Technology as a Tool to Support

Instruction
By Lynne Schrum
This week, in an Education World "edu-torial," Lynne Schrum
presents her personal perspective on the ways in which
technology can enhance learning -- and calls on educators to take
a leadership role in determining the ways in which technology is
used to support educational goals.
Lynne Schrum, past president of the International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE), is an associate professor in the
department of instructional technology at the University of Georgia.
Her research, teachings, and writings focus on issues related to
distance education, specifically online learning. Schrum also
investigates the uses of technology in K-12 environments and identifies
ways to support educators in the effort.
We're all familiar with the extravagant promises of technology: It will
make our students smarter -- and it will do it faster and cheaper than
ever before. Moreover, the promise suggests, this miracle will occur
almost by osmosis. We need only place a computer in a room, stand
back, and watch the magic take place. If only life were that simple and
learning that easy!
Those of us who remember the 1980s, when computers were first
making their way into our classrooms, probably also remember a great
deal of bad software. As educators, we were unfamiliar with the
technology and uncertain about its possibilities. So we stepped back
and let software developers, hardware vendors, and other technicians
define not only what we could buy but also how those products would
be used. In many ways, the technology drove the educational process.
And guess what? It didn't work very well!
Now, we've entered an era in which technology is no longer an
intimidating novelty. Its use in business and industry is both accepted
and expected. And pressure abounds -- from the federal government,

from local school boards, and certainly from the popular press -- for
educators to get on board and see to it that students become
technologically skilled.
But is mere technological skill enough?
Two points should be considered.
TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL

Technology is a tool that can change the nature of learning.

First and foremost, educators want students to learn. It is
certainly not enough to tell educators that they need to use the boxes
and wires that have invaded their schools simply because they are
expensive or because students need to know how to use the latest
widget. If it's clear that technological tools will help them achieve that
goal, educators will use those tools.
The real world is not broken down into discrete academic disciplines.
I've heard a number of teachers say that they would like to be able to
change the way they teach -- to find ways to implement project-based,
multidisciplinary lessons. Let's think about how that might happen
when technology is used to support learning.
Technology lends itself to exploration. But before technology can be
used effectively, exploration must be valued as important to both
teaching and learning. In a technology-rich classroom, students might
search the Web for information, analyze river water, chart the results,
and record what they've learned on the computer.
In such an environment, acquiring content changes from a static
process to one of defining goals the learners wish to pursue. Students
are active, rather than passive -- producing knowledge and presenting
that knowledge in a variety of formats.
In such an environment, educators can encourage a diversity of
outcomes rather than insisting on one right answer. They can evaluate
learning in multiple ways, instead of relying predominately on

traditional paper and pencil tests. And perhaps most importantly,

teachers and students can move from pursuing individual efforts to
being part of learning teams, which may include students from all over
the world.
Of course, active learning is rarely a clean, neat process. Students
engaged in such a process can create busy, noisy, and messy
classrooms. It's important to recognize that this kind of learning takes
practice -- for both the teacher and the students.
Activities and learning environments must be carefully guided and
structured so learners are fully engaged in their learning. Students
must learn that exploration doesn't mean just running around doing
what they want and ending up who knows where. Educators must
recognize that if students are investigating and asking questions,
writing about what they're learning, and doing those things in an
authentic context, then they are learning to read and write and think.
In a technology-rich classroom, students don't "learn" technology.
Technology merely provides the tools to be used for authentic learning.
It is a means, not an end.
Technology provides educators with the opportunity to move from
simply streamlining the way things have always been done to really
imagining things they would like to do.
What a wonderful opportunity!

CHOOSING AND USING THE TOOLS

Teachers must determine how technology tools are used, and they
must have a hand in designing the staff development process that
trains them.
What will it take to realize the full potential of that opportunity? First,
teachers must insist on being part of the planning for technology
integration, rather than merely the recipients of other people's ideas.
They must work together to create exemplary units, and then they
must share their experiences with one another.
Teachers must take responsibility for helping design the staff
development process so that it really meets their needs -- so that it
includes time to practice using the equipment, to watch teachers
model lessons that infuse technology into the curriculum, and to
mentor other teachers.
Of course, teachers cannot revolutionize the educational system by
themselves -- and make no mistake about it, that is what we're
discussing.
Have you heard the story about the administrator who came to observe
a teacher? The classroom had five computers, and the students were
all busy on an investigation. Some of the students were using the
computers, and others were working on projects or creating
information. Some students were working together. Others were
working alone. The administrator walked up to the teacher, who was
assisting a small group of students, and said, "I'll come back when
you're teaching."
As that story demonstrates, we also have to help administrators
understand what a technology-rich lesson looks like. We have to insist
that administrators provide us with time to work together, to explore,
and to play with technological tools. We have to make sure that
support for lifelong learning for educators, as well as for students, is
built into our schools.

Teachers are creative, intelligent people, and once they learn to use
technology in their professional lives -- for keeping records, for
creating documents, and for enhancing their own learning -- they will
soon discover the many ways in which technology can enhance what
they are doing with their students.

WORKING TOGETHER
In order to successfully infuse technology into their classrooms,
teachers must have the support of all stakeholders in the educational
community. They must resist the notion that learning to use the
"gadgets" is an end in itself.
They must provide desperately needed leadership to find the best ways
of using technology to enhance teaching and learning. They must
expect and demand the best and most interesting software to enhance
their educational goals. They must be included in planning the
technology implementation -- and be encouraged to experiment with
the available tools.
Finally, teachers must educate themselves on how to best use those
tools to enhance teaching and learning.
It is an exciting time to be teaching, and we must seize this moment to
challenge ourselves, our students, our administrators, and
policymakers throughout the country to help all teachers make the
best use of the technology tools available to them.