eBook Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology: The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America (Technology, Education--Connections (The TEC Series)) ePub

Interesting analysis of what technology, most particularly on-line technology, might mean for wholly new ways of educating. The book is by now a little dated (2009 is a long time ago for the technologies being discussed) but the ideas are certainly still relevant. One change since 2009 is the continued drop in prices for computers and tablets so that is seems a given that 100% of students will have there own computers. So why are the possibilities being discussed so slow to spread despite continued in advances in both hardware and software? I would suggest that it is not just resistance on the part of entrenched forces in the current education system, but rather the slow emergence of models that optimize the roles that human teachers can best play with the extraordinary advantages in subject learning afforded by computer interactions.

The book contains numerous insights into the age of technology that is infiltrating our educational institutions. I taught for 46 years (middle school, high school, University, and serving several roles as high school administrator), and I saw the slow advent of technology coming into the educational system. Those conservatives who warn of doom and gloom are not going to be able (and should not be able to stem the tide of "new" methods of teaching. They are right in saying that a number of things will be lost--like handwriting skills, basic arithmetic, are same wrote memory--, however, that is always the case when time marches on. We no longer write in scroll form as people did even 150 years ago; we no longer use the abacus; we no longer use library index cards to do our research. When was the last time someone used a microfiche. Although typewriters are making somewhat of a come-back, few would give up their computers for such a machine. So, yes, we do lose, but we also gain. having said that, there are dangers involved in the new technology. My experience during the last few years that I taught (retired May 2013) was that too many students thought that by having the information on a computer file, they "knew" the material. then, when faced with problem solving, they were bound by their electronics, which only could regurgitate that what was programmed, and not what was not yet conceived. When the Apollo and Saturn V program was underway, my father would say that every day he was doing something that the text books said was impossible.

This book addresses numerous of these issues, and, although published in 2009, the ideas are still somewhat current regarding the impact of technology on the children's' learning processes.

Collins and Halverson have great depth in the area of education reform. This book not only reviews education's past, it also describes today's present situation in with digital natives being taught by digital immigrants, and it ends with recommendations for education's future.

Despite the diversity that exists within our boundaries, America has always sought to give equality to its fellow man (or woman). Even the Civil War could not destroy this vision. Today's technology age now has the ability to create a "digital divide" because of access to technology, wealth, and race (p. 108). Additionally, as parents become more involved in their children's education they may shelter their children from arts or philosophies that rival their personal beliefs while investing personal money in improving their skills in other areas, hence, increasing the gap between groups of people based on religion and socio-economic status. It has also been noted that the increase in technology also has seen a rise in isolation and depression among technology users. Despite the negatives, the race for education is fierce. Students using technology are more engaged, driven, and have autonomy over their education. Corporation competition is also heating up making a competitive market in tutoring, educational resources, and private schooling. This will only serve to improve education for students. Computers can also individualize education which will help all students, not just those with special needs or those who are gifted. Parents will become more involved in their children's education, a problem that has plagued public education for a long time. With the Internet, students have access to knowledge 24/7. They don't need to hear about studies when they can watch them live or research a topic of their choice. There are positives and negatives to this new wave of technology that has taken education by force.

Collins and Halverson (2009) feel today's youth are already using technology and our current direction with standardized scores driving education is only serving to increase the achievement gap. Two of the ideas discussed are national certification and skill based assessment systems. By creating smaller certifications that are nationally recognized students would have autonomy when it comes to which certification tests they take, when they take the tests, and the topics to research. Skill based assessment systems would utilize computer adaptive technology to rate student ability levels. Combine national certification and interactive testing abilities with a student selected curriculum and you revolutionize a K-12 education into a useful set of skills once graduated. Students will have a resume of nationally recognized certificates when they graduate. This motivation factor has the capability to encourage students to stay in school and lessen the achievement gap.

Furthermore, change among the way schools do business on a daily basis is on the brink of change. As new technologies take form and creative curriculum's come into existence, the way students learn in a traditional classroom is being challenged. Society and the workforce are moving ahead digitally but yet in many classrooms we expect our children to learn in classrooms void of newer technology. We expect kids to put away their own digital devices and learn in the same way their grandparents learned. This is doing our current generation a disservice. Our children's social network is far more advanced than that of their parents. Their interests and pop culture icons are always at their fingertips. Their sophisticated network far outreaches that of other generations. Children and gaming now go hand in hand. These children are developing critical thinking and problem solving skills much faster than originally thought, their language and communication skills are developing more rapidly than earlier generations. Yet our schools have not all caught on to this phenomenon. It is time to tap into the wide array of possibilities that lie ahead for our students and realize the great potential that is at our fingertips.

Collins and Halverson give the overall picture of how technology is changing technology. This book comes highly recommended.

Collins, A. & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in the age of technology. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.