The Integration of Instructional Technology into Public Education: Promises and Challenges

Rodney Earle is concerned with the integration of instructional technology in the classroom and this article seeks to answer the fundamental questions of how it has been done and why. Earle begins by attempting to define the concept of technology. Earle responds to a rather dated definition of technology by Webster’s in stating, “this limited focus on machinery at the expense of process ignores the true sense of technology as ‘the systematic application of scientific and other organized knowledge to practical tasks.’”

Earle continues by explaining the implications of this definition in the public mind as well as its present application in the classroom. He reviews many studies in which the use of technology becomes a concern. The opposition state that our schools will become “overwired” while our children our undertaught. Those in high favor of technology point out how it improves student motivation and enhances student learning. Recently, the negative social effects of technology (specifically social networking) on our students are becoming more evident, but Earle points out Hadley and Sheingold’s 1993 theory that technology “must go beyond information retrieval to problem solving; allow new instructional and learning experiences not possible without them; promote deep processing of ideas; increase student interaction with subject matter; and promote faculty and student enthusiasm for teaching and learning.” Earle wants his readers to know that integrating technology into the classroom is not about technology, but rather about content and effective instructional practices.

The remaining portions of the article deal with the process of accepting change, identifying the restraining forces (funding, time, support, training, etc…), and discussing further studies about the reality of the place of technology. In his final reflection, Earle quotes Margaret Honey by concluding that in order for technology to have real gains in any educational situation the following must exist: leadership, solid educational objectives, professional development, adequate technology resources , time, and evaluation. The most lasting idea in Earle’s argument is that the teacher remains the most important aspect of student success, with or without technology. 

Please see the below link for the full article:  http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic87187.files/Earle02.pdf