Technology or the Teacher?

The more familiar I become with technology and how it can be used in the classroom, the more I am convinced that the single greatest tool in education remains the teacher in the classroom.  In his keynote address at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES, 2009), Craig Barrett indicated as much as well.  Technology in all its shapes and forms can be a wonderful tool for increased productivity, for creation and innovation in many ways, but it remains a tool.  Although widely used in educational settings in a wide variety of applications, merits of its effectiveness are still being debated.  Perhaps the key variable that needs to be studied is the one variable that is most inconsistent, the classroom teacher.   

Wenglinsky (1998) reported findings from a national study of the relationship between different uses of technology and educational outcomes.  The study did not take into consideration certain aspects of teaching style, but it did positively correlate some outcomes to professional development.  This seems to suggest that with professional development technology can positively impact education which makes sense to me.  Most of us do perform better at anything given the opportunity to practice and learn more about the subject at hand.

In thinking about how I use technology and watching Barrett’s speech, I was once again struck by the creativity of some people.  The key for me remains the person as the pivotal piece in the equation.  At the heart of any great technological initiative is someone behind it with a real vision of what problem it can solve.  From there, it is a matter of putting it into practice, refining and sharing -- then practicing, refining and sharing some more.

Barrett, Craig. Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009, Las Vegas, NV. January, 2009. Keynote address. Retrieved September 3, 2011, from G4TV: http://www.g4tv.com/videos/35876/CES-09-Intel-Keynote/

Wenglinsky, H. (1998). Does It Compute? The Relationship Between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics. ETS, Research Division. Princeton: ETS .