Lesson 13: The Future
Jennifer Drumm
May 1, 2001

Education Reform and Computers: The Connection
http://edweb.gsn.org/edref.connection.html

This article was very interesting in its link of computers with educational reform. The first item for discussion was the "professional bond" formed between teachers and administrators that has been lacking in some instances. " Traditionally, every classroom is an island unto itself, with the teacher instructing, assessing and remediating children with limited contact with other teachers, even within the same school. Networking allows teachers to exchange lesson plans and advice and debate instructional methodologies with peers around the globe at the touch of a keyboard. Instead of waiting for annual summer conferences on successful education reform, they can compare and contrast their work with relative ease and speed."

Some examples of this "bond" are the sharing of educational resources on the web:
Blue Web'n http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn
Creating Web Based Lessons http://www.esc20.net/etprojects
Math Forum http://forum.swarthmore.edu/web.units.html
The WebQuest Page http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html

Computers can also be an "an invaluable tool for providing active collaborative learning and assessment." Students collaborate on projects such as WebQuests, http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/taskonomy.html and electronic field trips, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/expltx/eft/eft.htm. Resources for authentic evaluation of student work are also available, http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/rubrics/Default.htm and http://www.landmark-project.com/classweb/rubrics. Students can also post their work as a web site for the ultimate in feedback from many sources.

A site on constructivist learning with technology states, "According to Bagley and Hunter (1992), students become empowered and spend more time in active construction of knowledge when using technology. Technology provides more resources for student use in problem solving, thinking and reflection. Students spend more time collaborating with other students and communicating with teachers when developing tech- nology projects (http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec27/9.html)."

Technology should not render teachers unnecessary in the classroom. They should enhance the learning experience of the teacher and the students.