology such as film, radio, and television never were popular in education and why such low technology as the chalkboard, overhead projector, and textbook have remained over time the teachers favorite tools.  In looking at these historical characteristics the authors show why computers should be successful.
 A big factor in the acceptance of a technology by the education field (mainly teachers) seems to depend on how flexible it is to meet a lesson plans needs, how well it supports teacher control over the class and how accessible it is.  Radio, film, and television didn’t fulfill these requirements where low technology like the textbook and chalkboard did.  In the case of the computer although it can be costly and can become obsolete in a short period of time they are very flexible making it easy for a teacher to incorporate this technology into their classes.
 

Chapter 5   Future Uses of Educational Technology

 The final chapter looks at the future of computers in education.  The authors bring up two totally different directions the future of computers can take.  One being the total dominance of computers over education where teachers are obsolete or at least the role of the teacher is changed drastically.  The other direction it could take is to be a technology that helps teachers become better teachers by having them integrate the world of computer and the information it brings into the classroom.  The idea of not having kids attend school where they can have a social life and have teachers to guide them both mentally and emotionally scares me.  I believe computers are a very important tool for education and that their importance will only grow in the future but to have them be the end all and be all of education is wrong.  There is so much more that goes on in schools that strengthen children.  To take that away can only create problems.  The authors seem to agree with that idea and that those individuals that believe that a child can get all they need for a computerized education is dead wrong.  The future of computers in education lies in the hands of teachers.  I feel if you educate teachers on how to best utilize the technology they will use it and children will be better educated because of it.

Annotated Bibliography by Darryl Rouillard
“Will Technology Really Change Education?”  From Blackboard to Web

Chapter 1: Using Technology in Education, An Introduction to Expectations and Reality

a. New educational technologies promise to change forever the way students learn and teachers teach.
b. Support for the instructional use of computers continues to increase.
c. In the 1997 State of the Union address, President Clinton outlines a 10-point plan for improving education that includes wiring every school in the United States to the internet before the year 2000.
d. This wave of technology in education repeats a pattern that began with the emergence of an American textbook industry.
e. Few technologies have had lasting impacts on the classroom.  The ones that have impacted include the printed textbook, the chalkboard, and the overhead projector.
f. The search for improving classroom productivity through technological innovations has yielded very modest changes in teacher practices.
g. The book looks at four basic questions of technology:
1. What do we know about the current use of technology in education?
2. How does the current push for computer technologies compare with the histories of previous technologies in educational reform?
3. How can we use knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology?
4. What role might technology play in the future of teacher education?

Chapter 2:  Technology and Teacher Education, Current Use and Knowledge

a. Technology will play an increasingly prominent role in classroom instruction.
b. The current training to preservice teachers will be pivotal in determining the future role of technology in education.
c. The use of technology by students necessarily depends on the ability of teachers to integrate technology into their teaching.
d. Support for future investments in technology rages.
e. Technology can support such approaches to teaching in a number of ways:
1. Monitor and guide students
2. Maintain portfolios of student work
3. Communicate with students, parents, and administrators
4. Exchange ideas
5. Consult experts
6. Access remote databases
7. Further expand their knowledge
f. Technology can help schools achieve such  desirable outcomes as improved test scores, reduced failure rates, lower absenteeism, fewer student withdrawals, increased graduation rates, improved job placement rates, and overall improvement in motivation.
g. Americans overwhelmingly understand that technology can play a vital role in education.
h. The government supports education technology spending with a program of “E-rate” discounts for schools purchasing telecommunications services.
i. Pressure on teachers to use technology will continue to mount.
j. 60% of teachers have shown concern about the content available on the internet.
k. 70% of schools nationwide have access to the internet.
l. 32 states have technology requirements for teacher licensure.
m. Teacher education influences the level of use of technology in the classroom.
n. There are 5 phases of teacher behavior during the process o