Changing the Curriculum: Not the Technology ....Journal #5

Changing the Curriculum: Not the Technology by Kenneth Kawajewski "Summer 2002-2003, Vol 30)"
Over the past decade or so there has been a great demand for the accountability of performance for K-12 students (NCLB or A Nation at Risk.) In this article Mr. Kwajewski says, "He believe that integration of technology will help more students learn more information throughout the new century." Technology is viewed as a core value, however it is time that administrators overhaul the system, not just tinkering with parts and let the curriculum change in order for technology in schools to realize its fullest potential across the board with students. He goes on to say, "no one involved with the process of education can refute the following observation. Teachers are still teaching in isolation. Teachers still teach how they were taught. Change from the top seldom reaches the classroom and todays students are absorbing curricula unsuited for the challenges facing them today." Attemps at educational change have failed. There are attempts to integrate the curriculum through interdisciplinary teaching but it happens infrequently with little blending of learning. Reports have generated attempts to recognize the curriculum around new principles such as ability grouping, active learning, constructivism, back to the basics, and critical thinking. Still the curriculum revolves around the traditional four major subjects of mathematics, social studies, language arts and science. How about changing the old curriculum to perhaps Communication, Life skills, Problem Solving, Economics, and Technology. Communication would encompass language, Life skills includes special educ, health nutrition, community services. Problem Solving, thinking skills, research, math and prigramming, Economic would help with golbal economny, and Technology it will be necessary for every area to use software, hardware tools to enhance learning, notebooks, laptops, palm devices, pagers, phones desktops, videos, and internet tools opening this area will create a new dialogue about the use of technology in the classroom.

Question: Can a change like this take place in all school across America?
Answer: Maybe! certainly the time has come, at least, to consider it. My believe is that Technology will only be successfully integrated and universally used by teachers and students when everyone is responsible and take a stand "Lets us Learn, Teach and Learn."

Question: How would I as a teacher implement Technology in my classroom?
Answer: I would make sure that my Math and Science students have every resource available to them in the way of Technology. Especially in Science, my student will be able to research, do presentations using Technology, show graphs etc. In math my students can use this tool to create statistics graphings, Honors students can be mush more versatile in group settings, creating dialogues, and working math at the system. If I as a teacher want my students to learn then I have to be willing to go that extra mile to also learn and stay ahead of the Technology.