What's the word on the leading edge?

At midnight tonight, 3 out of us 5 group members finished the power point presentation for Point-Counterpoint project. Our topic - Should the public schools be on the leading edge of technology? We focused our research on several different areas including the following: National Standards for Technology within the public schools according to the NEA, teacher opinions as expressed by blogs and one-on-one interviews, the PROs and CONs of schools being on the leading edge as reflected in a variety of articles (you just WAIT 'til you see our reference list!).

We certainly found evidence to support both sides of the issue. Reading teacher blog gave me several examples of ways that technology truly helps create a more positive learning environment in the classroom. In the following video, you can witness a class that went above and beyond the call of duty by using Skypecasting to connect with a student who was forced to stay home from school due to a battle with cancer.





Most people would certainly agree that in this case, being on the leading edge of technology gave this child access to the education she rightfully deserved, despite the fact that she was stuck at home.

Another member of my group researched this topic only to find that there is evidence that shows that the use of technology often does not increase motivation to learn or enhance the classroom environment or student academic performance. His research showed that technology can reduce teacher-student interaction, and that textbooks rather than high-tech equipment actually produce the best results for the lowest cost.

As with any issue, this one is not black and white. I have now seen concrete examples of teachers using leading edge technology in their classrooms and have read about the positive and negative results. My final conclusion? Use technology if you need it. If it will enhance your lesson -- use it! If it won't -- leave it out!! We are dependent on it now for things that we used to figure out creative ways to accomplish on our own. As a teacher, I should always aim to activate my students' sense of personal responsibility, achievement, and understanding. I'm confident that leading edge technology will be an integral part of my curriculum. But, I certainly hope that I continue to use IT, and never, EVER let it use me.

I'll leave you with the thoughts of my mentor - A Spanish Teacher at Saline High School.