Response #2: Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology
By: Allan Collins and Richard Halverson
Collins' and Halverson's book Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology presents the argument that technology needs to be more incorporated into schools. They feel that this incorporation of technology will allow students to be more connected to other students (p. ix). This will create more peer-based learning. Student should be able to interact with other kids their age. This interaction will create a larger community of learning that will benefit all students.
The internet has become a vital part of our everyday life. For students the internet allows them to interact with others on a global scale. It also allows them to discover information that they may not be able to come by through traditional resources like books and encyclopedias. The main issue with Collins' and Halverson's argument for the incorporation of technology in schools is the funding that is required to implement these changes. Desktops, laptops, tablets, and interactive whiteboards are expensive. So is the software that this technology will require. Many school systems across the country do not have access to the funding that implementing these extreme technological improvements will require. The authors do not provide a solution to this problem. They are only concerned about getting this technology into the classroom, not funding it. This funding issue would be especially prevalent here in Southeast Ohio. Many residents of the counties in this area live below the poverty line. Implementing technology in schools would require either a large number of government grants, or a school levy to increase funding. With so many people below the poverty line, these levies would have difficulty passing because of the tax increase.
The author's plan to increase the use of technology in schools is good. Technology can provide many advantages for students. It has the ability to give students access to more educational tools while also providing them with information in a new and creative way. However, in order for this plan to be successful we must find a way to fund these programs so that it does not rely solely on funding from citizens or school systems.
The internet has become a vital part of our everyday life. For students the internet allows them to interact with others on a global scale. It also allows them to discover information that they may not be able to come by through traditional resources like books and encyclopedias. The main issue with Collins' and Halverson's argument for the incorporation of technology in schools is the funding that is required to implement these changes. Desktops, laptops, tablets, and interactive whiteboards are expensive. So is the software that this technology will require. Many school systems across the country do not have access to the funding that implementing these extreme technological improvements will require. The authors do not provide a solution to this problem. They are only concerned about getting this technology into the classroom, not funding it. This funding issue would be especially prevalent here in Southeast Ohio. Many residents of the counties in this area live below the poverty line. Implementing technology in schools would require either a large number of government grants, or a school levy to increase funding. With so many people below the poverty line, these levies would have difficulty passing because of the tax increase.
The author's plan to increase the use of technology in schools is good. Technology can provide many advantages for students. It has the ability to give students access to more educational tools while also providing them with information in a new and creative way. However, in order for this plan to be successful we must find a way to fund these programs so that it does not rely solely on funding from citizens or school systems.