“Write the following on the blackboard 100 times:
Schools don’t want technology
Schools want curriculum
Schools don’t want technology
Schools want curriculum
Etc.” From THE Journal, In K-12, the New, New Thing is the Old Old Thing: Currriculum by Cathie Norris, Elliot Soloway
Okay, we have certainly gotten past the premise that technology itself holds answers for education. As we know, it is technology’s ability to save teachers time or focus student attention that can be advantageous. Recently, THE Journal went a step further calling for less attention to technology and more to curriculum.
“As a Gates Foundation exec puts it: “Research tells us that high-quality, aligned instructional material is important in helping teachers support their students in mastering the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to be college and career ready.” THE Journal
I agree completely however not all students need the same instructional material at the same time. I wonder what teacher has the time to deliver individual lessons to different students for each objective she teaches and for the below grade level lessons she does not. So, how can technology improve curriculum?
One of the most important benefits of technology is its ability to help with classroom management, simply put, one teacher trying to see to the needs of numerous students. When each of these students has individual skill gaps, that challenge becomes even more daunting. No teacher can be expected to handle truly individualized instruction for more than a few students without help. And individualized instruction is so often needed when students fall behind in math or are ready to move ahead.
Technology can do this by properly assessing each student’s needs and then automatically assigning the appropriate aligned curriculum.
Bottom Line: It’s not about having technology. It’s about delivering the right instruction to the right student at the right time!