Reading Susan Pinker’s summary of the research on electronic devices in the classroom as aids to learning, my little heart leapt: let’s quote from p. 190:
“But ultimately the data suggest that it’s a teacher’s ability to weave this new technology into meaningful interactions with students that makes a difference to learning. In other words, it’s not the technology, it’s the teacher.”
This comes after citations of a huge amount of research and the listing of heartbreaking amounts of money spent on classroom technology with either no results or an actual drop in test scores. Before you scorn this with your assumptions that giving thousands of kids laptops MUST do SOMETHING great, just look this over. Better yet, read the research yourself.
Pat’s Polemics
On-going brilliance
