The response to the KQED Forum show yesterday about the use of technology in education has been lively.
One commenter believes that "edutainment, gizmos, and gadgetry do not belong in the classroom," while another wrote, "It's apparent we'll always be more enamored with our tech toys than with doing the work of developing emotional/relational skills."
To keep the discussion going, here's my response:
What I'd add to the mix is the idea that the use of technology is already all around us -- whether it's a cell phone or access the Internet, both of which the vast majority of people use on a daily basis. Many education technology advocates propose leveraging those tools to add yet another dimension to the learning process -- not to do away with successful traditional best practices.
Each student absorbs and retains information in a different way, and sometimes tech tools can advance and even improve that learning process. What's important is to educate them about how to use those tools -- which are not going away anytime soon -- judiciously. To teach them the critical skills to use technology for all its benefits.
I'd love to hear more thoughts as they pertain to the subject.