Is it still about integration?
In David Warlick’s recent post he is reflecting on a misunderstanding of his view that we must stop integrating technology. He continues to add:
Many people say that, technology is only a tool and this is correct. I would continue by saying that information is also a tool, used to construct knowledge. My question is what should teachers be thinking of as they are working through ways to modernize their classrooms. Should they be thinking of the machines? Or is there something else?
I agree it is about the information, we need to teach students and teachers alike how to deal with all this information: access it, shift and sort through it, store it, manage it, as well as, test it. It is relevant, credible, reliable? What do you do with it? How do you share it? How do you build knowledge with this information? We need to teach 21st century information literacy.
To do this you need the machines, bandwidth, and the time to actually access this wealth of information. If you are teaching without access to computers, or working with machines that will crash when trying to upload an image, you can not teach these literacy skills effectively. Nor are you able to develop any skill with the tools yourself. Schools, sadly, are not always full of working technology, nor is there enough to allow sufficient access time for students and teachers.
Therefore, regrettably, I believe it is still about integration. For many schools people still need to know what type of machines or infrastructure is needed or that there is even a need. The ‘powers that be’ still need to be convinced that literacy skills have changed and that these new skills need to be taught. Teachers need to be able to get into the computer lab more then once a month. There is a need for more computers and labs, one to one, for many is a fantasy. It is about helping teachers to break out of the mold and rut that has been laid before them. It is still very much about integrating technology and 21st century literacy skills into the psyche of the education landscape. David’s view is where we should be, where I wish my focus could be directed. But for some they do not even see it on their horizon.