The Role of Technology in Education

A question on a recent job application asked about technology in education. Such questions often force me to reflect on the topic and focus my ideas; this one was no different. I take the standard view of "technology as a tool" and consider four kinds of tool use: 

1. Technology as a tool for communication and collaboration. This use is well-known and includes e-mail, using the web for access to information, collaborative software and social media for group projects, etc.
2. Technology as a tool for the expression of ideas. My best example is from mathematics: software that allows you not just to visualize mathematical ideas but to increase the number of dimensions through 3-D and animation; to emphasize or discriminate features using color and pattern;  to show the development of complex ideas using selective hide/show, etc. The best software makes this expressiveness available to students as well as teachers.
3. Technology as an extension of self. Through digitization and storage, technology enables a teacher to provide differentiated instruction both in the classroom, by increasing the number of modalities by which material is presented; and outside the classroom, by providing extra help or extended topics for which class time is not available.
4. Technology for ubiquitous data-gathering and number-crunching. This use of technology opens up possibilities for extended, fine-tuned assessments of learning and teaching; it also raises ethical issues.

In addition to all of these uses, exposure to the technology that will be encountered in higher education and the workplace is a necessary part of secondary education.

My original answer to the question follows.


From your point of view, how important is technology in education? What technology-related skills can you contribute to a school district?

Technology as a tool is critical both in and out of the classroom. As a tool for the extension of oneself, technology enables a teacher to provide differentiated instruction both in the classroom, by increasing the number of modalities by which material is presented; and outside the classroom, by providing extra help or extended topics for which class time is not available. As an expressive tool, technology allows teachers and students to express dynamic ideas not easily captured by traditional static media, e.g. chalk- or whiteboard, paper-and-pencil. Technology as a communication tool allows teachers, students and parents to collaborate over distance and time. Technology as a tool for ubiquitous computing can enable extended, fine-tuned assessments of learning. Finally, exposure to the technology that will be encountered in higher education and the workplace is a necessary part of secondary education.

The technology-related skills I acquired during my career in Information technology are readily adapted to the classroom. I was an early adopter of collaboration software in business and participated in its growth, evolution and migration to the web. In the process, I mastered many software languages and packages for the expression of ideas (word processors, HTML, XML, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, etc.) This was a time when the field was changing rapidly, so I'm skilled at keeping up with technology trends and learning new technologies quickly. I am trained in information architecture and certified as a Usability Analyst, meaning I can focus on how a system is used, not how it looks or how "cool" the technology is. Lastly, I'm experienced at using web analytics and other software to monitor and evaluate system performance and user experience - other names for "assessment."