More on Education “Technology”
I struggled a bit (FINE, more than just a little) when I tried to address the results of the study done by the Department of Education on using Technology (specifically “software”) for education.
However, in BusinessWeek this week, U.S. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI), does an excellent job of juggling the issues with the results, and showing how it was A Flawed Measure.
The finding raises the question whether this nation should only invest in tools whose effectiveness can be measured through test scores.
As I noted, this study was clearly flawed, but I did omit this point of the conclusion and how flawed the question itself was, thus rendering the rest of the results useless. Because, there is more to education than standardized test scores. I said the full potential of Education Software was not explored, but Kind does a much better job as he goes on and explains,
The answer to that question should be no. This study attempts to show the ineffectiveness of educational technology. Instead it simply reveals the Bush Administration’s tunnel vision on the uses and value of it.
The benefits education technology offers students go beyond merely passing core-curricular tests. With it, students are gaining the technology skills and knowledge they will need to compete in the 21st-century economy. While ensuring that our students are proficient in reading, math, and science is critical to their academic and employment futures, their ability to use technology tools, mine the resources of the Internet, and collaborate virtually with peers around the world are skills that high-paying employers seek as well.
Clearly more needs to be looked at. And we need to stop looking at things solely through the looking glass of NCLB. There is more to life and knowledge than standardized test scores.
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